This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 9

April 9 in Indianapolis hockey history
2011: Brian Ferlin assists on four goals and Blake Coleman tallies a goal and two assists as the Ice close out a successful regular season with a 6-1 win in Muskegon. Casey DeSmith stops 24 shots. For Ferlin, it caps a 73-point (25-48) season. Coleman finishes the year 34-58-92 and would later be named the U.S. Junior Player of the Year for his efforts. The Ice finished the season 37-19-4.
1994: Zac Boyer and Rob Cimetta score goals 22 seconds apart late in the first period to give the Ice a 3-2 lead in Fort Wayne, but the Komets explode for four goals in each the second and third periods, and beat the Ice 11-5. Boyer has two goals and Cimetta and Yves Heroux have a goal and two assists each.
1999: Geoff Sarjeant stops 36 shots to post his second shutout as an Iceman, beating Cincinnati 3-0 at the Coliseum. Nathan Perrott, Dave Hymovitz and Craig Mills all score for the Ice.
1989: The Ice conclude their first season with a 26-54-2 record after a 7-3 loss in Fort Wayne. Alain Lemieux and Rick Barkovich each complete strong offensive seasons with goals. Late-season pickup Bruce Rendall also scores for the Ice.
1983: The Checkers' second Adams Cup run gets off to a thrilling start, as Scott Howson scores 6:08 into OT to clinch a hat trick and a 5-4 victory over Salt Lake. He also had an assist in the game. 
1982: The Checkers clinch their first-round series, sweeping Tulsa in three games with a 6-1 road victory. Bruce Affleck, Steve Stoyanovich and Lorne Stamler score first-period goals. Darcy Regier tallies a goal and two assists, as does Stoyanovich. Kelly Hrudey makes 22 saves. 
1980: The Checkers take a 2-0 playoff series lead by thumping Tulsa 6-1 at Market Square Arena. Neil Hawryliw scores twice and assists on Ed Pizunski's third period goal. Pizunski adds two assists for a three-point game. Dwaine Lowdermilk also tallies a goal and two assists. Richard Brodeur makes 27 saves for his second straight win in net. 
1977: The longest game in WHA history is ended when Gene Peacosh slams home a rebound at 8:40 of the third overtime, giving the Racers a 4-3 victory over Cincinnati at Riverfront Coliseum. Paul Hoganson made 56 saves for the Racers. The OT was set up when Reggie Thomas scored with 1:04 left in the third to tie the game. Mark Lomenda, who assisted on the game-winner, scored twice in regulation for the Racers. His overtime shot took a wild carom and was kicked out by Stingers goaltender Norm LaPointe, but the rebound came right to Peacocsh, who buried it at 1:16 a.m. after 108:40 of hockey.
1974: The Indianapolis Racers sign their first player, goaltender Ed Dyck. 
1950: The Capitals take a commanding 3-0 lead over the heavily-favored Cleveland Barons in the Calder Cup Final, winning the game 4-3. Pat Lundy breaks a 2-all tie with a shot that deflects off Barons goaltender Johnny Bower's skates. Gordon Haidy adds an insurance goal that becomes the game-winner. 6,922 jam the Coliseum to see the victory.

Happy birthday to ... 
Tony Licari: Right wing who played 107 games for the Capitals from 1946-48. Known as a strong scorer, he had 41 goals, 57 assists and just 16 PIMs in those two seasons. He also played nine NHL games for the Red Wings in 1946-47. After one season in the AHL with St. Louis, Licari played several years in Britain in the 1950s. A native of Ottawa, he was born in 1921. He passed away in July 2013.
Michel Parizeau: Left wing who played for the Racers in their final four seasons. He joined the team midway through the 1975-76 season and helped push them to a WHA Eastern Division title, with 13 goals in 23 games. The following year, he had 55 points as the Racers made the playoffs again. In total, he played 190 games for the Racers, scoring 48 goals and assisting on 88. He also was a point-a-game player in the postseason for the Racers, with seven goals and 10 assists in 15 playoff contests. After three minor-league seasons, Parizeau broke into the NHL with St. Louis and Philadelphia in 1971-72 before jumping to the WHA. He played three and a half seasons with Quebec before joining the Racers, and finished his career with the Cincinnati Stingers in 1978-79 after the Racers folded. Parizeau played 567 NHL/WHA games, with 145 goals and 266 assists, and continued as a coach after retiring as a player. A native of Montreal, he is 66.
Scott Howson: Howson played parts of three seasons with the Checkers, and was a critical part of the 1983 Adams Cup championship run. From 1981-84, Howson played 146 games for the Checkers, tallying back-to-back 34-goal seasons in 1982-83 and 1983-84. He had 70 goals and 75 assists in the blue and orange. He remained in the Islanders' system for two years, and played 18 games on Long Island from 1984-86, scoring five goals. He later became one of several former Checkers to enter NHL management, and served as the Columbus Blue Jackets' general manager. He is currently Senior VP of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. A native of Toronto, he is 54.
Kerry Toporowski: "Topper" was a fan favorite for the Ice from 1991-94. Never afraid to drop the gloves, Toporowski only played 67 games for the Ice in those three seasons after joining the Ice from junior, but amassed 389 PIMs in those games. The year before turning pro, he had a whopping 505 PIMs in junior for Spokane. He continued to play in the IHL, AHL, UHL, ECHL and Russia through 2004, and had 15 goals and 2,825 penalty minutes in his 13-year pro career. After retiring, he remained in Davenport, Iowa -- where he finished his career -- and is a financial adviser. A native of Paddockwood, Saskatchewan, he is 43.
Derek Young: Defenseman who played two games for the Ice in 2001-02. A native of Whitby, Ontario, he is 38.
Mike Blundon: Defenseman who had 11 assists in 50 games for the Ice in 2006-07. He went from the Ice to Canadian Junior A and Ontario's Concordia University, where he had eight goals and 49 points in four years before graduating in 2012. A native of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, he is 27.
Jacob Pritchard: Ice forward who joined the team in 2013-14. He is committed to play collegiately at St. Lawrence University. A native of Macomb, Michigan, he is 19.
Scott Conway: Ice forward who has posted a 30-goal season in 2013-14. He is committed to play collegiately at Penn State University. A native of Kissimmie, Florida, he is 19.
 

Today in history: April 9

It's a busy day in Indianapolis hockey history

1950: Capitals beat Cleveland 4-3 in front of 6.922 at the Coliseum to take a 3-0 lead in the Calder Cup Finals. Pat Lundy breaks a 2-2 tie with a shot that bounced off Johnny Bower’s skate and into the net. Gordon Haidy later added an insurance goal that begame the game-winner. 

1974: The Indianapolis Racers sign goaltender Ed Dyck, their first player.

1977: Gene Peacoch scores at 8:30 of the third overtime -- and at 108:30, ends the longest game in WHA history (and Indianapolis hockey history) by giving the Racers a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Stingers in the Riverfront Coliseum. The Racers would go on to sweep the heavily-favored Stingers 4-0. Peacosh’s goal was a rebound goal after Mark Lomenda’s shot caromed wildly and was kicked out by goaltender Norm Lapointe. It was 1:16 a.m. when the game ended. Reggie Thomas sent the game to OT with a goal with 1:04 remaining. Paul Hoganson made 56 saves for the Racers. 

1982: The Checkers register a three-game sweep of the Tulsa Oilers, winning 6-1, en route to their first Adams Cup title.

1983: The Checkers’ second Adams Cup run gets off to a thrilling start, as Scott Howson scores 6:08 into OT to beat the Salt Lake Golden Eagles 5-4. Howson's goal completed a hat trick on his 23rd birthday. He also had an assist. 

Birthdays

Michel Parizeau: Veteran of 190 games with the Racers from 1975-79, and 561 NHL/WHA games. He scored 48 goals in his four seasons in Indianapolis, and was a key part of both of the Racers' playoff teams. A native of Montreal, Parizeau was born in 1948 and is now 63. 

Scott Howson: The Toronto native and current Columbus Blue Jackets general manager turns 51 today. He played 146 games for the Checkers over three seasons from 1981-84, and was a part of the 1983 Adams Cup championship team. He scored 12 goals and had 21 points in the 1983 CHL Playoffs, and scored 34 goals in both 1982-83 and 1983-84 with the Checkers. Howson is one of several ex-Checkers currently in NHL management roles, and one of two former Checkers players (Sabres GM Darcy Regier is the other) currently serving as an NHL general manager.

Kerry Toporowski: "Topper" was an Ice tough guy from 1991-94, amassing 389 PIMs and scoring two goals in 67 games for the Ice. A native of Paddockwood, Saskatchewan, he turns 40 today.

Derek Young: Played two games for the Ice in 2001-02. Born in Whitby, Ontario, turns 35. 

Mike Blundon: Defenseman who played 50 games for the USHL Ice in 2006-07, totalling 11 assists and 50 PIMs. He went on to play collegiately in Canada for two years. Native of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec. He is now 24.