Today in history: December 13

December 13 in Indianapolis hockey history

1942: The Capitals play their first game after gas rationing begins. Crowds that had numbered in the 7,000+ range for weekend games were cut in half – 3,587 showed up to see a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Hornets, a game that included six third-period goals.

1952: The Capitals and Providence Reds combine for 19 goals in an 11-8 Caps win at the Coliseum. Earl Reibel scored hat trick, Ed Bruneteau had two goals and an assist, Johnny Wilson had a four-point night with two goals and two assists, and goaltender Glenn Hall made 38 saves and got the win despite allowing eight goals.

1958: A squabble is played out in the Indianapolis Star. Toledo GM Andy Mulligan wants the powerful Cincinnati Mohawks, winners of five straight Turner Cups, thrown out of the IHL because of salary cap violations and keeping too many players on the roster. Chiefs coach Leo Lamoureux says: “Why not go out and get better talent and beat Cincinnati,” and accuses Mulligan of trying to turn the IHL into an industrial league. The Mohawks would fold after that season -- the only non-championship season in their six-year tenure -- and the Chiefs would win the Turner Cup.

1961: A brawl between the Chiefs and Fort Wayne Komets ends the game 8:34 early, with Fort Wayne leading 3-2. It was initially ruled a Komets win, but the IHL required the game to be completed on Jan. 6 before the regularly-scheduled game. A protest by the Chiefs’ owner Mel Ross got the IHL to play it after the initial game. The Chiefs rallied to win 5-3. The Chiefs’ Grant Morton and Fort Wayne’s Eddie Long were suspended as a result of the brawl. The bench-clearing brawl began with a scrap between Bill Wilkes and the Komets’ Eddie Long. Soon, Chiefs enforcer Marcel Goyette got tied up with another Komet, and when the goalies began fighting, the benches emptied. Seventeeen fighting majors, nine misconducts and two game misconducts were given out, a total of 197 penalty minutes in the third period and 229 for the game. 

1978: The Racers play their final game, losing to New England 7-4 in front of 4,623 fans. Angie Moretto  scored the team’s last goal, deflecting Don Larway’s shot into the net with 1:45 left. Gordie Howe scored a goal for the Whalers. 

1998: The Ice’s Remi Royer scores 13 seconds into the game to give the Ice an early lead in a 4-2 victory at Fort Wayne. 

Birthday

Brian McKee: Defenseman who played four games for the Checkers in 1986-87, shortly after finishing his college career at Bowling Green. He would become a mainstay in the IHL for most of his nine-year pro career, including a 30-goal season for the Fort Wayne Komets in 1990-91, when he was the IHL's Most Oustanding Defenseman. A native of Willowdale, Ont., he is 47. 

Alex Wideman: Ice forward from 2009-11. In 115 games, the diminutive (5-8, 145) forward had 15 goals and 36 assists, as well as six points in 14 postseason games. Wideman was a mainstay on the high-scoring Ice team of 2010-11, in which he had five goals and 27 assists. He is currently a freshman at Miami (Ohio). A native of St. Louis, he is 20.