Today in history: January 18

January 18 in Indianapolis hockey history

Birthdays

Mark Messier: Racers forward in 1978-79, beginning his pro career on a five-game tryout contract. He was scoreless with the Racers, but joined the Cincinnati Stingers after the Racers folded, playing 47 games. Messier became one of the most prolific players and leaders in NHL history. He joined the Edmonton Oilers after the WHA-NHL merger in 1979 and had a 50-goal season by 1981-82. He followed it up with five 100-point seasons in the next eight years. Messier won six Stanley Cups in his career -- with Edmonton in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990 and with the New York Rangers in 1994. He also appeared in the 1983 finals, a loss to the New York Islanders. Messier played 26 pro seasons, retiring in 2004 as a Ranger. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1984, and won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Lester B. Pearson Trophy as the NHLPA MVP both in 1990 and 1992. He played 1808 NHL/WHA games, with 695 goals, 1,203 assists and 1,998 points. In the playoffs, he had 109 goals and 186 assists in 239 total games. He is second in NHL history for regular-season points (1887), playoff points (295) and regular season games (1756). His number 11 has been retired by both the Rangers and Oilers. He was a four-time First Team All-Star and played in 15 NHL All-Star Games. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, inducted in his first year of eligibility in 2007. A native of Edmonton, he is 51. 

Tim Lockridge: A perennial Checkers defenseman, he played for the team in all five CHL seasons from 1979-84, the full 1984-85 season in the IHL, and a few games the following year. He played in 393 games with the Checkers -- the only pro team he ever suited up for. He had eight goals and 67 assists as a Checker. He was a strong right-handed shooting defenseman. He is third all-time on the Indianapolis hockey games played list, behind longtime Checkers teammates Kevin Devine and Garth MacGuigan. He is the only player to suit up for six consecutive Checkers seasons. The Islanders' fourth-round pick in 1979, he was born in Barrie, Ont. he is 53. 

Jocelyn Perreault: Ice goaltender for five games in 1988-89, going 0-3-0 with a 6.17 GAA. He played parts of four pro seasons in the AHL, IHL and ECHL, and then played several years of senior hockey in Quebec. A native of Montreal, he is 46. 

Newsstand: Andy Brown

An  interesting story that came across the Web in the last couple of days ... profile of ex-Racers goaltender Andy Brown, who was also an aspiring open-wheel racer.

Thanks to Tim Gassen of the WHA Hall of Fame and the author of the Racers' history book and DVD, for the link.

Andy Brown profile

Today in history: December 10

December 10 in Indianapolis hockey history
1978: Gary Inness backstops a 6-4 Racers victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Don Larway, Bryon Baltimore and John Hughes scored three goals in a 100-second span late in the second to give the Racers a 4-2 lead. Rene LeClerc scored the game-winner at 9:07 of the third. It was the team’s final victory, and took place in front of 4,735 fans.



Birthday
Jeff Blashill: Ice coach from 2008-10, leading them to the Clark Cup championship in 2009. His teams went 72-53-5 over the two years with the Ice. They won the title in 2009, defeating the Fargo Force 3-1 in the championship series. The following year, they defeated Cedar Rapids in five games in the opening round before falling to eventual Clark Cup champion Green Bay in the conference finals. He moved on to coach Western Michigan University for one year, having a tremendous run, and currently serves as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings. A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., he is 38.
 

Today in history: November 20

Birthdays

James Farelli: Right wing for the Chiefs in 1958-59, where he had two goals and five assists in six games. He played nine pro seasons from 1953-62. A native of Capreol, Ont., he was born in 1931. 

Ross Smith: Racers right wing for 15 games in 1974-75. He had a goal and six assists. He played three pro seasons from 1973-76, the latter two in the Racers system, primarily with their affiliate in Mohawk Valley. A native of Westlock, Alb., he is 58. 

Bogdan Savenko: Ice right wing in 1994-95, where he had 18 goals and 17 assists in 62 games. After his stint with the Ice, he played two more years in North America with AHL Syracuse and IHL Quebec, then headed to Europe to play in Sweden, the Czech Republic and Russia before retiring in 2002. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, he is 37.

Today in history: November 11

1942: Bill Jennings scores four goals in 8-2 Capitals win over the Providence Reds. His first two goals came 2:10 into the game. 

Birthdays

Harry Lumley: One of the great goaltenders in NHL history, Lumley broke in with the Capitals, where he began his pro career in 1943 as a 16-year-old rookie in the midst of WWII. "Apple Cheeks" played two years with the Caps. He was 19-18-15 with a 2.84 GAA in 1943-44, and then 11-5-5 with two shutouts and a 2.14 GAA the following year in 21 games. All told, he played 73 games for the Caps. He was called up to Detroit for good partway through the 1944-45 season and led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals that year. He made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in 1943, playing two games, and was the youngest goaltender in NHL history. He backstopped three straight finals appearances with the Wings from 1948-50, finally winning the Stanley Cup in 1950. However, he was traded that off-season to Chicago because the Wings had Terry Sawchuk ready. He played the next six seasons with Chicago and Toronto, and was the First Team All-Star goaltender with the Leafs in both 1954 and 1955, with season GAAs of 1.84 and 1.96, respectively. He won the Vezina Trophy in 1954. However, the Leafs went 2-12 in the playoffs from 1954-56, and Lumley was sent down to the AHL in 1956. He made one more return to the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 1959-60 before retiring in 1961. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. A native of Owen Sound, Ont., he was born in 1926 and passed away in 1998. 

Rene LeClerc: Racers center from 1975 through the franchise's folding early in the 1978-79 season, LeClerc played 190 games in Indianapolis, tallying 60 goals and 73 assists in that time. His best year was 1976-77, where he had 25 goals and 30 assists to help lead the Racers to a playoff spot and their only playoff series win in history. He played all 16 postseason games in Racers history, with three goals and four assists. LeClerc broke into the NHL with the Red Wings in 1968-69, but made his mark in the WHA, starting with the Quebec Nordiques in 1972 and then with the Racers three years later. He had 134 goals and 177 assists in 432 WHA games, and 144 goals in 539 NHL/WHA games. He retired after the 1978-79 season, which he finished with the Nordiques. A native of Vanier, Quebec, he is 64.  

Paul Hoganson: "Hoagie" was one of several Racers goaltenders in 1976-77, coming over from the Cincinnati Stingers later in the year. He had a 3-2-0 record in 11 games that year, with a 3.65 GAA. He started five playoff games, and was the winning goaltender in the longest game in WHA history, a 4-3 triple-overtime victory over the Stingers in the opening game of the playoffs. He made 56 saves in that game, which lasted All told, he started 143 WHA games and two NHL games between 1970-78, with a record of 44-73-4. He retired in 1979. A native of Toronto, he is 62. 

Today in history: November 7

Today in Indianapolis hockey history, November 7

1939: The Red Wings assign players to the Capitals, sending Hec and Ken Kilrea to Indianapolis, along with Jack Keating and Frank "Scotty" Bowman as they prepare for their first-ever home game. 

1946: Capitals beat Springfield 10-0. Tony Bukovich has a four-point night with two goals and two assists. Lloyd Doran adds a goal and three assists, while Red Almas has the shutout in goal. 

1963: The Indianapolis Capitols, without a home rink after the Coliseum explosion on Oct. 31, formally announce their move to Cincinnati after two road games. They had offers to play their home games temporarily at Maple Leaf Gardens and other venues, but permanently moved to Cincinnati and played as the Wings. The following year, they would move to Memphis and eventually to Fort Worth. 

Birthdays

Glen Brydson: A member of the original Capitals team in 1939-40. He was traded to the Caps partway through that season from New Haven, totaling 25 points total between the two teams. It was near the end of a 12-year pro hockey career that began in 1930 and featured eight NHL seasons with the Montreal Maroons, St. Louis Eagles, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. His best NHL season was an 11-goal year with St. Louis in 1934-35. After his year with the Caps, he had a 20-goal season for the Springfield Indians in 1940-41. A native of Swansea, Ont., he was born in 1910 and passed away in 1993. 

Murray Heatley: Racers right wing from 1974-76, where he had 17 goals and 13 assists in 63 games. Heatley tallied 15 of those goals in 1974-75, the Racers' first season. Heatley played 148 WHA games, also playing two seasons with the Minnesota Fighting Saints before joining the Racers. After his stint in Indianapolis, Murray played in Germany for several seasons. He is the father of NHL player and current Minnesota Wild player Dany Heatley, who was born in Germany while Murray was playing overseas. A native of Calgary, Alberta, he is 63. 

Jim Johnson: Racers center in 1974-75, where he played 42 games and tallied seven goals and 15 assists. That came at the end of a long NHL/WHA career that saw him break in with the New York Rangers in 1962-63, and play 459 games with the Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Fighting Saints and the Racers. His best season was an 18-goal, 48-point season with the Flyers in 1969-70, and a 15-goal, 54-point year with the Fighting Saints in 1973-74. He had 107 goals and 289 points in his NHL/WHA career. A native of Winnipeg, Johnson is 69. 

Michel Dubois: Racers defenseman for 34 games in 1975-76, where he had two goals and two assists. He was dealt to Quebec partway through the year and played 25 more games for the Nordiques over that season and into 1976-77. Dubois retired after the 1977-78 season. A native of Montreal, he is 57. 

Brian Felsner: Left wing for the Ice in 1997-98, where he tallied 17 goals and 53 points in 53 games. Felsner got the call to the Chicago Blackhawks for 12 games that year, but finished out the season with the Milwaukee Admirals. Those 12 games in Chicago were his only NHL games in a pro career that lasted from 1996-2008. He played primarily in the IHL through 2001 -- with Orlando, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit and Cincinnati -- and then in Europe for nearly all of the rest of his career. He is the brother of former NHL player Denny Felsner. A native of Mt. Clemens, Mich., he is 39. 

Today in history: November 2

November 2 in Indianapolis hockey history

1957: Pierre Brillant posts his third consecutive 2-goal game to give the Chiefs a 5-2 victory at Fort Wayne. He had 6 goals and 3 assists in the first three games of the year, starting a season that would end in a Turner Cup championship. 

1978: Wayne Gretzky, Ed Mio and Peter Driscoll are sold to the Edmonton Oilers for a sum reportedly $850,000, which was supposed to keep the Racers afloat for the rest of the season. Four front-office staff members were also released. Team owner Nelson Skalbania was not present at the press conference, escorting the three players to Edmonton. Gretzky tallied three goals and three assists in eight games with the Racers. He would lead Edmonton to four Stanley Cups between 1983-88, and then also lead the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. He would become the greatest scorer in professional hockey history. 

1979: Richard Brodeur shuts out the Fort Worth Texans and Alex McKendry scores 50 seconds into OT to give the Chex a 1-0 victory. It is the franchise's first shutout and first OT game. 

Today in history: October 29

October 29 in Indianapolis hockey history

1978: Wayne Gretzky plays his final game as a Racer in a 3-3 tie at Winnipeg. The previous night, he played his final game at Market Square Arena, registering no points, but helping the team win 3-2 over the Winnipeg Jets. Rich Leduc, Michel Parizeau and Blaine Stoughton score for the Racers. 

Birthdays

Johnny Mowers: Capitals goaltender for two games in 1947-48. He allowed seven goals in those two games. He had been a regular for the Detroit Red Wings during WWII, playing 152 NHL games, primarily from 1940-43, before enlisting in WWII. He led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in 1943 and to a seven-game loss in the finals in 1942. He was also the Vezina Trophy winner and the NHL First Team All-Star Goaltender in the 1943 championship year. He retired after his short stint with the Capitals. A native of Niagara Falls, Ont., he was born in 1916. He passed away in 1995. 

Ed Dyck: Racers goaltender during the 1974-75 season, where he saw the expansion team post a 3-21-3 record in front of him. He had a 4.36 GAA. Dyck played 49 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks before joining the Racers in 1974, often splitting time between Vancouver and its WHL affiliate in Seattle. Dyck became one of the first players to effectively be traded to a European club -- when the Racers signed Leif Holmqvist from Sweden, they sent Dyck to his Swedish club in return  A native of Warman, Sask., he is 61. 

Today in history: October 28

October 28 in Indianapolis hockey history

1956: Chiefs goaltender Cliff Hicks posts the second of back-to-back shutouts, beating the Troy Bruins 2-0. The previous night, he beat Toledo 4-0. He made 65 saves in the two wins. His shutout streak would eventually reach 186:56. 

Birthdays

Kevin Morrison: Left wing for the Racers from 1977 through the aborted 1978 season. In 80 games, he had 17 goals and 42 assists. Morrison played 459 games in the WHA and NHL, primarly with the San Diego Mariners from 1974-77. He had three 20-goal seasons in a row from 1973-76, his best year being a 24-goal year with the New York Golden Blades -- who moved across the Hudson and became the Jersey Knights for the second part of the year. After the merger, he played 41 games with the NHL Colorado Rockies. He had 97 goals and 235 assists as a major-league player. He was the Rangers' third-round pick in 1969. A native of Sydney, N.S., he is 62. 

Dave Bassegio: Member of the Ice in the 1989-90 championship season. Bassegio joined the team late in the year after starting with AHL Rochester. He had one goal and seven assists in 10 regular-season games, then contributed two goals and four assists in 10 postseason games en route to leading the Ice to the Turner Cup title. That was his rookie year -- he had been a standout at Yale University. Bassegio played professionally through 2000, primarly in the AHL and IHL. His best year was a 46-point season for the Houston Aeros in 1996-97. Since retirement, he coached in the ECHL and AHL, matriculating to head coach of the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Peoria Rivermen for one season each. He was the Sabres' fourth-round pick in 1988. A native of Niagara Falls, Ont., he is 44. 

Lubos Krajcovic: Ice right wing from 1999-2002, totaling 25 goals and 30 assists in 120 games. He also had a big postseason in 2000, tallying two goals and six assists to help lead the Ice to the Miron Cup in their maiden season in the CHL. Prior to joining the Ice, he played in the USHL for Sioux Falls, two seasons at Michigan Tech and one year in the UHL. A native of Krupina, Slovakia, he is 35. 

Today in history: October 27

October 27 in Indianapolis hockey history

1945: The Capitals and St. Louis Flyers saw a then-AHL-record 13,848 show up at the St. Louis Arena to see the Caps win 5-1. Norm McAtee scored twice and Larry Wilson made 25 saves in goal. 

1946: Cliff Simpson sent down by the Red Wings, beginning a very successful tenure with the Caps. 1978: Wayne Gretzky scores his final point as a Racer, assisting on Don Larway’s first-period goal in a 4-2 loss at Birmingham.

Birthdays
Peter Driscoll: Racers left wing from 1977 through the early part of the aborted 1978 season. Driscoll scored 25 goals in 56 games for the Racers in 1977-78, and in total had 28 goals and 22 assists in 64 games as a Racer. He was a footnote in one of the most infamous moments in local hockey history, as he and Eddie Mio were traded to Edmonton along with Wayne Gretzky eight games into the 1978 season. Driscoll had three productive seasons with Edmonton before retiring in 1983 as a member of the CHL's Wichita Wind. A native of Powassan, Ont., he is 57.
Gerry Minor: A high-scoring center with the Checkers in 1985-86, where he had 28 goals, 46 assists and 108 PIMs in 72 games. He also had three goals and four assists in five postseason games that year. Minor played 140 NHL games from 1979-84, all with the Vancouver Canucks, with 11 goals and 21 assists. He would play one more season after his stint with the Checkers, scoring 17 goals for Muskegon in 1986-87 before retiring. A native of Regina, Sask., he is 53.
Brad Lauer: Member of the Ice from 1991-93, where he was a high-scoring left wing. The New York Islanders' second-round pick in 1985, Lauer immediately burst onto the scene in the NHL, scoring 17 goals for the Isles in 1987-88, his second pro season. He would play in the NHL from 1986-96, with 44 goals in 323 games with the Isles, Blackhawks, Senators and Penguins. But it was his stint in Indianapolis that turned heads. He had 24 goals in 1991-92, but then followed up with 50 goals and 41 assists in 1992-93, helping lead the Ice to the playoffs. He also had three goals and an assist in the five-game playoff loss to the Atlanta Knights. Lauer remained in pro hockey -- primarily in the IHL -- through 2001. While a popular Ice player, he also was involved in ending a season prematurely, as his overtime goal for the Cleveland Lumberjacks eliminated the division champion Ice in the 1997 first round. Since retirement, he has coached as an assistant with WHL Kootenay, AHL Milwaukee and the Ottawa Senators. He is currently an assistant with the AHL Syracuse Crunch. A native of Humboldt, Sask., he is 45.

Today in history: October 22

1978: Wayne Gretzky scores his third professional goal on a wrist shot from the slot in the third period. He also assists on Peter Driscoll’s goal in the first, but the Racers fall to New England 7-4 in Hartford. 

Birthday

Terry Kleisinger: Goaltender who played four games for the Checkers in 1986-87, the second of his two professional seasons. Kleisinger had been a goaltender for the University of Wisconsin, and split that year between the Checkers, AHL New Haven and IHL Flint. A native of Regina, Sask., he is 51. 

Today in history: October 20

October 20

1946: Capitals beat Philadelphia 10-0. Gerry Couture team-record 5 goals and 7 points. Les Douglas totaled 1 goal and 5 assists. Red Almas had the shutout in goal.

1956: Pierre Brillant scores his first goal as a Chief, scoring with 1:39 left to beat Cincinnati 3-2 on the road. Brillant would post 204 goals and 181 assists in his 4+ years with the Chiefs. He would become Indianapolis' all-time leading hockey scorer. 

1978: Wayne Gretzky scores his first professional goal at 6:07 of th second period, he used Al Hamilton to screen goaltender Dave Dryden and fired a backhander from 25 feet out. Thirty-four seconds later, Gretzky’s centering pass deflected into the net. The Racers also had their first-ever penalty shot that night, a missive from Kevin Nugent, which Dryden turned aside. Gretzky’s goals gave the Racers a 3-1 second-period lead, but Edmonton scored three times in the third to beat the Racers 4-3. 

Today in history: October 19

October 19

1943: Future Hall of Famer Harry Lumley makes his Capitals debut in net, beating the Buffalo Bisons 2-1 in front of 7357 at the Coliseum. Bucko McDonald would score the game-winner. Another player who would be a Capital fixture – defenseman Rod Morrison – played the first of his team-record 319 games in a Capital uniform that night. Morrison would total 88 goals and 130 assists in a career that spanned from 1943-44, and again from 1945-49.

1975: Gerry Moore is fired as the Racers coach, and player personnel director Jacques Demers is hired. The Racers are 1-4-0 in their second season, and would go on to win the East Division championship. Demers would post a 70-72-14 record in Indianapolis, and later coach the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup in 1993. 

Birthdays

Bob Ferguson: Very popular Ice coach from 1995-98 during the IHL days. Fergie's teams posted a 127-98-21 record. They made the playoffs each year he coached, and won the IHL's Central Division championship in 1997. His teams never won a playoff series, but dropped best-of-5 five-game thrillers in both 1996 (to Detroit) and 1998 (to Orlando). Ferguson came to the Ice after a long career in the USHL coaching Sioux City and Des Moines from 1981-95. After leaving the Ice, he coached in the ECHL for three seasons, returned to the USHL with Des Moines in 2001 for three years, and then went back to coaching in the ECHL for three more seasons. He is currently the assistant GM of the AHL's Syracuse Crunch. A native of Kingston, Ont., he is 57. 

Jake Skjodt: Ice forward who is a second-generation hockey player in Indianapolis. Skjodt played for the Ice from 2006-08, with 42 goals and 44 assists in 117 games. He also had 172 PIMs. He took his talents to Nebraska-Omaha where he played two collegiate seasons, and then went to Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Skjodt's father is former Checkers legend Charlie Skjodt, who also currently serves as the Indiana Ice team president and has served two stints as the team's coach. A native of Carmel, he is 24. 

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. 

Today in history: October 17

We're back. Life forced us to go into minimalist mode for a few weeks, but it's HOCKEY! season. Back with Today in History. 

October 17

1948: Ott Heller makes his debut as Capitals’ player-coach. He scores the team’s first goal in a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Flyers. Chosen because of his ability to work with young players, Heller would coach the Capitals for their final four seasons, including to the 1950 Calder Cup championship. 

1974: The Indianapolis Racers play their first regular-season game, losing to the Michigan Stags 4-2 in front of 12,837 at Market Square Arena. Bob Whitlock scores the first goal at 5:31 of the third period on the power play. 

Birthdays

Bob Roselle: Center who played one game for the Racers in 1975-76. It was the only career major pro game for Roselle, who played six seasons of minor-league hockey from 1970-76. 

Rusty Patenaude: Right wing for the Racers in 1977-78, where he had 23 goals and 19 assists in 76 games. Rusty, whose given name is Ed, played six seasons in the WHA, the first five with the Edmonton Oilers. He had 159 goals in 431 games. A native of Williams Lake, B.C., he is 62. 

Chris Stafne: Forward who played 22 games for the Ice in 2008-09, scoring six goals and three assists. He would later be dealt to Fargo that year, and then play the 2009-10 season with Des Moines. He had 24 goals and 21 assists in two USHL seasons. 

Today in history: September 28

One birthday today
Gene Peacosh: Member of the Racers in 1976-77, scoring 22 goals and 26 assists in 64 games. He added the punctuation mark that year with one of the most famous goals in Indianapolis hockey history -- his triple-OT goal that ended the longest game in WHA history. The rebound shot beat the Cincinnati Stingers 4-3. He ended up with three goals and three assists in nine playoff games that year, as the Racers swept Cincinnati and then fell to eventual champion Quebec in five games. He played 367 WHA games, with 165 goals and 165 assists. His best season was a 43-36-79 year in 1974-75 with San Diego. He also had 30-goal seasons with the New York Raiders in 1972-73 and with the Mariners in 1975-76. He retired following the 1977 season. A native of Sherridon, Man., he is 63.

Check out a YouTube retrospective of Peacosh's career.

Today in history: August 23 & 24

Another catch-up for a couple of days

August 23

Ken Desjardine: Defenseman with the Racers in their inaugural 1974-75 season. He had eight assists and 66 PIMs in 46 games in the Circle City. Previously, he spent two years with the Quebec Nordiques. The ex-Michigan Tech player suited up for one more year professionally, but spent most of 1975-76 with the CHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles. A native of Toronto, he is 64. 

Kevin Beaton: Defenseman who played one game for the Checkers in 1983-84. He played the year primarily with the IHL's Toledo Goaldiggers, where he totaled 84 points. He played one more pro season, splitting it between AHL Rochester and Europe. A native of Oshawa, Ontario, he is 51.

Jay Sprague:  Ice forward in 2005-06 who totaled 17 goals and 16 assists in 56 games. He parlayed that into a four-year career at Michigan State University. He played four games professionally for the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings last season. A native of Georgetown, Ontario, he is 25. 

August 24

Bill Goldsworthy: One of the last player-coaches in hockey, Goldsworthy joined the Racers in the 1977-78 season as a right wing and a coach. He had an 8-10-18 line in 32 games as a player, and an 8-20-1 record as a coach, as he replaced Ron Ingram with 29 games left in the season. Goldsworthy had a long NHL career that lasted from 1964-77 with the Bruins, North Stars and Rangers. He was considered the first star in North Stars history, as he had five 30-goal seasons between 1969-75. He had 48 goals in 1973-74 and a 37-35-72 line the following year. He served as captain from 1975-76. His move to the Racers was his first WHA action, and he would play 17 games the following season with the Edmonton Oilers before retiring. He had 565 points in 820 regular-season NHL and WHA games over 15 seasons. He would later coach in the Central Hockey League with the San Antonio Iguanas. A native of Waterloo, Ontario, he was born in 1944. He passed away in 1996 due to complications from AIDS -- the first hockey player to publicly admit to having the disease. He was a member of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. His No. 8 was retired by the Minnesota North Stars. 

Rich Leduc: Center who played 41 games for the Racers in their final two seasons, from 1977 to the aborted 1978-79 campaign. He had 15 goals and 24 assists. He joined the Racers from Cincinnati in 1977-78, and then played for the Quebec Nordiques after the Racers folded. In total, he had 26 goals in 1978-79, and he had 21 when the Nordiques were absorbed into the NHL the following season. It came near the end of a 10-year pro career that began in 1971 and led to his first NHL callup in 1972-73 with the Boston Bruins. He made his mark with five years in the WHA, primarily with Cincinnati. He had a 52-goal, 101-point season for the Stingers in 1976-77, a team the Racers knocked out of the playoffs in four games. All told, he had 195 goals and 195 assists in 394 WHA games, and 223 goals and 233 assists when NHL totals are added in. He retired after the 1981 season. A native of Ile Perrot, Quebec, he is 60. 

Jake Maida: Goaltender who played 12 games for the Ice in their inaugural 2004-05 USHL season. He had a 3-7-0 record and a 3.09 GAA with the Ice. He also played with Des Moines that season, and eventually played a couple of years with the University of St. Thomas. A native of Duluth, Minnesota, he is 26. 

Today in history: August 16

Three birthdays today

Alvin "Buck" Jones: A tough defenseman who played 123 games for the Capitals from the team's founding in 1939 through 1942, when he was dealt to the Providence Reds. He was one of the original Capitals. Buck had 14 goals, 12 assists and 175 penalty minutes in the blue and white. He got the first callup to Detroit prior to the Caps' founding, and then served two more stints with the Wings. After his trade to Providence, he also played for the Maple Leafs in 1943, totaling 50 NHL games. Like many pro hockey players, he left the game after the 1943 season to join the service, and returned in 1946, where he played nine more years in the minor pro and senior levels. He settled in Tampa, Fla. upon retirement. A native of Owen Sound, Ontario -- and a member of that town's sports Hall of Fame -- Buck was born in 1917. He passed away in 2007, six days after his 90th birthday. 

Bob Wiest: Capitals center in 1946-47, where he totaled 15 goals and 15 assists in 39 games. As a junior, he led the Ontario Hockey Association in scoring in 1942, but did not begin playing professionally until after WWII. He continued to play in the United States Hockey League and in Canadian senior leagues after his tenure with the Caps, scoring 24 goals with USHL Omaha in 1947-48. A native of Balgonie, Saskatchewan, he was born in 1922. 

Nick Harbaruk: Right wing who played 181 games for the Racers between 1974-77. Known as a strong defensive forward, he had some offensive punch. He had 45 goals and 44 assists, topping the 20-goal mark in 1975 and 1976. He spent most of the following season in the minors, but played 27 games for the Racers and was a key in their playoff sweep of Cincinnati. He had three goals and an assist in 13 playoff games in 1976 and 1977. Harbaruk played for the Racers at the end of a long professional career that began in 1964 with AHL Rochester -- shortly after winning the Memorial Cup with the Toronto Marlies. His career included 545 NHL/WHA games, 90 goals and 119 assists. He broke into the NHL with Pittsburgh in 1969 -- and was one of four players in the entire league with a college degree when he did, completing it while spending five years with the Central Hockey League's Tulsa Oilers. He played four seasons in Pittsburgh before going to St. Louis in 1973-74 and joining the inaugural Racers squad the following year. After retirement, he coached at Seneca College in Toronto, where his teams won three Ontario championships. Born in Drohiczyn, Poland in 1943 at the height of WWII, Harbaruk emigrated to Toronto with his family at age five. He passed away on March 10 of bone cancer. 

Today in history: August 12

Better late than never ... 

Birthdays

Rosaire Paiement: Center who played the final two seasons -- and 128 games -- with the Racers from 1976-78. He had 18 goals and 25 assists in 1976-77, helping the Racers to their second straight postseason berth. He also had five assists in the playoffs as the Racers won their lone playoff series in their history. He totaled 24 goals and 49 assists in the regular season with the Racers. Paiement played in the NHL with the Flyers and Canucks from 1967-72, then jumped to the WHA in 1972-73 with the Chicago Cougars. He also played two years for the New England Whalers before joining the Racers in a trade for Gary McGregor. He had at least 25 goals in five of the six seasons between 1970-76 before joining the Racers, with a career high of 34 with the Canucks in 1970-71. He had a hat trick against Glenn Hall in his first playoff game in 1968, while playing for Philadelphia. Paiement's career was ended by injuries suffered from a scuffle with Edmonton's Dave Semenko. He played 645 NHL/WHA games with 194 goals and 273 assists. A native of Earlton, Ontario, he is 66, and owns a sports bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Dave Dornseif: Defenseman who played three games for the Racers in 1977-78, registering one assist. He joined the team after finishing a four-year career at Providence College. He primarily played the two subsequent pro seasons with Erie of the Eastern Hockey League -- although he suited up in one more WHA game for Cincinnati. His daughter Lindsey played soccer at the University of Texas. A native of Edina, Minn., he is 55. 

Paul Houck: Right wing who played the 1988-89 season with the Ice, scoring 22 goals and 37 assists in 81 games. He had a big career at the University of Wisconsin, where he scored 38 goals as a sophomore in 1982-83, and skated in 16 games with the North Stars from 1985-88. After his year with the Ice, he moved to Europe for two more years. A native of Vancouver, he is 48. 

Roch Belley: Goaltender who played 33 games for the Ice from 1991-94 -- primarily in 1991-92, when he suited up in 25 games. He split time with Ray LeBlanc, Jim Waite and Dominik Hasek with the Ice that season. He primarily played the 1992-94 seasons in the "AA" level Central and Colonial Hockey Leagues. A native of Hull, Quebec, he is 40. 

Today in history: August 6

Four birthdays today

Gerry Couture: High-scoring center who played two seasons for the Capitals between 1946-48, totaling 50 goals and 43 assists in 76 games. Couture split both seasons between the Caps and Detroit. He had 24 goals in 1947-48, and 26 the following year. After making his NHL debut in the 1945 Stanley Cup playoffs with Detroit, Couture stuck in the NHL through 1951. After that, he split time between the NHL -- with Montreal and Chicago -- and various minor leagues through his retirement as a player/coach with Saskatoon's senior team in 1960. He won the Stanley Cup with Detroit in 1950. A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was born in 1925 and passed away in 1994.

Don Burgess: Left wing who played 82 games for the Racers -- all but three in the 1977-78 season, and the final trio in the aborted 1978 final WHA season. Burgess had 12 goals and 13 assists as a Racer. He played in every WHA season, breaking into the league in 1972 with the Philadelphia Blazers after five years in the EHL with Greensboro. Burgess also played for the San Diego Mariners before joining the Racers, totaling 20 goals twice and 30 goals once. Don retired after the 1979-80 season. A native of Point Edward, Ontario,he is 65.

Mike Neill: Defenseman who played 71 games for the Checkers in 1985-86 -- and also played one postseason game the previous year. The New York Islanders' third-round pick in 1983, Neill broke into pro hockey in 1984-85, shortly after finishing his junior career. He played through 1989, splitting time between the AHL and IHL in the Islanders (Checkers, Springfield Indians) and Blues (Peoria Rivermen) systems. A native of Kenora, Ontario, he is 46.

Ben Albertson: Forward who scored 14 goals and 15 assists for the Ice in their 2008-09 Clark Cup championship season. He played 59 regular-season games that year, and added five goals and two assists in the 13 postseason games. Since, Albertson has moved on to the University of Vermont, where he had six points in 23 games this past season as a sophomore. He has been named to the Hockey East All-Academic team both years. A native of Bow, New Hampshire, he is 22.