Today in history: December 4

December 4 in Indianapolis hockey history

1942: Capitals beat Providence 5-4 despite trailing 4-0 after the second period. Caps pepper 62 shots on goal – Providence’s Mike Karakas makes 57 saves. Caps score 3 goals on the same PP, from Doug McCaig, Gerry Brown and Joe Carveth, the last two 17 seconds apart. Connie Brown scored the game-winner with 4:10 lef. 

Birthdays

Alex Delvecchio: One of the greatest players in hockey history, Delvecchio played six games for the Capitals in 1951-52. He had three goals and six assists in those six games, and his talent was apparent that he was quickly called up to Detroit. He would play the next 23 seasons for the Red Wings, a reliable center who posted 13 20-goal seasons during his career. He was one-third of the Red Wings' Production Line, along with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, all of whom are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He had 15 goals as a rookie, and won the Stanley Cup in 1952, and won the Cup again in 1954 and 1955. When he retired in 1974, he was second to Gordie Howe in nearly every Red Wings offensive category, and his 1,549 games played for the Wings are still second in team history. Delvecchio totaled 456 goals and 825 assists during his NHL career. He also had 35 goals and 104 points in 121 playoff games. His No. 10 is retired by the Red Wings. A native of Fort William, Ont., he is 80. 

Myron Stankiewicz: A left wing who played for the Chiefs from 1955-58 -- actually splitting the first two seasons between Indianapolis and Toledo. In 1957-58, he had 25 goals and 36 assists to help lead the Chiefs to their only Turner Cup championship. He had six points in 11 postseason games that year. He spent many later years in the AHL -- primarily with Hershey -- before playing 35 NHL games with the Blues and Flyers in 1967-69. A native of Kitchener, Ont., he is 76. 

Irv Spencer: Defenseman for the Capitols in 1963. He was scoreless and had 26 penalty minutes in four games with the Caps before they moved to Cincinnati. He ended up with 11 points in 23 games total that year. Spencer broke into the NHL with the Rangers in 1960, and played four seasons with the Rangers, Bruins and Red Wings before a long minor-league career. He had a couple more short stints in the NHL, but stuck in the first two WHA seasons with the Philadelphia/Vancouver Blazers, where he played 73 games. He played 303 NHL/WHA games with 14 goals and 80 points. A native of Sudbury, Ont., he was born in 1937. He passed away in 1999. 

Patrice Robitaille: Right wing for the Ice in 1995-96. The Clarkson University grad had a goal and an assist in 10 games. He played through 2002, with a couple more seasons in the IHL and several in the UHL with the B.C. Icemen. A native of St. Catherine, Quebec, he is 41.