I apologize for not keeping this up-to-date. Life intervened this week, but we'll catch up. We'll also be catching back up with our countdown of the 10 greatest playoff games in Indianapolis hockey history.
Birthday posts for the five-day span that we're catching up:
May 17
Carl Liscombe: One of the initial Capitals, playing 43 games for the Caps as he split time between Indy and Detroit between 1939-41. He scored 12 goals in an Indianapolis uniform, and also two goals in the 1940 Calder Cup playoffs. He would play 373 games with the Red Wings from 1935-46, winning the Stanley Cup in 1943. He scored 36 goals the next season. In 1947-48, he went back to the AHL and had a 50-goal, 118-point season with the Providence Reds, setting all of the league scoring records and becoming the first pro hockey player to break the 100-point barrier. He was the AHL's MVP in 1948 and 1949. A native of Perth, Ontario, he was born in 1915. He passed away in 2004.
Claude Larose: Left wing who played 41 games for the Racers between 1977 and the franchise's folding in December 1978. He totaled 19 goals and 24 assists in that time span. He was the #1 pick in the WHA draft in 1975 by the Cincinnati Stingers, and totaled a 30-goal season in 1976-77. After his WHA tenure, he spent much of the next eight seasons in the AHL, but did play 25 games with the New York Rangers. He scored 92 goals in 277 WHA/NHL games. A native of St. Jean, Quebec, he is 61.
Dan Gauthier: Center who played two full seasons for the Ice between 1994-96. In 136 games, he totaled 50 goals and 89 assists before being traded to the St. Louis Blues late in the 1995-96 season, where he would finish the year with the Peoria Rivermen. He also had five NHL games with Chicago in 1994-95. Following the 1996 season, he went to Europe, and played 12 seasons in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. He was active in Quebec senior leagues through 2010, scoring 57 points as a 39-year-old in 2009-10. A native of Charlemagne, Quebec, he is 41.
Mike Prokopec: Right wing who played three full seasons for the Ice from 1994-97. He played 194 games for the Ice, totaling 52 goals and 52 assists and 354 PIMs. He also played 15 games for the Blackhawks from 1995-97. He continued to play -- primarily in the IHL -- through 2000, when he had a 23-goal season with the Manitoba Moose. A native of Toronto, he is 37.
Brian Keane: Forward who played 15 games for the Ice in 2006-07, totaling five goals and two assists. He just finished an NCAA career at UMass-Amherst, where he totaled 18 points in four years. A native of Shortsville, NY, he is 23.
May 18
Ryan Leasa: A junior amateur signee who played in the 2003 CHL Playoffs for the Ice. The defenseman played two minor pro seasons in the ECHL and CHL for Toledo and Austin, respectively, before playing a year of senior hockey in Ontario. A native of Sarnia, Ontario, he is 21.
May 19
Bob Hess: Veteran defenseman who joined the Checkers in 1983-84 at the end of a long hockey career. He had two goals and eight assists in nine regular season games, and then had a 2-4-6 line in nine playoff games for the Checkers as they advanced to the Adams Cup Finals that year. He played 329 NHL games for the Blues, Sabres and Whalers between 1974-84. He was the 26th overall pick in the 1974 NHL draft. A native of Edmonton, he is 56.
Bob Laforest: Winger who played for the Checkers' first IHL entry in 1984-85, totaling a 3-6-9 line in 18 games. He played five NHL games with the Kings in 1983-84. A native of Welland, Ontario, he is 48.
Tom Stewart: Winger who scored five goals and had seven assists for the Ice in 1999-2000. He would be dealt to Macon during the year, but was someone who appeared in 24 games for the eventual Miron Cup champions. He continued to play through 2003, and then began coaching, primarily in the Southern Professional Hockey League. A native of Brantford, Ontario, he is 36.
May 20
Bruce Cassidy: "Butch" was a popular member of the Ice who spent three stints in Indy, playing a key role as a defenseman for the Ice's Turner Cup championship team in 1989-90, totaling 11 goals and 46 assists from the blueline. He also had a 1-10-11 line in the playoffs. After three seasons in Europe, he returned to the Ice in 1994 and played three more years with the Ice. In 170 games, he totaled 18 goals and 79 assists. He left the team early in the 1996-97 season to begin coaching the Jacksonville Lizard Kings of the ECHL. He then joined the Ice as their head coach in 1998-99, leading them to a 33-37-12 record and an appearance in the second round of the IHL Playoffs. Cassidy became the Washington Capitals' coach in 2002, and coached the team for a year and a half. He was the AHL's Coach of the Year with Grand Rapids in 2002. After the lockout, he was a Blackhawks assistant for a year, and then coached two years in the Ontario Hockey League. He has spent the last three years as an assistant with the AHL's Providence Bruins. As a player, he played 36 NHL games with Chicago between 1985-90, scoring four goals. A native of Ottawa, he is 46.
Stu Grimson: The "Grim Reaper" was a legendary enforcer who played five games with the Ice in 1991-92, totaling a goal, an assist and 17 PIMs. He returned to the NHL that season and never left, eventually playing 729 NHL games between 1988-2002 for Calgary, Chicago, Anaheim, Detroit, Hartford/Carolina, Los Angeles and Nashville, totaling 2113 PIMs. He was part of a Blackhawks team that played in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992. He later earned a law degree from the University of Memphis and is currently a practicing attorney in Nashville. A native of Vancouver, he is 46.
May 21
Lou Dietrich: Defenseman who played for the Chiefs in 1958-59, their final playoff season. He also was a part of the powerful Cincinnati Mohawks' Turner Cup championship team in 1957. A native of Waterloo, Ontario, he was born in 1932.
Gary Stewart: Defenseman who scored one goal, 14 assists and had 103 PIMs for the Ice's inaugural team in 1988-89, playing 48 games. That was close to the end of a seven-year pro career primarily spent in the IHL. He played with Salt Lake and Milwaukee before joining the Ice. A native of New Westminster, B.C., he is 47.
Todd White: Ice's leading scorer in 1997-98, his first pro year. He totaled 46 goals and 36 assists in the regular season, and then had two goals in the five-game playoffs series loss to Orlando that year -- including an OT goal in Game 4 to prolong the series. He would parlay that into a long NHL career that saw him play 653 games and score 141 goals for the Blackhawks, Flyers, Senators, Wild, Thrashers and Rangers. He had 22 goals and 51 assists for the Thrashers in 2008-09. White is still active, having played this past season for AHL Hartford. A native of Kanata, Ontario, he is 36.
Jon Sorg: Defenseman who played the 2001-02 season with the Ice, totaling six goals and 21 assists at the end of a six-year pro career that began with AHL Hershey in 1997. A native of Branchville, N.J., he is 37.
Showing posts with label Indiana Ice Indianapolis Ice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indiana Ice Indianapolis Ice. Show all posts
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Today in history: May 13
A big day for Ice birthdays
Petri Varis: Winger who played 77 games for the Ice in 1997-98, totaling 18 goals and 54 assists. He also totaled three goals and four assists in the Ice's five-game loss to Orlando in the playoffs that year. That would be the Finland native's only year in North America -- he also played one game with the Blackhawks -- as he would return to Europe and play in Germany in 1998, and continue to play for 11 more years, primarily with Jokerit Helsinki in Finland. A native of Varkaus, Finland, he is 42.
Jamie Allison: Defenseman who played three games with the Ice in 1998-99, scoring one goal in the team's final IHL season. He spent the majority of that year in Chicago, where he played 39 games with the parent Blackhawks. Allison was a second-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 1993, and made his NHL debut with Calgary in 1994-95. Allison scored seven goals in 372 NHL games with Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Nashville and Florida between 1994-2006. A native of Lindsay, Ontario, he is 36.
Chad Spurr: Winger who joined the Ice at the end of the 2000-01 season after finishing his play at the University of PEI in Canada. He had a goal and four assists in seven games, then also had an assist in three postseason games that year. Spurr played five more years in the minors, with Charlotte and PeeDee of the ECHL and Bossier-Shreveport in the CHL in a handful of stints. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, he is 32.
Jim Shepherd: Winger who played 23 games for the Ice in 2003-04, their final CHL season. He had five goals and 10 assists, and also added a goal and an assist in the postseason. Shepherd was a minor-league veteran, playing for several ECHL, CHL and IHL teams from 1999-05, and then went to Europe to play four seasons after his stint with the Ice. A native of Kingston, Ontario, he is 34.
Michael Bernardy: Defenseman who played one game for the Ice in 2006-07. A native of Sandy, Utah, he is 25.
Jamie Allison: Defenseman who played three games with the Ice in 1998-99, scoring one goal in the team's final IHL season. He spent the majority of that year in Chicago, where he played 39 games with the parent Blackhawks. Allison was a second-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 1993, and made his NHL debut with Calgary in 1994-95. Allison scored seven goals in 372 NHL games with Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Nashville and Florida between 1994-2006. A native of Lindsay, Ontario, he is 36.
Chad Spurr: Winger who joined the Ice at the end of the 2000-01 season after finishing his play at the University of PEI in Canada. He had a goal and four assists in seven games, then also had an assist in three postseason games that year. Spurr played five more years in the minors, with Charlotte and PeeDee of the ECHL and Bossier-Shreveport in the CHL in a handful of stints. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, he is 32.
Jim Shepherd: Winger who played 23 games for the Ice in 2003-04, their final CHL season. He had five goals and 10 assists, and also added a goal and an assist in the postseason. Shepherd was a minor-league veteran, playing for several ECHL, CHL and IHL teams from 1999-05, and then went to Europe to play four seasons after his stint with the Ice. A native of Kingston, Ontario, he is 34.
Michael Bernardy: Defenseman who played one game for the Ice in 2006-07. A native of Sandy, Utah, he is 25.
Today in history: May 12
We had an issue yesterday with Blogger, and could not post anything for about 24 hours, so two Today in History posts today.
May 12
May 12
1990: The Ice are on the brink of a championship when Mike Stapleton scores on a penalty shot with 16 seconds left to tie the game, and then Mike McNeill scores in OT to clinch a 5-4 victory at Muskegon. The Ice lead the Turner Cup Finals 3-0.
2000: The Ice clinch the Miron Cup – their first championship in 10 years – with a stellar 3-0 victory over Columbus in Game 7. Blaz Emersic scores the Cup-clinching goal, and Jamie Morris posts his second shutout – both in clinching games – of the playoffs.
2007: In overtime, the Ice drop a 3-2 decision to Sioux Falls in the USHL semifinals at Waterloo. Jake Skjodt and Garrett Roe score to give the Ice a 2-1 lead going into the third, but Sioux Falls rallies and wins it 4:47 into OT.
Birthday
Warren Rychel: A legendary enforcer for the Ice from 1989-91 who also was a big goal-scorer. He totaled 56 goals and 46 assists in 145 games with the Ice in those two seasons, including a 33-goal season in 1990's Turner Cup championship year. He also had 722 PIMs in those years. He was called up to Chicago and had a goal and three assists in the postseason in three games in 1991. After his stint in Indy -- his third minor-league season -- Rychel spent one more year in the minors before getting the callup with the Los Angeles Kings in 1992-93, where he was a part of the Kings' Stanley Cup finalist that year, scoring six playoff goals. He also won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996. He would play 406 NHL games from 1988-99 with the Blackhawks, Kings, Maple Leafs, Avalanche and Ducks. A native of Tecumseh, Ontario, he is 44 today.
Dave Christian: A player who came to the Ice at the end of an outstanding NHL career, he scored eight goals and had 18 assists in 40 games for the Ice in 1993-94. He was a part of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" U.S. Olympic team, totaling eight assists in the Olympics that year, and went straight into the NHL that season with the Winnipeg Jets. He would play 15 NHL seasons with the Jets, Capitals, Bruins, Blues and Blackhawks, and after his stint in Indy -- which was split with Chicago that season -- Christian would play two more seasons with his homestate Minnesota Moose in the IHL. He had 340 goals and 773 points in 1,009 NHL games over those seasons. He had 10 20-goal seasons in the NHL, with a high of 41 goals with Washington in 1985-86. He played in the 1990 Stanley Cup Final with the Bruins, and scored eight playoff goals for the Bruins in 1991 as they advanced to the Wales Conference Final, and was an NHL All-Star that season. He was a second-generation Olympian -- his father, Bill, played on the 1960 gold medal-winning U.S. hockey team, and again for the United States in 1964. His family also owns the Christian hockey stick company. He is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. A native of Warroad, Minnesota, he is 52.
Dave Christian: A player who came to the Ice at the end of an outstanding NHL career, he scored eight goals and had 18 assists in 40 games for the Ice in 1993-94. He was a part of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" U.S. Olympic team, totaling eight assists in the Olympics that year, and went straight into the NHL that season with the Winnipeg Jets. He would play 15 NHL seasons with the Jets, Capitals, Bruins, Blues and Blackhawks, and after his stint in Indy -- which was split with Chicago that season -- Christian would play two more seasons with his homestate Minnesota Moose in the IHL. He had 340 goals and 773 points in 1,009 NHL games over those seasons. He had 10 20-goal seasons in the NHL, with a high of 41 goals with Washington in 1985-86. He played in the 1990 Stanley Cup Final with the Bruins, and scored eight playoff goals for the Bruins in 1991 as they advanced to the Wales Conference Final, and was an NHL All-Star that season. He was a second-generation Olympian -- his father, Bill, played on the 1960 gold medal-winning U.S. hockey team, and again for the United States in 1964. His family also owns the Christian hockey stick company. He is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. A native of Warroad, Minnesota, he is 52.
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