Today in history: November 21

Birthdays

Byron "Butch" McDonald: Capitals winger from 1939-41, and again in 1944-45. He played 95 games for the Caps, with 25 goals and 68 assists. He was part of a division championship team in 1940 and had a 13-30-43 year the following season. He also played 66 NHL games for Detroit and Chicago. A native of Assinobia, Sask., he was born in 1916. He passed away in 2006. 

Alex McKendry: A second-round pick by the Indianapolis Racers in the 1976 WHA draft, McKendry never suited up for the city's WHA team, but did play for the Checkers in 1979-80. He also was the Islanders' first-round pick in 1976 and went the NHL route, allowing him to tally 40 goals and 37 assists in 76 games -- as well as six playoff points in four games that season. McKendry would be traded to the Calgary Flames the following year. He played 46 NHL games with the Islanders and Flames before retiring in 1983. A native of Midland, Ont., he is 55. 

Brian Arrigoni: Ice forward in 2006-07, where he had six goals and three assists and 98 PIMs in 59 games. He played the following year in the NAHL, and is currently a senior at Div. III Hamline University, where he has tallied double-digit goals in each year of his college career. A native of St. Paul, Minn., he is 24.

Today in history: November 4

November 4 in Indianapolis hockey history

1939: The Indianapolis Capitals play the first game in Indianapolis hockey history and beat the Hershey Bears 4-3. The first goal was scored by Joe Carveth (unassisted) at 12:00 of the first period. Byron “Bucko” McDonald had the game-winner, and Jimmy Franks had the win in goal. The game also marks the debut of the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum, which would be renamed the Pepsi Coliseum in 1990 and, 72 years later, is still the home of hockey in Indianapolis. 

1943: John Sorrell joins the Capitals as coach in 1943. He had been hired weeks before, and needed to arrange care for his young children, so Carson Cooper coached the first few games. A player/coach, he scored the game-tying goal in a 1-1 draw at Buffalo.

1950: The Capitals break a 9-game winless streak to start the year (0-8-1) by beating the Cleveland Barons 6-1. Gerry Reid would score twice and Fred Glover would have three assists. Two games later, goaltender Bill Brennan would be replaced by 30-year-old veteran “Sugar” Jim Henry, who would lead the Caps to a 38-29-3 record and soon be back in the NHL. 

1956: The Chiefs win their franchise-record seventh straight game, beating the powerful Cincinnati Mohawks 5-2. Marc Boileau scores two goals and adds an assist.