Today in history: January 7

January 7 in Indianapolis hockey history

1958: For the first time in Indy hockey history, a game is televised, as WTTV beams the Chiefs’ 7-1 victory over the Toledo Mercurys. Rene St. Hiliare has a hat trick against future NHLer Les Binkley and Cliff Hicks makes 22 saves. WTTV would televise four games that year. 

Birthdays (and lots of 'em)

Benny Woit: Capitals defenseman from 1948-51. He played 207 games in that span for the Caps, with 18 goals and 51 assists. He was a key part of the 1950 Calder Cup title run with two playoff goals. He joined the Red Wings for the playoffs in 1951 and then stuck in Detroit, winning three Stanley Cups before being dealt to Chicago in 1955. He played his last NHL game in 1956-57, but continued playing pro through 1966, primarily in the AHL and old Eastern Hockey League. He had 33 points in 334 NHL games. He was known as a strong stay-at-home defenseman and a terrific bodychecker. After retirement, he returned to Ontario and worked as a longshoreman. A native of Fort William, Ont., he is 84. 

Jacques Locas: Racers center in 1974-75, their inaugural year, for 11 games. He had one assist in that campaign, his rookie year. He had 119 points in 187 WHA games through 1978, primarily with the Cincinnati Stingers. Upon retirement, he returned to his hometown and became an attorney. A native of St. Jerome, Quebec, he was born in 1954, the son of the former NHL player of the same name. He passed away in 2006 at age 42. 

Rod Buskas: Ice defenseman for 15 games in 1992-93, during which he had three assists. He played 11 NHL seasons between 1982-93, primarily with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but also with Chicago, Los Angeles and Vancouver. He had 82 points in 556 NHL games. He played in the 1992 Stanley Cup Finasl with Chicago. After retiring in 1995, he moved to Las Vegas -- where he played his final two years -- and ran a flight school. He also assisted the IHL Las Vegas Thunder. A native of Medicine Hat, Alb., he is 51.
Bobby House: Right wing for the Ice from 1993-95. He had 12 goals and 11 assists in 68 games. The Blackhawks' third-round pick in 1991, he played professionally in North America from 1993-2002, with three 30-goal seasons. Nearly all of that time was either in the AHL or IHL. He continued to play in Europe after that point. A native of Whitehorse, Yukon, he is 39.
Tim Hogan: Ice defenseman for one game in 1995-96. The Michigan grad played two years with the ECHL Columbus Chill and a third year in Europe. A native of Oshawa, Ont., he is 38.
Jani Hurme: Ice goaltender in 1997-98, splitting time with Jim Waite. The Senators' third-round pick in 1997, Hurme had an 11-11-3 mark in 29 games, with a 3.30 GAA and one shutout. Then a North American rookie, he would stick at the IHL and NHL level. He made his NHL debut in 1999-2000 with Ottawa, allowing two goals in a win. He played 76 NHL games through 2003 with Ottawa and Florida. He also backstopped the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Turner Cup Final in 2000. He was forced out of hockey for two years after 2003 due to illnesses. He moved back to his native Europe in 2006 and played in Finland. A native of Turku, Finland, he is 37.

 

Today in history: December 18

December 18 in Indianapolis hockey history

1943: Alex Ritson scores an AHL record three unassisted goals, and ends up with four goals -- all in the third period -- as the Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Hornets. The first of his four goals broke a 1-1 tie. 

Birthdays

Cliff Hicks: Chiefs goaltender during their heyday from 1956-60. He backstopped the Chiefs to the Turner Cup Finals in 1957, and the Turner Cup championship in 1958, turning aside several forays in a 3-2 Game 7 victory over the Louisville Rebels. Hicks had an 82-99-14 record with the Chiefs and six shutouts -- including four in 1956-57. He had a career 3.58 GAA in Indianapolis. Hicks would retire after the 1959-60 season, spending part of it with the Omaha Knights and the EHL Greensboro Generals. A native of Ottawa, he is 81. 

Bruce Andres: Left wing for the Checkers for parts of two seasons from 1979-82. He played 43 games in Indianapolis, with seven goals and 16 assists. The Islanders' third-round pick in 1977, Andres played professionally from 1977-83. A native of Roblin, Man., he is 54.

Daniel Cleary: One of the last remaining Indianapolis Ice players active in the NHL -- along with Ethan Moreau -- Cleary started his pro career as a left wing for the Ice in 1997-98, playing four games. He was the 13th overall pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He had two goals and an assist with the Ice, and also played six games with the Blackhawks that season. He would be traded to the Edmonton Oilers the following year, and permanently get the callup to the NHL in 2000-01. He would play for Phoenix in 2003-04, but the two-way winger found a home with the Detroit Red Wings after the lockout in 2005, and has posted three 20-goal seasons, including a 26-goal year in 2010-11. He won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008, and then scored the series-winning goal in the 2009 conference semis against Anaheim and tallied five goals in the 2009 Western Conference Finals against Chicago to get the Wings back to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2009. Entering 2011-12, Cleary had played 746 NHL games, with 139 goals and 190 assists. Born in Carbonear, Newfoundland, Cleary is a native of nearby Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. He is 33.

Today in history: November 25

November 25 in Indianapolis hockey history

1959: After three and a half seasons in net, three playoff appearances and a Turner Cup championship (as well as a stint as assistant coach), goaltender Cliff Hicks is released by the Chiefs. Hicks backstopped 159 games – a team record. Chuck Adamson would replace him and be in net for 115 games, most of the rest of the team’s history. 

Birthday

Andy Cozzi: Right wing for the Checkers in 1985-86, where he had four goals and an assist in 14 games. The Miami University graduate also played the following two seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals before retiring. A native of New Rochelle, N.Y., he is 48. 

Today in history: October 28

October 28 in Indianapolis hockey history

1956: Chiefs goaltender Cliff Hicks posts the second of back-to-back shutouts, beating the Troy Bruins 2-0. The previous night, he beat Toledo 4-0. He made 65 saves in the two wins. His shutout streak would eventually reach 186:56. 

Birthdays

Kevin Morrison: Left wing for the Racers from 1977 through the aborted 1978 season. In 80 games, he had 17 goals and 42 assists. Morrison played 459 games in the WHA and NHL, primarly with the San Diego Mariners from 1974-77. He had three 20-goal seasons in a row from 1973-76, his best year being a 24-goal year with the New York Golden Blades -- who moved across the Hudson and became the Jersey Knights for the second part of the year. After the merger, he played 41 games with the NHL Colorado Rockies. He had 97 goals and 235 assists as a major-league player. He was the Rangers' third-round pick in 1969. A native of Sydney, N.S., he is 62. 

Dave Bassegio: Member of the Ice in the 1989-90 championship season. Bassegio joined the team late in the year after starting with AHL Rochester. He had one goal and seven assists in 10 regular-season games, then contributed two goals and four assists in 10 postseason games en route to leading the Ice to the Turner Cup title. That was his rookie year -- he had been a standout at Yale University. Bassegio played professionally through 2000, primarly in the AHL and IHL. His best year was a 46-point season for the Houston Aeros in 1996-97. Since retirement, he coached in the ECHL and AHL, matriculating to head coach of the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Peoria Rivermen for one season each. He was the Sabres' fourth-round pick in 1988. A native of Niagara Falls, Ont., he is 44. 

Lubos Krajcovic: Ice right wing from 1999-2002, totaling 25 goals and 30 assists in 120 games. He also had a big postseason in 2000, tallying two goals and six assists to help lead the Ice to the Miron Cup in their maiden season in the CHL. Prior to joining the Ice, he played in the USHL for Sioux Falls, two seasons at Michigan Tech and one year in the UHL. A native of Krupina, Slovakia, he is 35.