This day in Indianapolis hockey history: July 2

Happy birthday to ...
Randy Burchell: Goaltender who played five games for the Racers in 1976-77. He was 1-0-0 with a 3.53 GAA. He played two seasons professionally, spending much of his time with the Racers' affiliate in Mohawk Valley. A native of Montreal, he is 59.
Ryan Huska: Ice center from 1995-98 and former captain. He played 188 games for the Ice, with 39 goals, 31 assists and 230 penalty minutes. He played one game in the NHL for the Blackhawks in 1997-98. He played five professional seasons after finishing his junior career as a three-time Memorial Cup champion in Kamloops in 1995. He played three years with the Ice and two with the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters. He began coaching in 2002 with the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL, and has been there ever since, matriculating to head coach in 2007. He won the WHL's championship in 2009. He has a career coaching record of 303-164-37, including 109-29-8 the last two years. A native of Cranbrook, BC, he is 39.
James Kohout: Goaltender who played nine games for the Ice in 2004-05, going 1-4-1 with a 4.82 GAA. He played the next two seasons in the Tier III EJHL. A native of Acton, Mass., he is 27.

Today in history: July 2

Three birthdays to celebrate today

Randy Burchell: Goaltender who played in five games for the Racers in 1976-77. He had a 1-0-0 mark and a 3.53 GAA in 136 minutes of action. He also registered an assist. He played two pro seasons, primarily in the minors with the Racers' affiliate in Mohawk Valley. A native of Montreal, he is 56. 

Ryan Huska: Center who played three seasons with the Ice from 1995-98. After a long junior career in Kamloops, Huska began his pro career with the Ice in 1995. He played 188 games for the Ice, totaling 39 goals, 31 assists and 230 PIMs. He was a part of the Ice's division championship team in 1997. He also played one game for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1997-98. He was Chicago's third-round pick in 1993. After his stint with the Ice, he played two more years in the AHL -- one in Lowell, one in Springfield -- before retiring as a player. In 2002, he began coaching as an assistant with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets, and matriculated to the head coaching position in 2007. The Rockets competed in the Memorial Cup tournament four times with Huska either as an assistant or head coach, including winning the Canadian national junior championship in 2004. His teams have gone 163-104-19 during his tenure as head coach and won the 2009 WHL title. Some of the players he's worked with in Kelowna include Luke Schenn, Alex Edler, Tyler Myers and Shea Weber. A native of Cranbrook, BC, he is 36. 

James Kohout: Goaltender who played nine games for the Ice in 2004-05, their inaugural season. He had a 1-4-1 mark and a 4.82 GAA. A native of Acton, Mass., he is 24.