Fuel to open schedule with home-and-home against old rival

The Indy Fuel and Fort Wayne Komets haven't yet played a game against each other, but their rivalry is already pretty strong.

It's a rivalry goes back to the days when the IHL's Indianapolis Ice and Fort Wayne Komets did battle, often a dozen times a year. And while the rivalry has been on hiatus for 15 years -- the last time Fort Wayne and Indianapolis hockey teams met on the ice, it was an exhibition game in 1999 -- it still fuels passions on both sides.

So, fittingly, as the Indy Fuel begin their inaugural ECHL campaign this fall, it will happen with the Fort Wayne Komets as the visitors.

Fort Wayne will visit the State Fairgrounds Coliseum on Oct. 17 for a 7:35 p.m. puck drop, beginning a new era in Hoosier hockey, both for the Indy Fuel and the newly-renovated Coliseum, which will be unveiled after a two-year remodeling project that transformed the Coliseum into a spectacular, modern arena. The next night, the Fuel will head up I-69 to help the Komets usher in their season. There's no better way to usher in a new era.

Today in history: January 6

January 6 in Indianapolis hockey history

1957: The Chiefs win a thriller at home against Toledo. Bob Bowness scores with 21 seconds left to tie the game, and then Pierre Brillant finishes a hat trick by scoring 12 seconds into OT while he was being tripped

1962: The Chiefs and Fort Wayne Komets play a bizarre doubleheader in Fort Wayne. They play the regularly-scheduled game, which the Chiefs won 6-2 thanks to two goals from Garth Hayes. Then, they complete a game from Dec. 13 that was shortened by a brawl. It was initially ruled a 3-2 Komets win, but the IHL required the final 8:34 to be played with Fort Wayne leading 3-2. The Chiefs scored three goals after the resumption, with Bill Wilkes scoring twice in a 5-3 Chiefs victory. In the Allen County Coliseum, 4,432 witness the festivities. 

Birthday

Craig Hamner: Defenseman for the Racers in 1974-75. He was the team's second-round pick in the 1974 Amateur Draft. He had one goal in 27 games with the Racers. He also played parts of two years with the Racers' farm team in Mohawk Valley. A native of St. Paul, Minn., he is 66.

Today in history: October 18

Today in History

Oct. 18

1945: Caps host Buffalo in 1945-46 home opener. Tied 3-3 despite two goals from Pete Leswick. Each team has four war vets compete in a relay race as part of the festivities, where each player had to chase the puck and pass it after one lap. Tony Bukovich, Ed Riegle, Pete Leswick, Mud Bruneteau represented the Caps.

1955: The Indianapolis-Fort Wayne rivalry that would last through 21 IHL seasons officially begins. Roger Hayfield scores at 9:20 of overtime to give the Chiefs a 3-2 victory at the Allen County Coliseum. Bob Lalonde makes 52 saves. 

1978: Wayne Gretzky registers his first professional point, assisting on Rich Leduc’s goal at 16:14 of the second period of a 4-0 win over Quebec. 

Birthdays

Rollie Rossignol: Right wing for the Caps in 1945-46, where he had 26 goals and 21 assists. Rollie played professionally in North America from 1940-48 -- then played in Europe for another decade. He is a veteran of 14 NHL games with Detroit and Montreal. A native of Edmunston, N.B., he was born in 1921. 

Alex Laseen: Ice forward for 15 games in 2005-06, where he had two goals and five assists. Alex also played 88 games for Des Moines from 2004-06 before joining the Ice. He played at Curry College in the ECAC in 2007-08. A native of Redondo Beach, Calif., he is 25.