Today in history: July 31

Two birthdays to round out July:

John Ollson: Forward who played 17 games for the Checkers in 1984-85, tallying nine goals and 11 assists. He also had a goal and an assist in the team's seven-game playoff loss to Peoria. Combined with his time with the Milwaukee Admirals, he had a 26-goal season. As a pro rookie, he had 29 goals and 43 assists in 1983-84 for the AHL's Springfield Kings. Ollson played the next year primarily with AHL Nova Scotia, and then headed to Europe, where he led the Dutch league in scoring in 1986-87. He retired after the 1990-91 season, playing five games with the upstart IHL Albany Choppers. Since, he has begun a hockey and golf training academy called Ollson Sports Group, based in his hometown, the suburban Ottawa community of Nepean, Ontario. Ollson is 48.

Troy Murray: A Chicago Blackhawks legend who played eight games for the Ice in 1993-94, before being traded to the Ottawa Senators late in the season. Murray had three goals and three assists for the Ice in those eight games. Murray is best known for a 15-year NHL career that began in 1982 after finishing his NCAA career (and winning a national title) at North Dakota. He would be a mainstay in Chicago for the next nine seasons. His biggest year was a 45-goal, 54-assist year in 1985-86, the second of five straight 20-goal seasons. He would be traded to Winnipeg in 1991 (along with ex-Ice player Warren Rychel) and play two years for the Jets, before being traded back to Chicago in 1993 (for former Ice player Steve Bancroft). He finished off the 1994 season with Ottawa, would be dealt to Pittsburgh in a deadline deal a year later, and play his final NHL season in 1995-96 with Colorado, where he hoisted the Stanley Cup. He retired after the 1996-97 season, which he played in the IHL for the Chicago Wolves. All told, he played 915 NHL games, totaling 230 goals and 354 assists, in addition to 875 PIMs. Today, Murray is a color commentator on the Blackhawks' radio broadcasts. A native of Calgary, Alberta, he is 49.

Today in history: July 30

Two birthdays to celebrate today

Randy Taylor: Defenseman who played 44 games for the Ice in their inaugural 1988-89 year, tallying two goals and 15 assists. The Harvard grad spent that year between the Ice and Flint. He played most of the following year with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, who would fall to the Ice in the Turner Cup Finals. Taylor played three pro seasons -- splitting 1987-88 between Muskegon and Peoria. All but seven of those games were played in the IHL. A native of Cornwall, Ontario, he is 46. 

Dave Hakstol: Defenseman for the Ice who joined the team upon finishing his college career at North Dakota in 1992. He played 35 games for the Ice in 1991-92, and in total played 168 games through the 1994 season. He had six goals and 21 assists for the Ice, in addition to 162 PIMs. He played two seasons for the Minnesota Moose after that stint in Indianapolis, serving as team captain. Upon retirement in 1996, he became the USHL Sioux City Musketeers' head coach, beginning a long coaching career. He became the associate head coach to Dean Blais at his alma mater, North Dakota, in 2000, and the head coach in 2004. His teams have a 187-92-27 record and have advanced to the NCAA Tournament seven times, and the Frozen Four five times. The Sioux were runners-up in 2005, his first year as a head coach. He has been named a USHL and WCHA Coach of the Year. He currently coaches ex-Ice players Mike Cichy, Brett Bruneteau and Ben Blood. A native of Drayton Valley, Alberta, he is 43. 

Today in history: July 29

No birthdays yesterday, so we pick up with these today

Ted Lindsay: "Terrible Ted" made his professional hockey debut in Indianapolis, albeit temporarily, and with some controversy. The Capitals were beset by injuries and the absence of player-coach John Sorrell after the 1944-45 season's first two games, and so the Detroit Red Wings sent Lindsay and two others, rookie Steve Wochy and ex-Capital Judd McAtee to play one game in Hershey on Oct. 25, 1944. The Caps won the game 7-3, or so it seemed. The AHL ruled Lindsay and the two others ineligible because the league felt the Red Wings were stacking the team, even though Lindsay and Wochy had never played an NHL game and McAtee hadn't played in a couple of years. Anyway, it was Lindsay's only game with the Caps, and he never actually set foot in Indianapolis as a member of the team. He would be in the lineup when the Red Wings began their season against Boston four nights later, and go on to a 17-year NHL career. It would actually be the only minor-league game of his career. He totaled 379 goals, 472 assists and 1808 PIMs in 1,068 games. He joined Gordie Howe and ex-Capital Sid Abel on the "Production Line" for much of his career. He was the NHL's Art Ross Trophy recipient as the league's leading scorer in 1950. He won the Stanley Cup in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955 with the Red Wings and captained the team for much of that time. He was traded to Chicago in 1957 and played three seasons for the Blackhawks. He retired in 1960, came out of retirement to play one more season in 1964-65, then went into permanent retirement. Besides his Hall of Fame career and becoming the first player to skate the Stanley Cup around the rink, Lindsay is best known for being the founder of the NHL Players Association, the league players union -- a big reason why he was traded to Chicago. The NHLPA's award for the league's outstanding player is named for him. A native of Renfrew, Ontario, he is 86. 

Dave Cameron: Center who played for the Checkers in their first two seasons, from 1979-81. He played 148 games, totaling 55 goals and 51 assists, as well as 257 PIMs. He had a huge season in 1980-81, with 40 goals and 30 assists, leading the team in goal scoring. That took him to the NHL, where he spent much of the next three seasons with the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils franchise. He was traded by the Isles for a draft pick that turned out to be Pat LaFontaine. He had a 25-28-53 line in 168 NHL games. Cameron retired as a player after the 1984-85 season, although he did come out of retirement to play one game with AHL Saint John in 1994-95. He began coaching in the old Colonial Hockey League with Detroit in 1995-96, beginning a long career behind the bench. In 1997, he began coaching Major Junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League. Other than two stints in the AHL, he has primarily been coaching the Toronto/Mississauga St. Michaels Majors ever since, coaching the Majors to second place in the 2011 Memorial Cup tournament. He also coached Canada's World Junior Championship silver medalist in 2011. He was recently hired as an Ottawa Senators assistant coach. A native of Charlottetown, PEI, he is 53. 

Scott Bell: Right wing who played two games for the Ice in 1995-96, scoring one goal. Bell was called up from ECHL Columbus, where he was a 23-goal scorer that season. The University of Minnesota grad played 69 pro games that season with Columbus, AHL Providence and the Ice, totaling 29 goals. He only played 21 more professional games thereafter. Bell moved into coaching, serving as the head coach at Div. III Hamline University in Minnesota until this past off-season. A native of Inver Grove Heights, Mich., he is 40. 

Andrew Mayer: Forward who played three games for the Ice in the 2010-11 season. He had one goal. A native of Troy, Mich., he is 18. 

Gillies preparing for Ivan Hlinka tourney

Ice goaltender Jon Gillies is getting ready to head overseas and represent the United States in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

His hometown newspaper, the Portland (ME) Press-Herald, had a nice piece on him today.

Today in history: July 27

A single birthday

Allen Tarasuk: Right wing who played 46 games for the Checkers in 1986-87, their final IHL season. He had eight goals, 12 assists and 173 PIMs. He also had a goal and two assists in the postseason that year. Tarasuk played for the Checkers after a junior career with the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings -- he had 27 goals in 1983-84 -- and two years at the University of Alberta. After his year with the Chex, he returned to Alberta and played two more college seasons. A native of Edmonton, he is 47. 

Now, for the preseason

The boot camp for a lot of USHL teams and an opportunity to work out some kinks is in the annual USHL Fall Classic, which will be held this year at Sioux City.

The Ice will play three exhibition games at the multi-day festival of hockey (all times Eastern):
Thursday, Sept. 22: Ice vs. Des Moines, 3 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 23: Ice vs. Waterloo, 11 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24: Ice vs. Sioux Falls, 11 a.m.

Ice announce 2011-12 schedule

The USHL schedule is out. 

The Ice will open the season Oct. 1 at Cedar Rapids. The team will be on the road for two straight weeks before opening at home Oct. 15 against the US NDTP. The Ice will play 60 games, 30 at home and 30 on the road, between then and the finale April 14 against the Des Moines Buccaneers. The Ice will play two games at Conseco Fieldhouse -- one on New Year's Eve, one on a date to be determined. Most of the games will be on weekends -- only two home games on weeknights and one on a Sunday afternoon. There is also a Friday afternoon game Dec. 30. The USHL noted 93 percent of its games will be on weekends this year, which does create a few 3-games-in-3-days scenarios.

There was one change in USHL alignment, as the Clark Cup champion Dubuque Fighting Saints swapped places with the Waterloo Black Hawks. The Saints were moved into the Eastern Conference, along with the Ice, the USNDTP, Green Bay, Muskegon, Youngstown, Cedar Rapids and Chicago. The Western Conference will add Waterloo to its stable, which also includes Des Moines, Fargo, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls and Tri-City.

The schedule is unbalanced, with the Ice playing six Western Conference foes only once, but facing two others (Waterloo and Des Moines) four times. The Ice will face Eastern Conference foes Green Bay, Muskegon, Youngstown and the combined USNTDP program eight times each, play Chicago seven times, but only face Dubuque four times and Cedar Rapids three.

The schedule:
Sept. 22-24: at USHL Fall Classic
Sa Oct. 1: at Cedar Rapids, 8 p.m.
F Oct. 7: at USNtdp U17, 7 p.m.
Sa Oct. 8: at USNtdp U17, 7 p.m.
Sa Oct. 15: USNDTP U17, 7 p.m.
F Oct. 21: at Tri-City, 8 p.m.
Sa Oct. 22: at Lincoln, 8 p.m.
F Oct. 28: WATERLOO, 7 p.m.
Sa Oct. 29: WATERLOO, 7 p.m.

F Nov. 4: CEDAR RAPIDS, 7 p.m.
Sa Nov. 5: at Youngstown, 7 p.m.
F Nov. 11: GREEN BAY, 7 p.m.
Sa Nov. 12: MUSKEGON, 7 p.m.
F Nov. 18: at Cedar Rapids, 8 p.m.
Sa Nov. 19: at Waterloo, 8 p.m.
W Nov. 23: at Green Bay, 8 p.m.
F Nov. 25: SIOUX CITY, 7 p.m.
Sa Nov. 26: FARGO, 7 p.m.

F Dec. 2: SIOUX FALLS, 7 p.m.
Sa Dec. 3: GREEN BAY, 7 p.m.
Su Dec. 4: GREEN BAY, 3 p.m.
F Dec. 9: DUBUQUE, 7 p.m.
Sa Dec. 10: DUBUQUE, 7 p.m.
Su Dec. 11: at Muskegon, 3 p.m.
F Dec. 16: at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Sa Dec. 17: at Chicago, 8 p.m.
W Dec. 28: at Muskegon, 7:15 p.m.
F Dec. 30: YOUNGSTOWN, 3 p.m.
Sa Dec. 31: YOUNGSTOWN (at Conseco Fieldhouse), 7 p.m.

F Jan. 6: at Waterloo, 8 p.m.
Sa Jan. 7: YOUNGSTOWN, 7 p.m.
F Jan. 13: USNTDP U18, 7 p.m.
F Jan. 20: at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Sa Jan. 21: at Dubuque, 8 p.m.
F Jan. 27: CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
Sa Jan. 28: MUSKEGON, 7 p.m.
Su Jan. 29: at Green Bay, 4 p.m.

F Feb. 3: at Green Bay, 8 p.m.
Sa Feb. 4: at Dubuque, 8 p.m.
F Feb. 10: CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
Sa Feb. 11: MUSKEGON, 7 p.m.
F Feb. 17: at Des Moines, 8 p.m.
Sa Feb. 18: at Omaha, 8 p.m.
F Feb. 24: at Muskegon, 7:15 p.m.
Sa Feb. 25: at Muskegon, 7:15 p.m.

F March 2: at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Sa March 3: at Green Bay, 8 p.m.
W March 7: at Youngstown, 7 p.m.
F March 8: YOUNGSTOWN, 7 p.m.
Sa March 9: GREEN BAY, 7 p.m.
F March 16: MUSKEGON, 7 p.m.
Sa March 17: USNDTP U18, 7 p.m.
F March 23: CEDAR RAPIDS, 7 p.m.
Sa March 24: at Youngstown, 7:30 p.m.
Su March 25: at USndtp U17, 3:30 p.m.

W April 4: CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
F April 6: at USndtp U17, 7 p.m.
Sa April 7: at Youngstown, 7:30 p.m.
F April 13: USNDTP U17, 7 p.m.
Sa April 14: DES MOINES, 7 p.m.

By month
October: 8 games (3H, 5A)
November: 9 games (5H, 4A)
December: 11 games (7H, 4A)
January: 9 games (4H, 5A)
February: 8 games (2H, 6A)
March: 10 games (5H, 5A)
April: 5 games (3H, 2A)

By opponent
Cedar Rapids 1H (11/4) 2A (10/1, 11/18)
Chicago 3H (1/27, 2/10, 3/4) 4A (12/16, 12/17, 1/20, 3/2)
Dubuque 2H (12/9, 12/10), 2A (1/21, 2/4)
Green Bay 4H (11/11, 12/3, 12/4, 3/9) 4A (11/23, 1/29, 2/3, 3/3)
Muskegon 4H (11/12, 1/28, 2/11, 3/16) 4A (12/11, 12/28, 2/24, 2/25)
USA U17 2H (10/15, 4/13), 4A (10/7 10/8, 3/25, 4/6)
USA U18 2H (1/13, 3/17)
Youngstown 4H (12/30, 12/31, 1/7, 3/8) 4A (11/5, 3/7, 3/24, 4/7)

Des Moines 1H (4/14) 1A (2/17)
Fargo 1H (11/26)
Lincoln 1A  (10/22)
Omaha 1A (2/18)
Sioux City 1H (11/25)
Sioux Falls 1H (12/2)
Tri-City 1A (10/21)
Waterloo 2H (10/28, 10/29) 2A (11/19, 1/6)

The entire USHL schedule is here. 

USHL schedule today?

While the Ice briefly posted a tentative schedule on their website a few days back, the official 2011-12 USHL schedule is expected to be released today.

We'll, of course, post the schedule when we get it and break it down when we get the opportunity.

Today in history: July 26

Birthdays today

Dalton "Nakina" Smith: Capitals center in 1943-44, where he tallied 11 goals and 23 assists in 34 games. He also had one assist in five playoff games that season. He also played his only 10 NHL games that season with the Red Wings, with a goal and two assists. As WWII began to wind down, he became one of several ex-Caps to play the next season with the new St. Louis Flyers. He moved to the "AA"-level USHL in 1945 and played five more seasons with USHL Minneapolis and PCHL Los Angeles. His highest-scoring pro season came in 1948-49, when he had 34 goals and 28 assists. He also was an All-Star in the American Hockey Association -- which was renamed the USHL after WWII -- in 1939 and 1940, playing with the Minneapolis Millers. His brother Carl (aka "Winky") also played for the Caps in 1943-44, creating one of several brother combos to suit up in Indianapolis. A native of Cache Bay, Ontario, he was born in 1915 and passed away in 1982. 

Sebastien Geoffrion: Forward who played 31 games for the Ice in 2008-09, totaling four goals and four assists. He came over from Lincoln midway through the year, and was a solid, tough player. He also amassed 140 PIMs that season. In the playoffs, he had three goals and two assists to help the Ice win the Clark Cup title. After his time in Indianapolis, he took his talents to the University of Alabama-Huntsville, where he has five goals and four assists in two seasons. Sebastien comes from a hockey pedigree, as his grandfather Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1950s, his father Dan played in the NHL and WHA in the 1970s and early 1980s and his brother Blake plays for the Nashville Predators. His great-grandfather is early NHL great Howie Morenz. A native of Brentwood, Tenn., he is 22. 

Today in history: July 25

Just one birthday
Ravil Gusmanov: Left wing who played 71 games for the Ice between 1995-97. He had 27 goals and 37 assists, including a 21-goal season as the Ice won a division title in 1997. Prior to joining the Ice, he played four NHL games for the Winnipeg Jets, who drafted him in the fourth round in 1993. He finished 1996-97 with AHL Saint John, and then went to Europe. He played through 2010, playing the last three seasons in the KHL. A native of Naberezhyne Chelny, Russia, he is 39.

Today in history: July 24

Birthdays today

Roger Lafreniere: Defenseman who played for the short-lived Capitols team in the CPHL in 1963. In the team's eight games as an Indianapolis entry, he had one assist. He finished that year with three goals, 24 assists and 112 PIMs -- 10 of which were earned before the team moved to Cincinnati in early November. Lafreniere played three games for the Red Wings that season, and wouldn't play in the NHL again until 10 years later, when he played 10 games for the St. Louis Blues. He spent much of the interim time in the AHL and WHL, primarily with the Buffalo Bisons and Denver Spurs. In 1962, he won the Memorial Cup with the Hamilton Red Wings for coach (and ex-Capital) Eddie Bush. He retired in 1975. A native of Montreal, he was born in 1942. 

Rick Dorman: Right wing who played the 1984-85 season with the Checkers' first IHL entry. In 80 games, he tallied five goals, 20 assists and 263 PIMs. He had a reputation as an enforcer during an eight-year pro career that began in 1977 -- the Checkers were his last stop. In his rookie year, he racked up 475 penalty minutes for the Dayton/Grand Rapids Owls in the IHL. He also managed 16 goals and 30 assists that year. He captained the Owls' Turner Cup championship team the following season. He had at least 250 penalty minutes in seven of his eight pro seasons. Since retirement, he has been a coach and a junior hockey executive. A native of Winnipeg, he is 56. 

Sergei Kukushkin: Ice forward who was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Draft and played for the inaugural USHL Ice team in 2004-05. He had one goal and two assists in 19 games. After that season, he returned to Eastern Europe and has played there, matriculating to the KHL -- widely considered Europe's top pro league -- in 2008 with Dynamo Minsk in his hometown. A native of Minsk, Belarus, he is 26. 

Alex Handy: Forward who played 38 games for the Ice from 2007-09, totaling four goals and four assist. A Carmel native, Handy is one of several Hoosiers who have matriculated to the Ice during the team's seven-year USHL tenure. Handy then went on to play collegiately at Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is 22. 

Today in history: July 23

Birthday post

Lyall Wiseman: Right wing who played 61 games for the Capitals in 1949-50, totaling 15 goals and 30 assists. He also played in six of the Caps' postseason games with one assist -- all wins, as the team swept its way to the Calder Cup that season. Wiseman joined the Caps after two seasons at the "AA"-level Omaha, but that would be his final North American pro season. He would spend much of the 1950s playing senior hockey in Canada. A native of Montreal, he was born in 1927. 

Roger Hayfield: Left wing who played for the Chiefs in their first two years, from 1955-57. In 81 games, he had 23 goals and 17 assists. He would be traded to the EHL's Washington Lions in 1956-57 after 22 games in Indy. Hayfield's 21 goals in 1955-56 led the Chiefs' first team. It was his highest-scoring year of pro hockey. Hayfield continued to play in Washington through 1959. A native of Quebec City, he was born in 1930. 

Jeremy Tejchma: Forward who played for the Ice's inaugural USHL team in 2004-05. In 58 games, he totaled five goals and 12 assists. He split the next season between USHL Waterloo and NAHL Cleveland, and played one year at Wayne State University. A native of Muskegon, Mich., he is 25. 

Indiana native Emrick to NBC/VS full-time

If you've watched any televised hockey in the States over the past quarter-century, chances are you've heard Mike Emrick's voice.

Emrick has been NBC's lead play-by-play announcer for its national game of the week since 2005. He has also been Versus' lead announcer. The two networks merged when Versus owner Comcast purchased NBC during the past hockey season.

"Doc" -- so named because of a PhD earned from Bowling Green State University -- is a native of LaFontaine, Indiana. He graduated from Manchester College in 1968.

However, Emrick's day job has been with the New Jersey Devils, where he has been their television play-by-play voice since 1993.

Emrick announced Thursday that he's stepping down from the New Jersey job and will concentrate fully on NBC and Versus duties.

A couple of stories, first from USA Today and from ESPN, for which Emrick began doing national work in the late 1980s.

Emrick also wrote a letter to the New Jersey fans. He will turn 65 on Aug. 1, and mentioned his age, combined with the prospect of less travel, as a consideration as he decided to join NBC and Versus exclusively.

For a good retrospective of Emrick's career, read Richard Dietsch's SI story from June.

Today in history: July 22

Another birthday post: 

Mike McNeill: Left wing who played a season and a half with the Ice from 1989-91, and was a key part of the Ice's Turner Cup championship team in 1990. He was the IHL's Playoff MVP that year, scoring six goals and four assists in the playoffs. All told, he had 33 goals and 33 assists for the Ice in 107 games. He got the NHL call to Chicago in 1990-91, and later was traded to the Nordiques that season. He played 63 NHL games, all in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons, and then spent six more years in the IHL with the Milwaukee Admirals, before playing from 1998-2000 in Germany. McNeill's best offensive season was the year before he came to the Ice, as he scored 27 goals and 62 points for the Fort Wayne Komets in 1988-89, his rookie pro season. While he was born in Winona, Minn., McNeill grew up in Indiana, moving to South Bend when he was 2, as his father was Notre Dame's assistant coach. McNeill graduated from South Bend St. Joseph's High School and attended Notre Dame. Today, he is a volunteer assistant coach for the Irish and lives in South Bend. He is 45. 

Benoit Thibert: The first starting goaltender for the CHL Ice in 1999-2000, Thibert helped usher in a new era with a 27-23-2 record and a 3.39 GAA that year. Thibert also had three shutouts that season. He started the first four playoff games, but gave way to Jamie Morris, who put together an incredible run. The Ice won the Miron Cup championship in 2000, with Thibert being an integral part of the team's regular season and early playoff success. The following year, he played for the UHL's Missouri River Otters, and made one appearance in the higher-level IHL. He played nine games for UHL Adirondack in 2002-03, and then another season of senior hockey in Quebec. Prior to the Ice, he played the 1998-99 season for WPHL Alexandria, playing for his future Ice coach Rod Davidson. A native of Chateaguay, Quebec, he is 34. 

Garrett Kennedy: Defenseman for the USHL Ice in 2008-09, totaling four goals, five assists and 88 PIMs in 54 games. He also had a pair of assists in the postseason, helping lead the Ice to the Clark Cup championship. Kennedy then took his talents to Miami University in Ohio. After redshirting in 2009-10, Kennedy had a goal and an assist in 16 games this past season. A native of Brighton, Mich., he is 22. 

Today in history: July 21

Four birthdays today

Max McNab: Center who played parts of two seasons for the Capitals, playing six games in 1946-47 and then returning to play a full season in 1950-51. In the latter season, he had 36 goals and 48 assists. In-between, he played 128 games for the Red Wings, winning the Stanley Cup in 1950. While the "Production Line" of Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel is one of the best-remembered in hockey, McNab skated with Howe and Lindsay briefly. McNab made his mark as a hockey executive, starting as a coach and GM in the Western Hockey League in 1961. In 1974, he became president of the Central Hockey League, which would later name its playoff MVP trophy for him. The next year, he joined the Washington Capitals as general manager. He served the Caps from 1975-82, and then became the New Jersey Devils' GM from 1983-87. In both cases, he turned moribund teams into perennial playoff contenders. The year after he left New Jersey, the team advanced to within one game of the Stanley Cup Finals. He remained as a Devils vice president until 1994. In 1998, he was named a recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy for service to hockey. McNab's two sons have also made a mark in hockey. Peter played for four teams, David is the Anaheim Ducks' assistant GM. A native of Watson, Saskatchewan, he was born in 1924. He passed away in 2007. 

Earl "Dutch" Reibel: Center who played 68 games for the Capitals in their final season, 1951-52. He had 33 goals and 34 assists to lead the team in scoring that season. Two years later, Earl would get the call to Detroit for six full NHL seasons, all but two of which were spent with the Wings. He went to Chicago in 1957 and Boston in 1958. Reibel won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 1954 and 1955. In 1954-55, he was the Wings' leading scorer with 25 goals and 41 assists, becoming the only player not named Gordie Howe to win the team scoring title in a 15-season span between 1950 and 1964. He played 409 NHL games, tallying 84 goals and 161 assists. He was also the Lady Byng Trophy recipient for gentlemanly play in 1956. A native of Kitchener, Ontario, he was born in 1930. He passed away in 2007. 

Marty Nanne: Right wing who played for the Ice from 1989-91, totaling six goals and 12 assists in 73 games. He also appeared in six of the seven games in the down-to-the-wire 1991 playoff series against the Fort Wayne Komets. Nanne played three pro seasons -- all in the Chicago organization -- before retiring and returning to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to become an insurance agent. Nanne is also known for being the son of former North Stars player, coach and GM Lou Nanne, who also has had a significant role in the development of USA Hockey. A native of Edina, Minnesota, he is 44. 

Kirk Daubenspeck: Goaltender for the Ice from 1997-99, their final two IHL seasons. Daubenspeck has Indiana ties, attending Culver Military School for high school before returning home to play for the University of Wisconsin, Daubenspeck played 30 games for the Ice, posting an 8-17-1 record, splitting those years between the Ice and the ECHL. Daubenspeck spent much of his career with the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays, for whom he played from 1999-2001, and again from 2002-06, splitting time in those seasons with several AHL and IHL teams. Daubenspeck was critically injured in an auto accident in February, and has been recovering. More info can be found -- and donations for Kirk can be made -- at www.kirkdaubenspeck.com. An update on his recovery (from April) can be found here. A native of Madison, Wis., he is 37. 

Today in history: July 20

A couple more birthdays

Maurice Lamirande: Left wing who played for the inaugural Chiefs team in 1955-56, tallying 17 goals and 23 assists. After that season, he went to Great Britain and played four seasons. A native of Chicoutimi, Quebec, he was born in 1930. 

Joe Beaudette: Forward who played six games for the Ice in 2007-08. He spent most of that year with NAHL Fargo-Moorhead, and then played one more year in the NAHL. A native of Blaine, Minn., he is 23. 

Today in history: July 19

A couple of birthdays

Morden "Ducky" Skinner: Right wing who played 54 games for the Capitals in 1944-45. He had eight goals and six assists, and also tallied a goal in the AHL playoffs. Like many hockey players, he stopped playing after 1942 and joined the military, and returned to action in 1944. He played four more years in the "AA"-level United States and Pacific Coast leagues, posting back-to-back 20-goal seasons with USHL Houston from 1946-48. He was also a player-coach for San Diego in the PCHL from 1948-50. A native of Selkirk, Manitoba, he was born in 1916. He passed away in 1991. His brother, Jimmy Skinner, also played for the Capitals. He also owned Skinner's Restaurant in Lockport, Manitoba with his brothers after he retired. 

Loren Barron: Defenseman who played for the Ice in 2008-09, tallying three goals and 18 assists in 57 regular-season games. He also had two goals and five assists in the USHL playoffs, helping the Ice win the Clark Cup championship. Barron has since taken his talents to Quinnipiac University, where he has 4 goals and 22 assists in 75 games. He will be beginning his junior year this fall. A native of Glendora, Calif., he is 22. 

Ex-Checker, Ice coach Marks takes on the Force

Another former Indianapolis Ice coach is headed behind the bench this summer, as John Marks was named the Fargo Force's head coach today.

Marks played for the Checkers in 1981-82, suiting up in 51 games in what would be his final full season. He split the year with the Chicago Blackhawks, a team for which he would play 657 NHL games. Marks had six goals and 20 assists as a Checker, playing for a team that would eventually win its first of back-to-back CHL championships.

Marks began coaching at the University of North Dakota the next season, assisted a Frozen Four team in 1984, and has been behind the bench virtually ever since. He became the Ice's head coach in 1991, and had a 59-75-14 record in a season and 66 games of the 1992-93 year. He went to the ECHL the following year, and has coached in the minor pro ranks every year since. He won ECHL titles with Charlotte in 1996, Greenville in 2002, and the SPHL title with Fayetteville in 2007. He was also SPHL Coach of the Year in 2007. His last pro assignment was a year with the IHL's Dayton Gems in 2009-10. He most recently coached the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League.

Marks replaces Jason Herter, who took a position at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Former Indianapolis Ice player Byron Pool was the Force's interim coach over the summer.

USHL.com story

Today in history: July 18

Two more birthdays today

Kerry Bond: Left wing who played for the Racers between 1974-76, totaling 24 goals and 15 assists in 86 games. All but two of those goals came in 1974-75, the Racers' inaugural season. He stayed in the Racers' organization through 1977, playing for the team's affiliate in Mohawk Valley. Bond broke into pro hockey in 1966 and played eight seasons in the IHL, CHL and AHL before coming to the Racers. A native of Sudbury, Ontario, he is 66. 

David Hanson: Not to be confused with the Slapshot! star (and former Checker) of the same name, this David Hanson played for the Ice's inaugural team in 1988-89. He played three games and tallied an assist. Hanson played nine total pro games, playing six games with AHL Hershey the previous year. Hanson graduated from the University of Denver. A native of Grand Forks, ND, he is 45. 

Today in history: July 17

One more birthday today

Hank Therrien: Right wing who played for the Chiefs in several stints between 1959-62. He started the 1959-60 season with the Chiefs, went to Milwaukee, and came back to the Chiefs by the end of the following year. He played the full 1961-62 season in Indy, totaling 16 goals and 14 assists. He had 59 goals and 107 assists in 158 games for the Chiefs in those three seasons. The Chiefs folded after that season, but Therrien posted a 33-goal season with Green Bay of the old minor pro USHL. He played in Green Bay through 1967, when he retired. Therrien also played for the US National Team in 1965-66. A native of Chapleau, Ontario, he was born in 1935. 

It all comes full-circle

The Ice have come full-circle in a roundabout way.

In June, the Ice hired Kyle Wallack to become their next head coach.

Wallack had been an assistant at Yale. His replacement on the Bulldogs' staff? Dennis "Red" Gendron -- the first Indiana Ice coach in 2004-05. Since leaving the Ice, Gendron had been an assistant at UMass from 2005-11.

Today in history: July 16

One birthday today
Bob Whitlock: Left wing who played 103 games for the Racers between 1974-76. He was the leading scorer on the Racers' inaugural team in 1974-75, with 31 goals and 26 assists. The following year, he had a 7-15-22 line in 30 games, splitting time between the Racers and their affiliate in Mohawk Valley. He broke into pro hockey with the CHL Iowa Stars in 1969-70, and also played one game for the Minnesota North Stars that season. In 1972, he joined the Chicago Cougars in the WHA, and also played for the Los Angeles Sharks. In total, he had 81 goals and 98 assists in 245 NHL/WHA games. A native of Charlottetown, PEI, he is 62.

Gillies to play for USA

Ice goaltender Jon Gillies will play for the Team USA U18 Select team in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. 

The tournament, which will be played Aug. 8-13 in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is one of the top U18 events in the world. 

Gillies holds the franchise record for scoreless streak (182:04) and consecutive wins (10). He went 15-6-2 last season with a 2.82 GAA, primarily as Casey DeSmith's backup. 

The full roster is here. A handful of other players from 2010-11 USHL rosters are also on the roster -- defenseman Ian Brady (Cedar Rapids) and Justin Wade (Fargo) and forwards Vincent Hinostroza (Waterloo), Jordan Masters (Muskegon) and Brendan Silk (USNDTP U17).

Also, Ice teammate Adam Erne was picked for the U17 Select Team, which will play in the Five Nations Tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich. in early August. Erne had 10 goals and eight assists for the Ice last year. 

Ice players who have participated in the Ivan Hlinka tournament:
2011: Jon Gillies (G)
2010: Sean Kuraly (F)
2009: Brian Ferlin (F)
2008: Shane Berschbach (F)
2007: John Carlson (D)

Today in history: July 15

Several recent birthdays today

Ralph Hopiavuori: Defenseman who played 28 games for the Racers in their inaugural 1974-75 season, totaling two goals and eight assists. Combined with the 42 games he played for the Cleveland Crusaders the previous two seasons, they would comprise his WHA career. He would play one more year in the minors and then play senior hockey in Canada through 1980. He won the IHL's Turner Cup in 1972 with the Port Huron Flags. A native of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, he is 60. 

Glen Ylitalo: Forward who played two games for the Ice in 2004-05, primarily playing that year in the Tier II NAHL. He suited up briefly for Div. III Hamline University in 2006-07. A native of Maple Plain, Minnesota, he is 26. 

Anthony Bitetto: Ice defenseman from 2008-10, tallying 12 goals and 32 assists in 82 games. He had three assists in the 2009 Clark Cup championship run. In 2010, he scored the series-clinching OT goal in the deciding Game 5 to beat Cedar Rapids. He had three goals and 17 assists for Northeastern University as a freshman this past season. He was also drafted in the sixth round by the Nashville Predators in 2010. A native of Island Park, New York, he is 21. 

Tim Smith: Defenseman who played this past season with the Ice, totaling five goals and 14 assists in 60 games. Smith came to the Ice after splitting the 2009-10 season between NAHL Owatonna and the NCAA's Providence Friars. After sitting out his mandatory redshirt year for transferring, Smith will suit up for Minnesota-Duluth this fall -- next door to his hometown. A native of Superior, Wisconsin, he is 21. 

Ferlin to USA World Junior camp

Ice forward Brian Ferlin and the Youngstown Phantoms' Scott Mayfield have been invited to the US National Team's evaluation camp.

From the camp, the World Junior Championships team will be selected. The camp will feature 44 players vying for a spot in one of the game's most coveted tournaments.

Ferlin, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., played for the Ice the last two seasons. He was the Boston Bruins' third-round selection this year.

The camp will take place Aug. 6-13 in Lake Placid, NY. The WJC will be in Calgary this year, from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

USA Hockey release

Today in history: July 14

1986: The Checkers announce an “On the Road to the NHL” campaign, as they push for an NHL expansion franchise. The team sets a goal for an average attendance of 6,000 fans per game in the 1986-87 season. The printed schedules showed Market Square Arena on wheels driving down a hockey stick-shaped road with the "On the Road to the NHL text" superimposed over it. The Checkers also scheduled an exhibition game between the Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues, which would be Wayne Gretzky's first game in Indianapolis since the Racers folded in 1978. Unfortunately, the team would not be able to reach those marks and would suspend operations following the 1986-87 season. The franchise would be revived a year later and recast the Ice, bringing an era of what will be 24 consecutive seasons of hockey under the Ice name. 

Birthdays

Bill Hudson: A center who played a partial season for the Capitals in 1943-44, splitting the year between Indianapolis and the Hershey Bears. He was trying to revive a minor-league career that began in 1930 and lasted through 1937 with teams in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. He also served as a player-coach for AHA Kansas City in 1940. He scored 20 goals that season, and then he tallied 12 more with the Providence Reds the following year. As players began to return after World War II, Hudson retired after the 1944-45 season. A native of Calgary, he was born in 1911. 

Don Morrison: A center who played parts of three seasons with the Capitals from 1947-50. He played 132 games in a Caps uniform, totaling 53 goals and 83 assists. He had back-to-back 20-goal seasons from 1948-50. He also had three goals and four assists in the 1950 Calder Cup playoffs, as the Caps swept all eight games they played to win the championship. Morrison also played 112 NHL games with the Red Wings and the Blackhawks -- playing for Detroit in 1947-49 and for Chicago in 1950-51. He played in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1948. His younger brother Rod was his teammate with the Caps throughout his tenure in Indianapolis. They were inducted into the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame together this February -- they played in Omaha before coming to the Caps, and later settled in the city. They bought the fledgling Omaha Knights franchise in 1960 and shepherded it into a successful career in both the IHL and later the CHL. He is also a veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force, with whom he served in WWII. A native of Saskatoon, Morrison was born in 1924. He passed away in 2001. 

Dennis Kassian: Member of the Capitols team in 1963, playing in all eight games and scoring a goal. He would finish that year with 12 goals and 18 assists in 45 games, in what was his third pro season. Kassian would blossom in 1967 with the AHL Buffalo Bisons, beginning five straight 20-goal seasons. He got the big-league call in 1972-73 with the original WHA Edmonton Oilers, playing 50 games and scoring six goals. A native of Vegreville, Alberta, he is 70. 

Fred Creighton: Successful Checkers coach from 1982-84, and again at the end of the 1984-85 season. He led the Checkers to the Adams Cup title in 1982 and 1983 and a surprise trip to the league finals in 1984 -- all three of his seasons. His teams posted a 127-97-9 regular-season record. He was also the general manager for those teams, replacing hockey legend Jim Devellano in that post. He remained in his GM post when the Checkers moved to the IHL in 1984-85, and moved to the bench twice during that season as interim coach -- once during the regular season and then for the last six games of the playoffs, which they split in a seven-game defeat to the favored Peoria Rivermen. Prior to his time with the Checkers, Creighton coached the NHL's Atlanta Flames for four seasons and the Boston Bruins for one from 1975-80. He was also successful in the NHL, with a 196-156-9 record. After his tenure with the Checkers, he coached the AHL Springfield Indians -- like the Checkers in their CHL days, the Islanders' top affiliate -- in 1985-86, and then parts of the next two seasons. Creighton was the CHL's Coach of the Year in 1973, 1982 and 1983, winning the Adams Cup each year (the 1973 title was with Omaha). Creighton also led the Charlotte Checkers to league titles in 1970 and 1971 in the Eastern Hockey League, and for that eight-year stint (plus four years of playing in Charlotte), he is a member of the Charlotte Hockey Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. He had 713 career wins in 1311 games coached. A native of Hamiota, Manitoba, he is 78.

Wed. wrap: Galiev scores, Coleman injured, Erne to Q?

Blake Coleman suffered an ankle injury Tuesday in Devils prospect camp. Today, he was on crutches and in a soft cast, as X-rays confirmed a bone chip in his right ankle. He is going to be reexamined Thursday. The U.S. national Junior Player of the Year will be out "for some time," according to the Newark Star-Ledger. He is committed to play collegiately at Miami. 


Stanislav Galiev is getting noticed in Washington. The Washington Post notes that he's "growing up." Says Caps coach (and ex-Komet) Bruce Boudreau:  "To me when I look at him, I think he’s got a real awareness on the ice of things that are going on and like an awful lot of Russians, he’s got a tremendous skill set.” Galiev scored a goal in today's scrimmage, won 4-2 by his team. His goal was a "jam" from close-in. He also was stuffed on a 2-on-1. Read Galiev's reflections in his blog. 


An update on Ice forward Adam Erne, who had a 10-8-18 line as a 15-year-old for the Ice last season. According to this article (in French), Quebec Remparts GM Patrick Roy said he spoke with Erne's family to make sure he was going to come to Quebec before trading for him. No deals in the QMJHL can be officially made until Aug. 1. Erne is going to represent the United States in the U17 Five Nations Tournament in early August. 

Today in history: July 13

One birthday today
Kevin Conway: Right wing who played 29 games for the Checkers in 1986-87, tallying 11 goals and eight assists. It was his third North American pro season, all spent in the IHL. He spent the previous season in Britain, and then went back across the pond at the end of the 1986-87 season and remained for a long career. He played 18 more seasons on the British Isles, briefly retiring in 2004 at age 40. He came out of retirement two years later to play in Scotland, and played two seasons for the Solway Sharks. He was a huge scorer in Britain, with a 148 goal, 104 assist season in 1987-88. He had a 129-98-227 line in 1985-86 prior to returning to the States to play for the Checkers. All told, he had four 100-goal seasons and two more with at least 80 goals in Britain. Conway is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. His number 10 was retired by the Basingstroke Bison, for whom he tallied 950 points between 1991-98. A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, he is 48.

Tuesday wrap

Nick Mattson scored a goal today in the Chicago Blackhawks prospect camp scrimmage, although he didn't seem to impress the Committed Indians bloggers. Some highlights of the Hawks camp are here. (personal note: I didn't see Hawks camp, obviously, but Mattson was USHL Defenseman of the Year for a reason ... but, for full disclosure, will post what those who were in attendance saw).

Current Ice defenseman R.J. Boyd is competing at Florida Panthers' development camp, which began today. Coverage is here from the Litter Box Cats.

Ice alum Stanislav Galiev is in the Washington Capitals camp. Galiev is blogging about his experiences in Washington. Video from the camp is here.

Looking back
Anthony Bitetto recently participated in the Nashville Predators camp. The Section 303 blog catches up with the former Ice defenseman.

Ben Blood just finished up the Ottawa Senators' development camp. He was part of the team that won the camp-ending 3-on-3 tournament. He will go back to North Dakota for his senior year.

Monday wrapup: Ferlin the "surprise" of Bruins camp

For the second straight game, Brian Ferlin scored a goal in the Boston Bruins' development camp scrimmage. He had two goals over the two days of scrimmages, this one coming on a blast past Fargo Force goaltender Zane Gothberg -- who also surrendered Ferlin's tally in Sunday's scrimmage, and later stopped Ferlin on a breakaway. Bob Mand of The Hockey Writers has been all over the Bruins' development camp, and he has a synopsis here. He said it won't be a surprise to see Ferlin called the biggest surprise of development camp by some of the observers.

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli weighs in on all of the prospects, saying of Ferlin "Good stick, protects the puck," said the line of Ferlin, Karl Spooner and Justin Florek was a pretty good one.

Erne's QMJHL rights dealt
Adam Erne, considered to be one of the top 1995-born players in the United States and a member of the Ice, was drafted 22nd overall by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Halifax Mooseheads (whose GM, Cam Russell, played for the Indianapolis Ice in the early 1990s). However, Erne's rights were traded today to the Quebec Remparts for a considerable haul -- two first-round picks and a second-round pick.

Erne had told Halifax that he had planned to plaly with the Ice in 2011-12, but what Quebec gave up for him would indicate the Remparts and GM Patrick Roy believe they can sign Erne. He attended the Ice's Main Camp in June. The Ice forward has committed to play college hockey at Boston University in 2013 -- which would also be his draft year. Should he leave for the QMJHL, Erne would forfeit his college eligibility. Erne is scheduled to play for the United States in the Five Nations tournament in early August. The Journal de Quebec has a piece on the deal in French, where Roy is pretty high on the Ice forward.

Coleman at Devils' camp
Blake Coleman, the Ice's top scorer this past season and the USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year, has begun play at the New Jersey Devils' development camp. He centered a line with Justin Barnett and Joe Whitney today.

Today in history: July 12

Two birthdays to post: 

Pete Leswick: Right wing who was a big scorer for the Capitals from 1944-46. He had 29 goals each year, totaling 68 points in 1944-45 and 81 the following season -- for a total line of 58-91-149 in 114 games. He also had two goals and an assist in eight playoff games those two seasons. He left the Caps to play four seasons for the Cleveland Barons, where he tallied at least 30 goals each campaign. He was an AHL Second Team All-Star with the Caps in 1945 and a First Team All-Star the following year. He also had First-Team status three times with Cleveland. His brother Tony Leswick would become the Indianapolis Capitols coach in 1963. Pete also played three NHL games with the New York Americans (in 1936-37) and Boston Bruins (in 1944-45), scoring one goal. A native of Saskatoon, he was born in 1917 and passed away in June 2005. 

Chris Snell: High-scoring defenseman for the Ice in 1996-97, where he tallied 22 goals and 45 assists in 73 games. He also had 130 PIMs. Snell helped lead the Ice to a division title that season. Prior to joining the Ice, he played 34 NHL games with the Kings and Maple Leafs. He had two shorthanded goals in the NHL in 1994-95, the only defenseman in the league to do so. He moved to Europe the following year and played six seasons in Germany before retiring in 2003. A native of Regina, Sask., he is 40. 

Today in history: July 11

Lots of birthdays today

Eddie Bush: Defenseman who was one of the original Capitals in 1939. He played a season and a half -- 60 games -- with the Caps, totaling nine goals and 13 assists. He helped the Caps win the AHL's West Division title in 1940. In December 1940, he was traded to the Providence Reds for Hal Jackson, a defenseman who would become a mainstay in local hockey circles long after his retirement as a player. Bush returned to the Wings' organization in 1942, but stayed with the Red Wings. He had seven points in the playoffs as the Wings succumbed to Toronto in a seven-game Stanley Cup final. He then served the balance of WWII in the Royal Canadian Air Force. After the war, he played five more years, primarily in the AHL. After retirement, he began coaching in 1954 and coached the Hamilton Red Wings to the Memorial Cup in 1962. He coached the CHL's Memphis Wings in 1964-65 -- a direct descendant of the Indianapolis Capitols team that played prior to the Coliseum explosion in 1963. He also was the first coach of the NHL's Kansas City Scouts in 1974-75, but his team struggled, going 1-23-8 before he was replaced. The ice rink in Bush's hometown of Collingwood, Ont., is named for him. Born in 1918, he passed away in May 1984. 

Bill Folk: Defenseman who tallied eight goals and 40 assists in 114 games with the Capitals from 1950-52. Folk played eight games for the Red Wings the following year, but primarily spent his career in the WHL -- where Detroit moved its top farm team after the Caps folded in 1952. He won WHL titles with the Edmonton Flyers in 1953 and Vancouver Canucks in 1958. He retired as a player in 1962, and then played a couple of years of senior hockey until 1966. A native of Regina, Sask., he is 84. 

Rick Fraser: Defenseman who played four games for the Racers in 1974-75, their inaugural season in the WHA. He is the younger brother of legendary NHL official Kerry Fraser. He primarily played with the Racers' minor-league affiliate in Mohawk Valley from 1974-76, then played another year with IHL Port Huron in 1976-77. A native of Sarnia, Ont., he is 57. 

Travis Thiessen: Defenseman who played 53 games for the Ice from 1994-97 -- primarily in the 1994-95 season. He had two goals and seven assists in an Ice uniform. He went away and kept coming back -- splitting the 1994-95 year between Indy, CoHL Flint and AHL Saint John, started the following year with the Ice but played the bulk of it with Peoria. In 1996-97, he split time between Indianapolis, Manitoba and back with Peoria -- this time as an ECHL entry. He played through 2002-03, where he had his highest-scoring pro season with the UHL Muskegon Fury. A native of North Battleford, Sask., he is 39. 

Dave Chyzowski: The No. 2 pick in the 1989 draft (Islanders), Chyzowski played 76 games for the Ice in 1996-97. His 34 goals led the team, and his 40 assists/74 points were second to Brad Werenka. He also had 261 PIMs that year. Chyzowski got a brief eight-game callup to Chicago that season, too. He broke into pro hockey with the Isles in 1989-90, playing 34 NHL games that season and scoring eight goals. He spent five seasons splitting between the Isles and various minor league teams before going to AHL Adirondack in 1995-96 (where he had a career-high 44 goals), the Ice the following year, and then to IHL Orlando, Kansas City and San Antonio. He went to Europe in 2000 and played seven seasons in Germany and Austria. All told, he would score 15 goals in 126 NHL games. A native of Edmonton, he is 40. 

Duncan Paterson: Defenseman who played 14 games for the Ice in 2000-01, tallying one goal and one assist. The University of Manitoba grad played the two previous seasons in Britain. A native of Winnipeg, he is 37. 

Ferlin scores in Bruins camp scrimmage

Former Indiana Ice player Brian Ferlin scored a goal today and turned some heads in the first of two scrimmages in Boston Bruins development camp.


Ferlin's team won 3-1. He also, according to Boston hockey writer Matt Kalman, "threw some solid hits" during the scrimmage. Says Ferlin in Kalman's story: "It’s been good getting to meet everyone. And just getting out there today to showcase a little of what you can do, play against everyone. Obviously I’m playing with some good players, so you get some pretty good chemistry right away.”


Ferlin also gets some mention in Bob Mand's wrapup of the day in camp, where Mand notes he has "decent wheels, despite earlier scouting reports" that had his skating rated as awkward. Mand also notes his finishing ability, converting a pass in the slot from Justin Florek, and physicality. 

Today in history: July 10

Five birthdays to honor today

Monty Reynolds: Goalie who played one game for the Chiefs in 1960-61, allowing three goals. He played over a span of 19 years, primarily in the IHL, but also with stints in Britain and in Ontario senior hockey. Reynolds was most active as a player prior to 1954, and did spot duty after that. While playing for the Windsor Bulldogs in senior hockey, he became known for beating a touring Soviet team in 1963 -- the only loss it suffered on its North American tour that year. A native of Windsor, Ont., he was born in 1927 and passed away in 2007. 

Alain Nasreddine: Rugged defenseman who played 124 games for the Ice from 1996-98, tallying one goal, 14 assists and 506 penalty minutes. He helped anchor the blueline for the Ice's 1997 division championship team. He was dealt to Montreal partway through the 1998-99 season. He spent the majority of his 15-year pro career in the IHL/AHL, but did play 74 NHL games in several short stints for the Blackhawks, Islanders, Canadiens and Penguins. He played in the AHL Calder Cup Finals with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in both 2004 and 2008. Today, he is an assistant coach for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, a job he took upon retiring in 2010. A native of Montreal, he is 36. 

Jay Cascalenda: Defenseman who played all 60 games for the Ice in their inaugural 2004-05 USHL season. He had one goal and 18 assists, and parlayed that into a four-year career at Minnesota-Duluth. He began playing professionally in 2009 and has played 102 ECHL games in South Carolina and Bakersfield since, with four goals and 17 assists. A native of West St. Paul, Minn., he is 26. 

Kyle Lundey: Winger who played 26 games for the Ice in 2005-06, totaling two goals and two assists. He would also play briefly for NAHL St. Louis the following year. A native of Madison, Wis., he is 23. 

John Mitchell: Forward who played 14 games for the Ice in the 2005-06 season -- a year he split with the Green Bay Gamblers. He had a goal and an assist for the Ice that year. He went on to play four years at the University of Wisconsin, tallying a 15-11-26 line his junior year of 2008-09. Upon graduating, he joined the AHL's Syracuse Crunch. He had nine goals and 10 assists for Syracuse as a rookie this past season, and also played three games for ECHL Elmira. A native of Neenah, Wis., he is 25. 

Ferlin featured in NEHJ

Kirk Luedeke, who might be one of the preeminent American experts on the NHL draft, catches up with Brian Ferlin in today's New England Hockey Journal post.

The Bruins are going through their week-long development camp, which will conclude Monday.

Says Bruins' assistant GM Don Sweeney of Ferlin: "He's got good speed, he's got good size, he's got good skills, he'll understand now in terms of how to utilize those even better as he plays with better players and moves forward. We're excited. I think he's a nice project and a nice piece to have to continue to go work with and then see where he takes it."

Ferlin, one of three Ice players drafted this year, is headed to Cornell University this fall.

Today in history: July 9

Four birthdays today

Steve Dubinsky: Ice center for parts of four seasons from 1993-97. He played 209 games with the Ice, tallying 71 goals and 84 assists. He also had a hat trick (and four points) in the lone playoff game he played in an Ice uniform in 1997. Dubinsky split each of those years between the Ice and the parent Chicago Blackhawks, but essentially got the permanent call to Chicago after his Game 1 hat trick against Cleveland in the 1997 IHL playoffs. The Ice dropped the next three games of the series in his absence, while Dubinsky played in the postseason for the Blackhawks. He played the next four years with Chicago and Calgary, and also later played parts of two seasons in Nashville and St. Louis before retiring in 2003. All told, he played 375 NHL games with 25 goals and 45 assists. His best season as a pro was the 1996-97 Ice season, when his 32 goals and 40 assists (and +35 rating) helped lead the Ice to a division title. Dubinsky was known as a strong face-off artist and a good two-way center. Today, he works for the Glacier Ice Arena in suburban Chicago. A native of Montreal, he is 41. 

Marc Magliarditi: Goaltender who played three games for the Ice in 1997-98, posting a 1-2-0 mark and a 3.35 GAA. The Ice were one of five teams he played for that year -- Fort Wayne, Indy and Detroit in the IHL, Columbus in the ECHL and Flint in the UHL. He continued to play in the minors -- primarily in the ECHL -- before retiring in 2006-07. He played the last four years with the Las Vegas Wranglers in the ECHL, and now owns a restaurant in Las Vegas. A native of Niagara Falls, New York, he his 35. 

Kyle Page: Defenseman who played for the Ice in 2005-06, totaling two goals and three assists. He then went on to play four years at Bowling Green, graduating in 2010. He immediately jumped to the ECHL Toledo Walleye to finish that season, and played the full 2010-11 season in Toledo, posting a 2-13-15 line. A native of Wixom, Mich., he is 24. 

Christian Hilbrich: Forward who currently plays for the Indiana Ice. He had 10 goals and five assists in 50 games in the 2010-11 season. A native of Clarendon HIlls, Ill., he is 19. 

More on Blashill (and Cassidy)

Some stories on Jeff Blashill's promotion to the Detroit Red Wings: 
The Detroit News quotes Wings coach Mike Babcock: "In looking to fill our coaching staff, I wanted successful and innovative coaches that would challenge us with new ideas in order to continually help the Red Wings become a better hockey team."

The Kalamazoo Gazette has updates with quotes from the NCAA's Coach of the Year. Says Blashill: "The most difficult part is leaving here and leaving a place I really love. It might sound weird after one year, but it's reality. I really fell in love with this place. It's special here. That makes it difficult."


The RedWings.com story is here. 
Another story, from Fox News


Blashill coached the Ice from 2008-10. The official team release is here. Says Ice owner Paul Skjodt, who named Blashill coach and GM in 2008: "It is a great story for all aspiring head coaches with respect to Jeff’s successful journey here in Indy in the USHL and the success that followed at WMU. Jeff was never afraid to fail in his long term plan to one day coach in the NHL.  His initial decision to leave Miami to run our hockey operations department took some time, but he realized he had to be in this position in order to advance his career.  We were fortunate to have had him here and it was only a matter of time before his dream came to fruition.  Cindy and I are proud to have played a part in his development and wish Jeff and his family much success in the future.”

Also, Matt Kalman's Bruins Blog has a nice piece on new Providence Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, who is running the Boston Bruins' development camp this weekend (which includes Ice alum Brian Ferlin). Cassidy played for and coached the Indianapolis Ice in the IHL. Says Cassidy: "I talk to the players, they’re human beings, I like to put them in a position to succeed. I like to push them, to get a little bit more out of them. But I think I’m a lot less vocal than I was when I first started. I think part of that’s just being around it longer and having young children now." 

Blashill to Red Wings

Jeff Blashill with the Ice
in 2009 (linked from USHL.com)

It's taken just two seasons for Jeff Blashill to jump from the USHL to the National Hockey League. 


Blashill, the Indiana Ice coach/GM from 2008-10 who won a championship the first year, has been hired as a Detroit Red Wings assistant coach today. He spent the 2010-11 season at Western Michigan University, where he led the team to its first winning season in nine years and first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years. 


In a statement released by Western Michigan, Blashill said “Today is a very emotional day for me. I am extremely excited for the opportunity to pursue a lifelong dream to coach in the NHL with the best organization in sports; the Detroit Red Wings. However, it is with extreme sadness that I step down as head coach of the Western Michigan Bronco hockey team. WMU is an extremely special place with special attributes. I am certain that with the commitment the university is making to hockey, that Bronco hockey will continue on its current path of becoming an elite program nationally. My goal when I became head coach was to bring the program to national prominence and I am totally convinced that will happen very soon, regardless of my leaving.”

Also, check out Graham Couch's coverage in the Kalamazoo Gazette. Blashill had just signed a five-year contract after his first-year success at WMU.

Before entering coaching in 1999 at his alma mater, Ferris State, Blashill also played three years in the USHL for the Des Moines Buccaneers. His coach in Des Moines was Bob Ferguson, who would later coach the Indianapolis Ice in the IHL.

While with the Ice, Blashill coached NHL draft picks Anthony Bitetto, Nic Dowd, Nick Mattson, Blake Coleman, Brian Ferlin, Stanislav Galiev, Mike Cichy, Brent Gwidt and Brett Bennett.

You can also link to a 2009 Q&A with Blashill on USHL.com.

Jeff Blashill's coaching resume: 
2011-12: Detroit Red Wings (NHL) assistant coach to Mike Babcock
2010-11: Western Michigan University (NCAA) 19-13-10 (1st winning season since 2002, first NCAA Tournament since 1996).
2010-11: Indiana Ice (USHL) 33-24-3 (advanced to 2nd round of playoffs, playoff record 4-5)
2009-10: Indiana Ice (USHL) 39-19-2 (Won Clark Cup, playoff record 9-4)
2002-08: Miamia University (NCAA) assistant coach to Enrico Blasi (four NCAA apperances)
1999-2002: Ferris State University (NCAA) assistant coach to Bob Daniels
1994-1998: Player at Ferris State University (NCAA)
1991-1994: Player for Des Moines Buccaneeers (USHL)

Red Wings to decide staff today

According to Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, the team will decide its coaching staff today.

That could mean that we'll find out within a few hours whether or not Jeff Blashill -- just one year removed from coaching the Indiana Ice -- will be an NHL assistant coach. Blashill interviewed for one of two vacant assistant coaching positions with the Red Wings. He had coached the Ice from 2008-10 -- leading them to the Clark Cup in 2009 -- and Western Michigan University this past season.

Oakland County Daily Tribune has an update
And, from Kalamazoo, here's a bunch of reader response -- positive and negative -- to the possibility of Blashill leaving WMU.

Today in history: July 8

Five birthdays

Len Ronson: Winger who played for the Chiefs in the 1956-57 season before being dealt to the Huntington Hornets at midseason. It was the first year in US minor pro hockey in what would become a long, high-scoring career. He would make a name with the cross-state Fort Wayne Komets, with whom he had a 62-goal season in 1959-60. The next year, Ronson made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers, scoring two goals. He would return to the NHL in 1968-69, playing five scoreless games for the Oakland Seals. He played the latter part of his career with WHL San Diego, with whom he played from 1966-73. He had 12 20+-goal seasons and three seasons with at least 45 goals. A native of Brantford, Ontario, he is 75. 

Karl Dykhuis: The Blackhawks' first-round pick (16th overall) in 1990, Dykhuis played 184 games for the Ice from 1992-95. The big -- 6-3, 214-pound -- defenseman had 14 goals and 64 assists as an Iceman, and also amassed 271 PIMs. In 1995, he was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he would become an NHL mainstay through 2003-04. He went to Europe during the lockout year of 2004-05 and played two more seasons. All told, Dykhus played 644 NHL games between 1992-2004 for Chicago, Philadelphia (in 2 stints), Tampa Bay and Montreal. He played in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals for the Flyers and the 1991 Canadian World Junior Champion team. A native of Sept-Isle, Quebec, he is 39. 

Glen Featherstone: Ice defenseman in 1997-98, tallying 10 goals, 28 assists and 187 PIMs in 73 games. He set professional career highs in all three scoring categories that season. Featherstone had been an NHL veteran. A 6-4 215-pound defenseman, Featherstone was drafted in the fourth round by the Blues in 1986 and matriculated to the team in 1988-89. He played 384 NHL games with the Blues, Bruins, Rangers, Whalers and Flames between then and 1997. After his year with the Ice, he played three more years with the Chicago Wolves before retiring in 2001. He helped the Wolves win the 2000 Turner Cup. A native of Toronto, he is 43. 

Adam Cardwell: Ice center in their inaugural USHL season of 2004-05. He played 27 games in Indianapolis, tallying a goal and four assists. He'd play the next three years with Wichita Falls of the Tier II NAHL, and parlay that into a career with Alaska-Fairbanks. He played 37 games with the Nanooks between 2008-10. A native of Long Beach, Calif., he is 24. 

Mike Cichy: High-scoring center who was dealt to the Ice partway through the 2008-09 season. He had a 24-23-47 line in just 30 games with the Ice, and then had six goals and a USHL-record 19 assists in 13 playoff games, helping lead the Ice to the USHL Clark Cup title. He was a USHL First-Team All-Star and the league's Playoff MVP that season. Combined with his games at Tri-City that year, he had 34 goals and 32 assists. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Montreal Canadiens that summer. Cichy will be starting his junior year at the University of North Dakota this fall, playing for ex-Indianapolis Ice player Dave Hakstol. A native of New Hartford, Conn., he his 21. 

Today in history: July 7

Gerry Brown: Left wing who played parts of three seasons with the Capitals, from 1941-43, and again in 1945-46. He played 127 games, with 39 goals and 60 assists. His best year was a 28-25-53 season in 48 games in 1945-46. He was part of the 1942 Calder Cup championship team, although he did not suit up in the playoffs, having been called up by the Red Wings by that point. He played 13 games for the Red Wings that season and another 10 in 1945-46. Like many players, he did not play between 1943-45 to participate in World War II, serving in the Canadian military. He had four NHL goals in those 23 games. He continued to play in the AHL until 1952, suiting up for Buffalo and Hershey after his stints with the Caps. A native of Edmonton, he was born in 1917. He passed away in August 1998. 

Tony Hrkac: A high-scoring player with the Ice in 1992-93, where he tallied 45 goals and 87 assists. His 132-point season was an Ice record and second only to Ron Handy's 135-point year in 1986-87 with the Checkers in Indianapolis hockey history. His 87 assists that year were second to Chris MacKenzie's 93 in 2000-01. He won the IHL's James Gatschene Trophy as league MVP and the Leo Lamoreux Trophy as leading scorer that season. Hrkac broke into pro hockey after a 116-point season (in 48 games) with the University of North Dakota in 1987, where he was the Hobey Baker Award winner and an NCAA champion. He played three playoff games with the St. Louis Blues that year, beginning a pro career that lasted parts of 24 seasons, finally ending in 2009-10 when he was playing for the AHL's Houston Aeros. He was the Blues' second-round pick in 1984. Hrkac played in the NHL through 1992 with four teams -- the Blues, Nordiques, Sharks and Blackhawks. He spent the entire 1992-93 season with the Ice, then split the next season with the Blues and their affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. He would spend the next four years in the IHL before going back to the NHL in 1997 with the Dallas Stars, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 1999. He played through 2003 with Dallas, Edmonton, the New York Islanders and Atlanta. He continued to play in the AHL after that. He retired after the 2005 season, then came out of retirement to play parts of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons with Houston. He had 14 playoff points in 19 games in 2009 for the Aeros. All told, Hrkac had 132 goals and 239 assists in 758 NHL games. He also had 494 points in the AHL and IHL. His number 26 is retired by the Milwaukee Admirals, where he played five seasons in two stints. Since 2007, he has also been the head coach of Concordia University in Wisconsin, the only coach in the program's history. A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Hrkac is 45. He also has his own website: www.hrkac.com.

Richard Keyes: The first pro player to come out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Keyes played four scoreless games for the Ice from 1997-99. He played both years primarily with the ECHL Columbus Chill -- who were also affiliated with the Blackhawks -- and was a big scorer for the Chill. He had a 38-goal season in 1998-99. He primarily played at the "AA" level in the ECHL and UHL before retiring in 2006. He had five 20-goal seasons as a minor pro player, and two 30-goal years -- also tallying 33 markers for ECHL Toledo in 2001-02. Today, he lives in Kalamazoo and helps operate the Kalamazoo Institute of Ice Hockey. His father, Dick Keyes, was the manager of Wings Stadium. He is 36 today. 

Blashill finalist for Red Wings vacancy

Jeff Blashill
(WMU photo)

Former Ice coach Jeff Blashill could be the team's latest NHL promotion.

After a successful two-year stint as the Ice's head coach from 2008-10 -- which included the Clark Cup in his first year -- Blashill led Western Michigan to the CCHA title game and also to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years this past season.

He confirmed to the Kalamazoo Gazette that he has interviewed for a vacant assistant coaching position with the Detroit Red Wings, where he would assist coach Mike Babcock.

Said Blashill to the Gazette's Graham Couch: "I love Western Michigan. This is a special place in college hockey. ... But obviously it's the NHL and the Red Wings are what they are."

Blashill expects to hear from the Wings by the end of the week.

The Ferris State University grad assisted Bob Daniels at his alma mater and also assisted Enrico Blasi at Miami (Ohio) from 1999-2008. Miami made four NCAA Tournament appearances during his stint as an assistant. In two seasons with the Ice, his teams posted a 72-43-5 record and won the 2009 Clark Cup. WMU went 19-13-10 this past season -- the program's first winning season since 2002 -- and finished fourth in the CCHA.

Today in history: July 6

Two birthdays today
Anders Kallur: A right wing who only played two games for the Checkers in 1979-80, but he made his mark on hockey history that season. He had two assists in those two games, as he came to North America after playing five years in the Swedish Elite League in his native country. He and teammate Stefan Persson became the first Europeans to win the Stanley Cup when the Islanders clinched the Cup in 1980. Kallur played for all four of the Isles' Cup champions. He totaled 22 goals and 30 assists that first year, then followed with a career-best 36 goals in 1980-81. He had 101 goals 110 assists and 383 GP between 1979-85. He played in four Stanley Cup Finals -- he did not dress in the 1980 playoffs -- winning three and losing one. His biggest playoff contribution came in 1983, the Isles' last of four straight Cups, as he had three goals and 12 assists. Kallur currently is a scout with the Islanders. His daughters Jenny and Suzanna are Swedish track and field athletes. Susanna is the world recordholder in the indoor 60m hurdles. A native of Ludvika, Sweden, Kallur is 59.

Kevin Herom: Winger who played seven scoreless games for the Ice in the 1988-89 season, their inaugural campaign. Those would be the last of 76 pro games Herom would play in a three-year pro career. He was the Islanders' fourth-round pick in 1985. A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, he is 44.

Hall of honor: Wayne Gretzky

The Great One as a Racer

Wayne Gretzky
Indianapolis Racers 1978
NHL/WHA career: Indianapolis Racers 1978, Edmonton Oilers 1978-88, Los Angeles Kings 1988-96, St. Louis Blues 1996, New York Rangers 1996-99. 

"And that's the first of quite a few we'll be seeing from Wayne Gretzky." 
Mike Fornes, October 20, 1978

Little did the Indianapolis Racers' play-by-play announcer know quite how many goals the 17-year-old wunderkind would score. But that backhander against -- somehow fittingly -- the Edmonton Oilers at Market Square Arena was the start of the most illustrious offensive career in professional hockey.

Gretzky is simply known as "The Great One." The entire entrance to the Hockey Hall of Fame is devoted to celebrating his career and accomplishments, from its beginnings in Brantford, Ontario through junior hockey in Sault Ste. Marie to a professional career that saw Gretzky shatter every offensive record in NHL history. His face is synonymous with Canadian hockey, where he ran the national team for the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Games. 

The professional part of his career began in Indianapolis. 

In the fall of 1978, Racers owner Nelson Skalbania was looking for something to turn around his fledgling WHA franchise, and in part because the WHA was beginning to sign underage players. He signed Gretzky over the summer, amid some hoopla. According to Walter Gretzky's memoirs, L.S. Ayres started a "Great Gretzky Fan Club" and there was quite a buzz when training camp opened Sept. 11 of that year. The Indianapolis Star's Dave Overpeck told fans "If you're a sports fan at all, you owe it to yourself to come out and watch Wayne Gretzky play hockey. A generation or so from now, you can tell your grandkids, 'I saw him when he broke into the majors as a 17-year-old kid.'"

But, probably befitting the Racers' struggle for attention, the headline misspelled the budding star's name, "Gretsky."

He was the Racers' leading scorer in the preseason, and his pro career began at MSA against the

Winnipeg Jets Oct. 14. He centered Rich Leduc and Don Larway. The largest crowd since 1977 showed up -- 11,721 -- for a 6-3 loss. Gretzky didn't net a point in that game, but he soon would.

On Oct. 20, he took a feed from defenseman Kevin Morrison and beat Edmonton's Dave Dryden on a backhander at 6:07 of the second period. Peter Driscoll had the other assist on what would be No. 1 of Gretzky's 940 professional goals in a career that would span 21 years.

No. 2 would come 2:34 later, as he tried to center the puck, but it banked into the net. It gave the Racers a 3-1 lead in a game they'd eventually lose 4-3 to Edmonton -- the team for which Gretzky would soon become a mega-star. No. 3 came two nights later, a short wrist shot on a feed from Larway that marked the final goal in a 6-3 loss to the New England Whalers. 

And then, suddenly, The Great One was gone. He had three goals and three assists in eight games with the Racers, but Skalbania was still claiming big financial losses. And on Nov. 2, he was sold to the Oilers, along with Driscoll, goaltender Ed Mio and more than a half-million dollars, in what was reported as an effort to keep the team afloat. Five weeks later, the Racers would be no more, folding on Dec. 15, 1978.

For Gretzky, the future was much brighter. He finished the season in Edmonton, scored 46 goals and was named the WHA's Rookie of the Year. The next season, the WHA dissolved and four teams -- including the Oilers -- jumped to the NHL. Gretzky tied Marcel Dionne for the scoring lead with 137 points, and then put a stranglehold on the Hart Trophy that he wouldn't let go of for nearly a decade. He had an NHL-record 164 points in 1980-81, then followed with the highest-scoring year in league history. In 1981-82, he scored 50 goals in 37 games -- an NHL record for the fastest 50 -- and finished with 92 goals, 120 assists and 212 points, all NHL records. He'd eclipse the scoring record in 1985-86 with 215 points. In a six-year span from 1981-87, Gretzky totaled 437 goals, 782 assists and 1,215 points. When he retired, he had 894 goals, 1,963 assists and 2,857 points, all NHL records. Add his WHA totals in, and the marks go up to 940-2,027-2,967. In the playoffs, he tallied 132 goals and 402 points in 221 NHL and WHA playoff games, winning four Stanley Cups with Edmonton and appearing in the Stanley Cup Finals six times -- five with the Oilers and once with the Los Angeles Kings. He also played in the 1979 Avco World Trophy Finals with the Oilers. 

Gretzky retired after the 1998-99 season, still at the top of the game. He led the NHL in assists in two of his last three years. He won the Hart Trophy (MVP) nine times, the Ross Trophy (leading scorer) 10 times, Lester Pearson Award (MVP voted by the players) five times, the Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP) in 1985 and 1988, the Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly player) five times, including in his final year. He played in the NHL All-Star Game 18 times and was selected a first-team NHL All-Star eight times. He was the second-team center seven other times. He still holds NHL records for career goals, assists and points, single-season goals, assists and points and the records for assists and points in a playoff season. At the time he retired, he held 61 NHL regular-season, playoff and All-Star Game records. He is also the only player in NHL history to total 200 points in a season, which he did four times in five years between 1981-86. 

In retirement, Gretzky has remained active, leading the Canadian National Team and buying a share of the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2005-06, he appointed himself head coach of the Coyotes, a position he held through 2009. 

The three-year waiting period was waived for his 1999 induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, which has an entire gallery near its entrance devoted to Gretzky. His jersey number 99 has been retired throughout professional hockey. The number also hangs in the Pepsi Coliseum, honoring the fact that Gretzky began his illustrious pro career here. He addressed the Market Square Arena crowd by video prior to the rink's final game in 1999. 

Gretzky's connection to Indianapolis -- having begun his illustrious career in the Circle City and scored his first three professional goals in Market Square Arena -- and his contributions to the game deservedly make him a Hockey Legend in the Indianapolis Hockey Hall of Honor. 

Wayne Gretzky

Career stats              
Regular season Playoffs
            GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM

1978 Indianapolis Racers   8    3    3    6   0                    none
WHA totals (78-79)        80   46   64  110  19     13   10  10  20   2
NHL totals (79-99)      1487  894 1963 2857 577    208  122 260 382  66
Major league totals     1567  940 2027 2967 596    221  132 270 402  68




Previous inductees
June 2011: Kevin Devine (Racers/Checkers 1978-85)
May 2011: Terry Sawchuk (Capitals 1948-50)
April 2011: Arthur Wirtz (Capitals owner 1939-52)