Today in history: August 29

Three birthdays today

Max Quackenbush: Member of the Capitals for two seasons from 1949 through the early part of the 1950-51 season. He played 91 games for the Caps, with eight goals and 26 assists. The defenseman was a part of the Caps' 1950 Calder Cup championship team. It was his second pro season -- the first was spent with the USHL Omaha Knights. Midway through the year, he was loaned to the Boston Bruins so he could realize a dream of playing alongside his brother Bill -- another former Capital who would become a Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman. The two played together for the balance of the year, and then Bill played 14 games for the Blackhawks the following year -- most of which was spent with the AHL's St. Louis Flyers. After three WHL seasons, Max retired in 1955. A native of Toronto, he is 83.

Jon Casey: Checkers goaltender in 1986-87, where he played 31 games for the team in what would become its final season. Playing four years at the University of North Dakota from 1980-84, Casey broke into the NHL with the North Stars after his senior season, but spent much of the years between 1984-88 in the minors. In 1988-89, he moved up to the NHL full-time with the North Stars. His unorthdox style led him to be difficult to beat in his prime. He led the Stars to the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals, and represented the team in the 1993 NHL All-Star Game. In 1993, he was dealt to Boston, and then to St. Louis a year later. He retired after the 1997-98 season, spent with the Kansas City Blades. A native of Grand Rapids, Minn., he is 49.

Mike Murray: Center who played 17 games for the Ice in 1988-89. He had five goals and 11 assists in that stint. Murray had a long minor-league career and matriculated to the NHL for one game in 1987-88 with the Flyers. He broke into the pros in 1986-87 with AHL Hershey, and spent much of the 1990s with the ECHL Knoxville Cherokees. After retiring in 1996, he returned to play for two different stints in Knoxville before hanging up his skates in the 2002-03 season. A native of Kingston, Ontario, he is 45.

Today in histor: August 25-28

Catching up a few dates on TIH: 

August 25

John French: Left wing who played 74 games for the Racers in 1977-78, scoring nine goals and eight assists. It was the last of six WHA seasons -- he would play 420 games in the league, with 108 goals and 192 assists. His best year was 1975-76 with San Diego, in which he had a 25-39-64 line. He played the following season in the AHL before retiring. A native of Orilla, Ont., he is 61.

Jacques Demers: Racers coach from 1975-77. He led the team to a record of 71-76-14 and the only two postseason appearances in team history. In 1976, the Racers won the WHA's West Division title. The following year, the swept the Cincinnati Stingers in the opening round of the playoffs before falling to eventual Avco Trophy champion Quebec in the division finals. Demers had been the Racers' player personnel director before being promoted when Gerry Moore was fired early in the 1975-76 season. After his stint with the Racers, he coached the Cincinnati Stingers, brought the Quebec Nordiques into the NHL, and also served as the head coach of the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. He led the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup title in 1993. Three other times, he took teams to the conference finals -- the 1986 Blues and the 1987 & 1988 Red Wings. He was the NHL's Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1988, and the American Hockey League's top coach in 1983 with Fredericton. Demers currently serves as a member of the Canadian Senate. A native of Montreal, he is 67.

Monty Trottier: Center who played parts of five seasons with the Checkers, starting in the 1981 CHL Playoffs -- shortly after finishing his junior career. He played four full seasons with the Checkers -- 1981-84, and then again in 1985-86. He totaled 73 goals and 99 assists in 285 games with the Checkers, with his best year coming in his final season, where he had 27 goals and 38 assists. He was a part of the Adams Cup champions in 1982 and 1983. He had seven goals and 16 assists in 42 playoff games, including a 1-7-8 line in leading a young squad to the 1984 Adams Cup finals. He also had 452 PIMs. The Islanders' fourth-round pick, Monty is the younger brother of six-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier. He remained in Indianapolis after his retirement from hockey and has been active as a hockey coach and instructor, running TNT hockey camps with his brothers Rocky and Bryan. A native of Val Marie, Sask., he is 50.

Frank Bialowas: A popular enforcer who joined the Ice late in the 1998-99 season and played 16 games. He scored one goal and had 27 PIMs. "The Animal" also played professionally from 1991-2000 and again from 2004-06, totaling 200+ PIMs in seven different seasons. He played four NHL games with Toronto in 1993-94. A native of Winnipeg, he is 41.

Aug. 26
Bryon Baltimore: Defenseman who played for the Racers from 1975 through the aborted 1978-79 season. He played 116 games for the Racers, totaling three goals and 33 assists. He also played all 16 playoff games in Racers history, with one assist. Baltimore played 333 WHA/NHL games, also playing for the Chicago Cougars, Denver Spurs, Cincinnati Stingers and Edmonton Oilers between 1974-80. He retired as a player after the 1980-81 season, and later coached the CHL's Montana Magic in 1983-84. A native of Whitehorse, Yukon, he is 59.

Aug. 27
Don Perkins: Member of the Checkers in 1986-87 and Ice in 1988-89. The defenseman graduated from Ohio State University in 1986 and played three pro seasons. He totaled two goals and 15 assists, as well as 118 PIMs, in his 51 games with the Checkers & Ice. In-between, he played 33 games for the Fort Wayne Komets and the AAHL's Virginia Lancers. In 1989, he retired from hockey and began coaching the Brebeuf high school team, which he continues to do. A native of Whitby, Ontario, he is 48.

Mario Doyon: Defenseman for the Ice at two ends of his career -- playing 66 games in 1989-90 and 63 games in 2003-04. He totaled 32 goals and 56 assists in those 129 games with the Ice. He came to the team in 1989 as a Blackhawks farmhand -- he was drafted by them in the sixth round in 1986 -- and he played  28 NHL games with the Blackhawks and Nordiques between 1988-91, scoring four goals. After his short NHL stint, he played several yeras in the AHL and IHL before moving to Europe after the 1995-96 season. He returned to play for the Ice in 2003 -- the team's final CHL season -- and retired after playing one game the following year in Corpus Christi.  While he played much of the 1990 championship season with the Ice, he was traded to Quebec partway through the year. Since retiring, he has settled in Indianapolis and has served as a hockey coach, including with the Indiana Junior Ice. A native of Quebec City, he is 43.
Craig Mills: Winger who played for the Ice from 1996-99, playing 134 games, totaling 22 goals, 21 assists and 332 penalty minutes. His best year came in 1996-97, when he had 12 goals to help the Ice win an IHL division title. After his stints with the Ice, he played four more years in the AHL and three in Europe before retiring in 2006. He also played 31 NHL games for the Jets (in 1995-96) and Blackhawks (1997-99). A native of Toronto, he is 35.
Pat Leahy: Forward who played three games for the Ice in 2001-02, totaling one assist. He had played at the NCAA Div. III level and briefly in the UHL prior to joining the Ice. A native of Canton, Mass., he is 35.
Eddie DelGrosso: High-scoring defenseman for the Ice from 2004-06. He played 116 regular-season games with the Ice, totaling 34 goals and 51 assists. He also had a goal and six assists in eight playoff games. He was one of several ex-Ice players who played at Nebraska-Omaha, where he was a blueline mainstay for four years before turning pro in 2010. He has played professionally in the AHL, in Finland and with the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers. A native of Las Vegas, he is 26.

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. 

Galiev signs with Caps

Stanislav Galiev, a member of the Ice's 2009 Clark Cup championship team (and a member of the 2011 Memorial Cup championship team in Canada), has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals.

Galiev had 29 goals and 35 assists with the Ice, and then played two years in Canada with the Saint John Sea Dogs. He is eligible to return to junior this year. He had 37 goals and 28 assists this year with Saint John.

A native of Moscow, Galiev is the second Ice player to sign with the Caps, joining defenseman John Carlson, who has become a mainstay with the big club.

Capitals press release

Ice preseason schedule

The Ice have announced a few preseason games in addition to the Fall Classic -- one of which will be played at home.

Saturday, Sept. 10: at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 11: vs. Chicago, 2 p.m. (at Carmel Ice Skadium)
Saturday, Sept. 17: vs. Muskegon, 7 p.m. (at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo)
Thursday, Sept. 22: vs. Des Moines, 2 p.m. (at Sioux City)
Friday, Sept. 23: vs. Waterloo, 11 a.m. (at Sioux City)
Saturday, Sept. 24: vs. Sioux Falls, 11 a.m. (at Sioux City)

Today in history: August 22

1979: The Indianapolis Checkers come into existence. The franchise was created on Aug. 1, but the new name Checkers was announced on this date. Also, the team announced it had signed its first player, former Racers goaltender Jim Park. The Checkers would spend five years in the Central Hockey League as a team owned by -- and the top affiliate of -- the New York Islanders. The Checkers franchise existed in some form for 25 years -- starting in the "old" CHL, transferring to the IHL in 1984 when the former league folded. The team went dark in 1987 for one year, and then came back in 1988 as the Ice. That franchise existed through 1999 in the IHL and through 2004 in the "new" CHL. The franchise would be transferred to Topeka, Kan., and the assets of the team were sold to the new USHL Indiana Ice franchise that year. 

Birthdays

Mike Zanier: Checkers goaltender from 1985-87. He played 61 games in the blue and orange -- 47 in the 1985-86 season, when he posted a 3.33 GAA. The previous year, he played three NHL games in Edmonton for a team that would eventually win the Stanley Cup. As a rookie, he also dressed for two games in the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals, including the clinching game. His name did not appear on the Cup because he did not actually play. After his stint with the Checkers, he went to Europe and played through 1999 -- with the exception of the 1992-93 season spent with CHL Dallas. A native of Trail, BC, he is 49. 

Bryon Paulazzo: Forward who played 54 games for the Ice in 2009-10, totaling 21 goals and 33 assists. He also had a goal and two assists in the playoffs that season. He is now a sophomore at Miami University, where he tallied 11 points in his freshman year. A native of Redwood City, Calif., he is 22. 

Ice roster update

The roster has been updated on the Ice website. It's a slight bit different from the July 1 protected list posted earlier. The team will have to be down to 23 players by the start of the season.

A lot of old friends are on the team -- Sharks draft pick Sean Kuraly, Alex Barron, Christian Hilbrich, Dan Cesarz, Daniil Tarasov and Cody Bradley up front, Alexander Kuqali, Ian Spencer and Ryan Obuchowski at defense, and Jon Gillies in goal. In addition, Jacob Fallon is back after spending part of last season at the University of Michigan.

Lots of newcomers, including 2011 first-round pick Tyler Pham and second-round pick Dan Sherer. R.J. Boyd, a Florida Panthers draftee acquired from the Chicago Steel in the offseason, brings USHL experience on the blueline. Emil Romig and Robbie Baillargeon were really impressive up front at the Main Camp this June, as was Pham -- who flashed a lot of skill and strength on the puck. Joseph Fiala is highly-regarded on the blueline.

Gillies is back after spending a week as Team USA's primary goaltender in the U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament. He holds the team record for longest scoreless streak. Izyk dressed for a handful of games last season, but did not play. Of course, Tarasov is the USHL's top returning scorer.

One name that wasn't from either the roster or protected list from July 1 was forward Drew Smolcynski.

Here's the roster: 
Forwards (16)
7 Sean Kuraly. 6-1, 193, Left shot, 1/20/1993. Indiana Ice. 8-21-29 in 51 games. Sharks draft pick.
8 Alex Barron. 6-0, 184, Right shot, 5/9/1991. Indiana Ice. 0-14-14 in 51 games.
9 Christian Hilbrich. 6-6, 204, Left shot, 7/9/1992. Indiana Ice. 10-5-15 in 50 games.
11 Cody Gyllyng. 5-11, 172, Left shot, 12/2/1993. Phoenix Junior Coyotes. 26-32-52 in 51 games
15 Dan Sherer. 5-10, 178, Left shot, 1/12/1992. Amarillo NAHL. 18-20-38 in 48 games
16 Dan Cesarz. 5-8, 183, Right shot, 6/15/1992. Indiana Ice. 5-3-8 in 40 games.
17 Tyler Pham. 5-8, 173. Left shot, 5/12/1994. Colorado Thunderbirds U18. 11-19-30 in 35 games
18 Drew Smolcynski. 5-8, 167. Right shot, 4/24/1994. The Gunnery (CT). 17-31-48 in 31 games
19 Woody Hudson. 6-3, 215. Right shot, 8/10/1992. Milton Acad. (MA). 16-18-34 in 29 games
21 Jacob Fallon. 5-11, 183, Left shot, 2/27/1992. University of Michigan. 1-2-3 in 13 games
23 Emil Romig*. 5-9, 168, Left shot, 9/19/1992. HCPCG (Czech) 12-15-27 in 44 games
28 Andrew Mayer. 5-11, 217, Right shot, 7/29/1993. Honeybaked U18. 12-24-36, 99 PIM in 37 games
79 Daniil Tarasov*. 5-11, 185, Left shot, 6/20/1991. Indiana Ice. 37-38-75 in 57 games.
88 Cody Bradley. 5-10, 163, Left shot. 5/26/1994. Indiana Ice. 11-9-20 in 51 games.
89 Robert Polosello*. 5-7, 160. Left shot, 4/27/1994. Vaughn OJHL. 17-30-47 in 37 games. 
93 Robbie Baillargeon. 5-11, 161, Right shot, 11/26/1993. Cushing Acad. (MA). 30-34-64 in 30 games.

Defensemen (7)
2 Alexander Kuqali. 6-1, 217, Left shot, 6/13/1991. Indiana Ice. 0-10-10 in 37 games.
4 Ian Spencer. 5-9, 195, Right shot, 2/19/1994. Indiana Ice . 1-3-4 in 17 games.
6 Matthew Krug. 6-2, 201, Left shot, 7/9/1992. Buffalo OJHL. 10-34-44 in 50 games.
12 Robert Gawron. 5-9, 177, Left shot, 4/8/1994. Chicago Fury U18. 18-26-44 in 38 games
24 R.J. Boyd. 6-0, 201, Left shot, 2/7/1991. Chicago Steel, 2-0-2 in 33 games. Panthers draft pick.
26 Ryan Obuchowski. 6-0, 181. Left shot, 6/7/1992. Indiana Ice, 5-8-13 in 54 games.
33 Joseph Fiala. 6-1, 194. Left shot, 2/11/1993. USNDTP U18. 0-5-5 in 28 games

Goaltenders (2)
29 Dalton Izyk. 5-11, 191. Left glove, 1/23/1994. Green Mountain EJHL. 3.67 GAA in 27 games.
32 Jon Gillies. 6-5, 215. Left glove, 1/22/1994. Indiana Ice. 2.82 GAA in 25 games.

*-import player (Romig - Austria; Tarasov - Russia; Polosello - Canada).

Today in history: Catching up (Aug. 17-21)

Life has intervened a bit, but here's a catch-up on Today in History birthdays

Aug. 17

Claude Carroll: Player for the Chiefs part-time in the 1957-58 Turner Cup championship season. He scored two goals in 23 games in Indy. A native of Parkdale, PEI, he was born in 1936. 

Dan Revell: Left wing who played for the Checkers in 1982-83, their Adams Cup championship season. He played 46 regular-season games with the Chex that season, totaling four goals and seven assists. It was his only pro season. Today, he is involved in business in Ontario. He is 49. 

Aug. 18

Sam Gregory: A center whose toughness wsa a key part of the Chiefs' 1957-58 championship team, totaling seven goals, 12 assists and 116 PIMs. He also had two goals and four assists in the playoffs that year. He went on to play a decade in the Eastern Hockey League, primarily with the Long Island Ducks. A native of Charlottetown, PEI, he was born in 1936. 

Bob Woytowich: A strong stay-at-home defenseman with the Racers from 1974-76. He played 84 games for the Racers -- 42 in each season -- totaling one goal and 15 assists. He played 18 professional seasons, including 745 NHL & WHA games with the Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets and the Racers. A native of Winnipeg, he was born in 1941, and passed away in 1988. 

Jari Torkki: Member of the Ice's 1989-90 Turner Cup championship team, where he had 25 goals and 29 assists in 66 games. He also had a 5-2-7 line in the playoffs that year. A native of Finland, he came to North America and played the previous season with the Blackhawks and the Saginaw Hawks. After his brief stint in North America -- which included four NHL games in 1988-89 -- he went back to Europe, where he was a consistent double-digit goal scorer through his retirement in 2003. He played for Finland's silver-medal winning team in the 1988 Calgary Olympics. A native of Rauma, Finland, he is 46. 

Brad Treliving: Defenseman who played 14 games for the Ice in 1991-92. He scored one goal in his time with the Ice. He played professionally from 1990-95, primarily at the "AA" level of the minors. He made his mark as an executive in hockey. Today, he is an assistant general manager of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes. He also was the president of the Western Professional Hockey League and later the Central Hockey League -- which at the time involved the Indianapolis Ice. A native of Penticton, BC, he is 42. 

Aug. 19

Darryl Sutter: Ice coach in their 1989-90 championship season. The Ice went 53-21-8 that year, easily won the Western Division title and then went 12-2 en route to winning the Turner Cup. It was one of the most dominant teams in Indianapolis hockey history. He was one of the six hockey-playing Sutter Brothers throughout the 1980s, playing with the Chicago Blackhawks through 1987. In 1988, he began coaching the Saginaw Hawks, moved with the team to the Ice the following year, and into the NHL as the Blackhawks' associate head coach in 1990. He became an NHL head coach in 1992-93 and has coached Chicago, San Jose and Calgary. He coached in the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals as a Blackhawks assistant, and the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals as the Flames' head coach. He stepped down as coach, but continued to work in Calgary as the GM through December 2010. A native of Viking, Alberta, he is 53. 

Erik Andersson: Left wing who played 48 games with the Ice in 1998-99. He had five goals and seven assists that season. A University of Denver graduate, he played 12 NHL games in Calgary in 1997-98. After his stint with the Ice, he returned to his native Sweden to play professionally. A native of Stockholm, he is 40. 

Aug. 20

Ted Garvin: Member of the Indianapolis Capitals in 1944-45 -- he also played one game the previous season. In total, he played 46 games, with five goals and four assists. He continued to play professionally -- primarily in the lower-level USHL and IHL -- through 1952. He was born in 1923. 

Chuck Adamson: Goaltender who played 119 games for the Chiefs from 1959-62, their final three seasons. He had a GAA in the 4.50 range in his three seasons in Indy -- he played his most hockey in 1959-60 and 1961-62 in Indy -- and then had several solid seasons with the Fort Wayne Komets through 1967. A native of Sudbury, Ontario, he was born in 1938. 

Tracy Egeland: Member of the Ice from 1990-93, playing 188 games with 48 goals and 47 assists. He also had two goals in the 1991 seven-game playoff series against Fort Wayne. He continued to play in the IHL, ECHL and CHL through 2002. He entered coaching after retiring, most recently with the CHL's Rocky Mountain Rage. A native of Lethbridge, Alberta, he is 41. 

B.J. O'Brien: Ice goaltender in 2004-05, their first USHL season. He played 17 games with a 3.24 GAA. He started collegiately at St. Cloud State, but transferred to St. Norbert College. He recently led St. Norbert to the NCAA Div. III national championship, being named MVP of the tournament. He led the nation in winning percentage, shutouts and GAA. He recently signed with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the CHL. A native of Lakeville, Minn., he is 26. 

Aug. 21

Kerry Clark: Member of the Ice for three games in 1988-89, totaling one assist. He played 10 games in the AHL and IHL after that, including three years in Salt Lake and two in Orlando and two for AHL Portland. He is the younger brother of ex-Maple Leaf star Wendel Clark. A native of Kelvington, Sas., he is 43. 

Colin Miller: Center who played 13 games for the Ice in 1994-95, totaling five goals and six assists. He began playing professionally with the IHL's Atlanta Knights in 1992, scoring 20 goals. After his stint in Indy, he went to the ECHL, where he had his best season in 1995-96 with Dayton, going 24-50-74 that season and 20-58-78 the following year. He had four straight years of 19+ goals with Dayton before retiring in 1999. A native of Grimsby, Ontario, he is 40. 

Ice coach throwing out first pitch

Ice coach Kyle Wallack will throw out the first pitch of Wednesday's Indianapolis Indians game. The contest will begin at 2:05 p.m. Wallack and the Ice will begin training camp shortly for the 2011-12 season.

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. 

First peek at the roster

First peek at the Ice roster, from the protected lists posted to an Internet forum. These are dated July 1, so there is a chance changes have been made since then. Teams were allowed to protect 25 players on their main roster and 14 on the futures list -- which must be 1993 or earlier birthdates. Because these are dated July 1, it is likely that there have been significant changes since then, so take this for what it's meant to be -- an early snapshot of what the team might look like come September when camp rolls around.

The frontlines will look familiar -- seven returning Ice players are back, including Sharks draftee Sean Kuraly and one of the league's top scorers in Daniil Tarasov. Jacob Fallon is back after a year at the University of Michigan. Ryan Obuchowski is the lone returning defenseman, with Jon Gillies back in net. Dalton Izyk, who dressed for a handful of games last season, is also on the roster.

Forwards

Alex Barron (1991, Indiana Ice)

Cody Bradley (1994, Indiana Ice)

Dan Cesarz (1992, Indiana Ice)

Adam Erne (1995, Indiana Ice) *believed to be going to QMJHL*

Jacob Fallon (1992, University of Michigan, former Ice player)

Christian Hilbrich (1992, Indiana Ice)

Sean Kuraly (1993, Indiana Ice, San Jose Sharks draftee)

Daniil Tarasov (1991, Indiana Ice)

Justin Bailey (1995, Buffalo Regals U18, first-round 2011 futures draft)
Woody Hudson (1992, Milton Academy, MA, 13th round 2011 entry draft)
Drew Mayer (1993, Honeybaked U18)
Tyler Pham (1994, Thunderbirds, first-round 2011 entry draft)
Robert Polosello (1994, Vaughn OJHL,)
Emilio Romig (1992, HC Zlin)
Danny Sherer (1992, Amarillo NAHL, second-round 2011 entry draft)
Sergey Tolchinskiy (1995, CSKA Moscow)

Defenseman

Ryan Obuchowski (1992, Indiana Ice)

R.J. Boyd (1991, Chicago Steel/Florida Panthers draftee)

Joseph Fiala (1993, USNDTP)

Robert Gawron (1994, Chicago Fury U18)

Matthew Krug (1992, Buffalo Jr. Sabres)

Ian Spencer (1994, Junior Ice)

Goaltenders

Jon Gillies (1994, Indiana Ice)

Dalton Izyk (1994, Green Mountain EJHL -- briefly dressed for Ice last year)

Futures list

Forwards

Max Domi (1995, Don Mills, Ontario, second round futures draft, expected to sign in OHL)

Matt Seidel (1994, Belle Tire, second round entry draft)

Adam Johnson (1994, Hibbing-Chisholm HS, MN, second round entry draft)

Jeremy Gregoire (1995, Magog Quebec, fourth round futures draft)

Tyler Kelleher (1995, Deerfield, MA, fifth round futures draft)

Bryson Cianfrone (1995, GTHL Toronto Marlboros, 16th round entry draft)

Cody Gylling (1994, Phoenix Junior Coyotes, 17th round entry draft)

Cristoval Nieves (1994, Kent HS, CT)

Robbie Baillargeon (1993, Cushing, MA)

Defenseman

Drew Newmayer (1994, Phoenix Junior Coyotes, third round entry draft)

John Draeger (1993, Shattuck St. Mary's HS, MN, fourth round entry draft)

Anthony Florentino (1995, South Kent, CT, fifth round futures draft)

Ian Janco (1994, Bloomington-Jefferson, MN HS, 14th round entry draft)

Goaltenders

Patrick Fraser (1995, Dexter Academy, sixth round futures draft)

USA Hockey week concludes

The USA U17 team defeated Switzerland 5-1 Sunday to sweep the Five Nations Tournament. The United States won all four games. Adam Erne was scoreless in the final game, but had two goals, an assist and four PIMs in the tournament.

In the WJC evaluation camp, Brian Ferlin was scoreless in the final game, a 6-4 loss to Sweden. He had a strong camp, with four points, including an assist in two games with the full USA squad.

Today in history: August 14

Two Checkers with birthdays today

Glenn Fester: Defenseman who played nine games for the Checkers in 1983-84, totaling two goals and four assists. He joined the team shortly after finishing his career at the University of North Dakota, but he played no further pro hockey. A native of Vernon, B.C., he is 51. 

Dave Emerson: Defenseman who played five games for the Checkers in 1986-87, notching two assists and 32 PIMs. He played 17 professional games in North America with teams in the AHL, IHL and Sunshine Hockey Leagues. A native of Etobicoke, Ont., he is 47. 

Today in history: August 13

One birthday

Casey DeSmith: Ice goaltender from 2009-11, he played in 64 regular season games and posted a 2.79 GAA. He had a 33-24-3 record, including 22-13-2 in 2010-11, when he was the team's primary starter. DeSmith had two shutouts that season. He made his mark in the 2010 playoffs, coming on in relief and helping the Ice win three straight games to beat Cedar Rapids 3-2 in a best-of-5. He also backstopped a sweep of Waterloo in the opening round of the 2011 playoffs. He will head back to his home state of New Hampshire to play college hockey at UNH this fall. A native of Rochester, N.H., he is 20. 

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. 

Ferlin "just produces," Gillies backs up tourney

Ice goaltender Jon Gillies had a strong finish to the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, stopping 21 shots as the US U18 national select team defeated the Czech Republic 3-1 in the fifth place game Friday. The U.S. won three of its four games, but finished fifth because both of its pool play wins came in overtime, which carries a lower point value than regulation wins. Gillies was the goaltender of record in all four games, posting a 3.94 GAA and an 87.6 save percentage. He had the second-best GAA and save percentage among goalies that played at least 100 minutes. He also was second in the tournament in minutes played. Boxscore.

Catching up from yesterday, Brian Ferlin had another assist for Team USA as it beat Finland 4-1 in the World Junior Championships evaluation camp. He has a goal and three assists in the camp. The New England Hockey Journal's junior hockey/draft expert Kirk Luedeke tweeted that Ferlin has "looked nothing but solid" since being drafted by the Bruins in June. The U.S. faces Sweden at 1 p.m. Saturday to round out the tournament. Box for Finland game.

Tonight, Adam Erne was scoreless but the USA U17 team beat Slovakia 6-4 in the Five Nations Tournament. The U.S., which is unbeaten in the tournament, finishes at 7 p.m. Saturday against Switzerland.

In the Five Nations Tournament,

Today in history: August 11

Four more birthdays today, including a couple of people making waves in hockey in their post-playing days. 

Connie Dion: Capitals goaltender in 1944-45 -- the final WWII year -- going 14-19-6 and posting three shutouts, and was named an AHL Second-Team All-Star. He had a 3.10 GAA. He played 39 games in finishing the year. He stood just 5-6, but the right-handed catching goaltender also played 38 NHL games for the Red Wings from 1943-45. He found a niche with the AHL's Buffalo Bisons, where he played much of the late 1940s and with whom he was a Second Team All-Star in 1946 and 1950 and the AHL's Hap Holmes Award winner in 1950. He played senior hockey through 1954. His NHL claim to fame is being the winning goaltender in the most lopsided NHL game ever -- a 15-0 Red Wings win over the Rangers on Jan. 23, 1944. He had a 23-11-4 NHL record. He has also designed a golf course in retirement in his hometown of Asbestos, Quebec, where the hockey arena is named for him. A native of St. Remi de Tinquick, Quebec, he is 93. 

Mike Vellucci: Defenseman who played 12 games for the Ice in their inaugural 1988-89 season, totaling a goal and two assists. He broke into pro hockey two years earlier with Salt Lake, and played two NHL games for the Whalers in 1987-88. After his stint with the Ice, he played in Britain, the ECHL and Colonial Hockey Leagues -- in addition to four games in the IHL -- before retiring in 1995. Today, he is the head coach and GM of the Ontario Hockey League's Plymouth Whalers. He began coaching in Plymouth in 2001, and won the OHL title in 2007. A native of Farmington, Mich., he is 45. 

Jamie Spencer: One of a handful of Hoosiers to play for the Ice, the Carmel native played one game with the Ice in 1995-96. He played most of that season with ECHL Columbus, the Blackhawks' "AA" affiliate, where he had 23 goals and 23 assists. He also played the following season with AHL Baltimore. The University of Wisconsin graduate retired after the 1997 season. Today, he is working as a vice president for sales for the Minnesota Wild and an executive vice president for their AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros. A native of Carmel, he is 38. 

Adam Phillips: A big defenseman who played 47 games for the Ice in 2009-10. The 6-foot-6 blueliner had a goal and 11 assists. This past season, he had a huge freshman year at UMass, with 10 goals and 15 points in 33 games. He was invited to the Philadelphia Flyers' development camp this summer. A native of Farmington Hills, Mich., he is 21.  

In relief, Gillies backstops USA win; Erne scores again in victory

Jon Gillies came on after one period and backstopped the United States U18 team's 6-5 shootout victory over Slovakia earlier today.

The U.S. trailed 3-2 after a period, allowing two power play goals, before Gillies came on. He stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced, and kept the Americans in the game. They scored twice in the final 3:01 to tie the score. Gillies stopped both Slovakia attempts in the shootout, while the U.S. scored on both of its shots. Alex Galenchyuk scored with 3:01 left to make it 5-4, then assisted on Jordan Masters' tying goal 55 seconds later. Galenchyuk and Masters both scored in the shootout. 

The U.S. has won two of its three pool games, but both victories came in OT/SO, so they carried a lower point value. Therefore, the U.S. will play in the fifth-place game of the six-team tournament Friday.

At the U17 level, the United States and former Iceman Adam Erne scored the first goal of the game for the second straight night. Erne's goal at 14:49 of the first period helped spur a 4-2 victory over Germany. He now has two goals and an assist in two games.

Brian Ferlin made the final camp roster in the WJC evaluation camp in Lake Placid, but he did not dress in today's game against Sweden.

IndianaIce.com has a story on Ferlin and Gillies' participation for the United States.

Today in history: August 10

Two birthdays

Alexander Andrijevski: Right wing who played 70 games for the Ice from 1992-94, totaling 26 goals and 26 assists. He was highly-touted when he came to Indianapolis from Belarus, and had a big first year -- 26-25-51 in 66 games. He also had two goals and three assists in four playoff games that year, and got a one-game callup to the Blackhawks. The next year, he played only four games with the Ice, finished the season with Kalamazoo, and then headed back to Europe where he played in Finland, Germany and Italy through 2003. A native of Minsk, Belarus, he is 43.

Travis Winter: Ice forward in 2004-05, their inaugural USHL season. He had 21 goals and 21 assists in 57 games, and also one playoff assist. He went from there to Bemidji State University, where he played four years. He also briefly played professionally with IHL Dayton, and is now an assistant coach with the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. A native of St. Cloud, Minn., he is 27.

Today in history: August 9

Four birthdays today

Bruce Burdette: Left wing who played 34games -- and scored five goals -- for the Capitals from 1946-48. He had 4-10-14 in 24 games for the Caps in 1946-47, and then one goal in 10 games the following year, which he split between Indy and the Red Wings' "AA"-level affiliate in Omaha. A native of Stratford, Ontario, he was born in 1923. 

Lorne Stamler: Left wing who played four seasons for the Checkers, from 1980-84. He played 148 games for the orange and blue, with 19 goals and 19 assists. He also played in both Adams Cup runs, coming up big both years. He had a 4-2-6 line helping lead the Chex to the 1982 title, and two goals in the 1983 championship run. A speedy winger, he played 116 NHL games prior to joining the Checkers, scoring 14 goals for the Kings, Maple Leafs and Jets from 1976-80. His best season was a 33-goal, 33-assist year for CHL Fort Worth in 1975-76. A native of Winnipeg, he is 60. 

Mark Hamway: Forward who played his rookie professional year with the Checkers in 1983-84, shortly after graduating from Michigan State University. Hamway had a big year leading the Chex youth movement that season, totaling 22 goals and 32 assists. He also had a goal in leading the Checkers to a surprise berth in the Adams Cup Finals that year. The next year, the Islanders moved their top affiliate to Springfield, and Hamway had 29 goals -- and earned the NHL call to Long Island. All told, he played 53 NHL games, all but four of which were in 1985-86. He had five goals and 12 assists that year and one more assist in 1986-87, his final professional season, in which he scored 25 goals for Springfield. Today, he is a commercial real estate agent in suburban Detroit. A native of Detroit, he is 50. 

Phil DeGaetano: Defenseman who played the 1985-86 season for the Checkers, totaling nine goals, 39 assists and 107 PIMs as a pro rookie. A graduate of Northern Michigan University, he moved to the AHL for the next couple of years and also played for IHL Peoria in 1988-89, after which he played in Europe. A native of Roslyn, N.Y., he is 48. 

Gillies backstops win, Ferlin makes roster cut

Jon Gillies backstopped a 5-4 USA victory over Russia in the U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament this morning. The Ice goaltender stopped 27 of 31 shots, keeping the U.S. in the game and allowing the Americans to win on an overtime goal. The U.S. is now 1-1 in the tournament, and plays Slovakia at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Game boxscore.

Former Ice forward Brian Ferlin made the roster cutdown for the World Junior Championship camp, and will play in the camp's final games. Ferlin had a goal and two assists in the first two games. He is one of 17 forwards on the USA squad. The team also has nine defensemen and three goaltenders, and so the 29-man roster will be further cut down later. 

Adam Erne had a goal and an assist for the USA U17 team in a 5-1 win over the Czech Republic. It was its Five Nations Tournament opener. Erne scored the game's first goal 1:04 into the game on an assist from Gabe Gurtler, and had the first assist on Gurtler's goal at 7:30 that made it 3-0.

The USHL & NCAA's place in junior hockey

A big point of contention this summer has been about the three Canadian Hockey League junior circuits poaching American players -- whether they be USHL players or NCAA commits. Given the number of players that develop in the USHL and then matriculate to the NCAA, this hits a lot of familiar faces -- and also creates a ripple effect. The University of Michigan has lost two goaltenders in late summer. Paul Kelly of College Hockey, Inc. has some pretty pointed comments in the Boston Globe.

Among them: "I’m a believer that when you make a commitment, you stand by it and honor it. ... When kids make a commitment, particularly when that commitment takes a more formal form in a letter of intent to attend that school, then you break that commitment, frankly, if I’m an NHL GM, it might cause me some concern.

Ice players on scoresheet today

The players with Ice representing the USA have all seen plenty of action today.

In the WJC camp, Brian Ferlin had a goal and an assist as Team USA White beat Finland 5-3 in Lake Placid. Ferlin assisted on Kenny Agostino's goal to open the game at 9:17 of the first period, and then scored on a feed from Agostino at 6:30 of the second, tying the game at 3-3. Ferlin now has a goal and two assists in two games. Ferlin is headed to Cornell University this fall, and was drafted by the Boston Bruins in June. The two teams will be cut down into one by Wednesday, when the Americans will face Sweden.

At the U18 level, Jon Gillies backstopped the USA in its first game in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, but the Americans lost to Finland 6-3. Gillies stopped 33 of the 38 shots he faced. The game was tied 3-3 after a period, but the Finns added a power-play goal in the last minute of the second to take the lead, and another midway through the third. A late empty-netter sealed the score. The USA faces Russia at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

At the U17 level, the USA beat the Czech Republic 3-1 in an exhibition prior to the Five Nations Tournament in Ann Arbor. Adam Erne, who played for the Ice last season, had the first assist on Gabe Gurtler's second-period goal that set the final score. The teams will play again in the tournament's opening game at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Other Ice-related news
Maine-based junior hockey blogger Nate Fournier posted today an item on Ice Futures Draft pick Anthony Florentino. He turned down an invite to the USNDTP U17 team. He did not attend the team's main camp in June, and it appears he'll return to the Eastern Junior Hockey League this fall. He is a 1995 birth.

Today in history: August 8

One birthday today

Jari Kaarela: Goaltender who played two games for the Checkers in 1980-81, allowing four goals and winning both. Kaarela played most of that season with the Fort Worth Texans, and also suited up for five NHL games with the Colorado Rockies that year. He played one more year in North America -- primarily with IHL Muskegon -- and then headed back to his native Finland. He retired after the 1985-86 season. A native of Tampere, Finland, he is 53.

Ice & the USA

Saturday marked the first day of competition for the United States for a couple of Ice players.

Jon Gillies played goal for the USA in the U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament exhibition game. The United States defeated the Czech Republic 5-3. Gillies played half the game, stopping 20 of the 21 shots he faced. Calvin Peterson came in and played the final 28 minutes. Box and story here.

In the World Junior Championships evaluation camp, Brian Ferlin had an assist in the Team USA Blue vs. White scrimmage Saturday. He had the second assist on Chase Balisy's third-period goal for the white team, which lost 4-3. Boxscore here. Ferlin was scoreless in today's game, a 4-2 win for the white team he was suiting up with. Box here. Next up: vs. Finland, 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Adam Erne and the U17 team gets underway Tuesday in the Five Nations Tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Today in history: August 7

One birthday today

Cy Rouse: Winger who played 27 games for the Capitals in 1944-45, totaling a goal and two assists. A rookie that season, he headed west and played senior hockey and in the Western Hockey League after the war, playing through the 1954 season. A native of Kinderly, Saskatchewan, he was born in 1926.