This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 26

Today sees Todd White scoring an OT goal in 1998, Brad Lauer and Dave Roche team up to end a great Ice season in 1997 in double OT, the 1990 Ice continue their title march behind a GWG from Mike Eagles, and the 1985 Checkers finish their inaugural IHL season. Also, a number of birthdays -- former Capitals Sandy Ross, Cecil Dillon, Red Almas and George Blake, ex-Chief Ed Calhoun, former Checker Pat Ribble, former IHL Ice Shane Doyle and ex-USHL Ice Joshua Shellman.

This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 24

Today's entry sees the Indianapolis Ice win an epic 1-0 game to oust Cincinnati in 1999, Jim Malwitz and Neal Coulter score two goals each to lift the Checkers to a playoff win in 1985, the Checkers completing a sweep of Wichita in 1982, and Jim Park posting a playoff shutout in 1976. Also, birthday celebrations for Joe West, Doug Weiss, Craig Channell, Jeff Jackson, Frederic Barbeau, Drew Smolcynski and the late Thain Simon and Jack Douglas.

This day in Indianapolis hockey history: April 19

April 19 in Indianapolis hockey history
Jim Waite has 26 saves in an epic victory, Fred Creighton replaces his coach with himself mid-series, the last championship series in the old CHL begins on Indy ice, and Red Laurence has a five-point game. Also, happy birthday to Ken Leiter, Lynn Powis and Darwin McCutcheon. 

This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 17

In today's edition, we have the Racers' first playoff win, several Checkers entries, and visits by the Indianapolis and Indiana Ice, as well as birthdays for Marty Wilford, Jimmy Mann, Bill Dowd and the late Herb Lewis.

This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 7

April 7 in Indianapolis hockey history
2001: The Ice are unable to defend their CHL title, as Memphis sweeps them out of the playoffs in three close games, this time by a 3-2 score in Memphis. Don Parsons scores the game-winner for the RiverKings.
1999: Bob Lachance tallies three assists as the Ice beat Kansas City 6-3 on the road. Dave Hymovitz scores twice and captain Mike Vukonich scores a goal and adds two assists.
1993: Sergei Krivokrasov and Brad Lauer score goals 10 seconds apart in the first period to give the Ice a 2-0 lead in an eventual 5-1 win at Kalamazoo. Lauer has two goals and an assist in the game. Shawn Byram had the first assist on both of the rapid-fire goals.
1991: The Ice beat the Kalamazoo Wings in a game that saw little defense - 10-7 in a regular season finale. The Ice jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first 11:01, but Kalamazoo tied it by th end of the period. Indy scored once in the second and five more in the third. Sean Williams had a five-point night with three goals and two assists to finish the year with 46 goals. Marty Nanne had three assists, while Jim Johansson had two goals and an assist. Brian Noonan and Owen Lessard had a goal and two assists each.
1990: The Ice score five times in the first period, including three in a span of 1:46, to beat Phoenix 8-4. Sean Williams (17:39), Jim Playfair (18:01) and Mike Stapleton (19:15) score in rapid succession to make it 5-0. Playfair scores twice. Mike McNeill, Dave Bassegio, Brian Noonan and Guy Phillips each tally a goal and an assist.
1985: The Checkers explode offensively for a 7-1 win over the Milwaukee Admirals. Lance Allen, a former star for the IU club team, scores the winner in front of Rob Holland's fine goaltending.
1982: The Checkers need overtime to beat Tulsa 3-2 and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series. Red Laurence scores at 5:08 of the second OT to clinch the victory. Glen Duncan and Lorne Stamler scored in the second to give the Checkers a lead, but the Oilers tied it in the third.
1980: The Checkers win their first playoff game, blanking Tulsa 4-0. Richard Brodeur made 28 saves for the Checkers, Kevin Devine got into a fight five seconds into the game, and Charlie Skjodt scored the Checkers' first playoff goal at 13:11 of the first period. Skjodt adds an assist, and Alex McKendry assists on two goals. 

Happy birthday to ... 
Eric Manlow: Left wing who had 14 goals and 22 assists in 135 games with the Ice from 1995-97, starting a 13-year playing career that took him through the ECHL, AHL and IHL. He did play 37 NHL games with the Bruins and Islanders between 2000-03. He was an AHL All-Star in 2001. Manlow retired from hockey in 2008 and became a police officer in Niagara Falls, Ontario. A native of Belleville, Ontario, he is 39.  

This date in Indianapolis hockey history: April 3

On April 3 in Indianapolis hockey history

1996: Ravil Gusmanov posts a five-point night, tallying two goals and three assists in a 6-2 Ice win over Detroit at MSA. Sergei Klimovich has a goal and two assists, Kip Miller adds two assists.
1991: Dan Vincelette and Trevor Dam score 26 seconds apart in the second period, helping lift the Ice to a 5-4 win over Fort Wayne. The two goals made it a 4-2 contest. After the Komets tie it, Owen Lessard scores with 2:32 left in the second to give the Ice the win.
1981: Rob Holland and Salt Lake's Rick Heinz post a goaltending dual, but Heinz wins it and blanks the Checkers 2-0 in Salt Lake City. A name that would become familiar to Indy fans -- Red Laurence -- scores the game-winner for the Golden Eagles. A year later, Holland would again lose a 2-0 decision in Salt Lake. 
1980: Richard Brodeur posts his fourth shutout of the regular season -- and the Checkers' sixth -- in a 5-0 blanking of the Dallas Black Hawks. Brodeur and Jim Park would share the CHL's Terry Sawchuk Trophy as the top goaltenders in the league. Garth MacGuigan scores the game-winner.
1976: Market Square Arena registers its first sellout, as the Racers fall to the New England Whalers 5-2 in the regular season home finale.

Happy birthday to 
Bob Lakso: Member of the Indianapolis Checkers throughout their three years in the IHL, and would rejoin the Ice in their inaugural year of 1988-89. In those four seasons, he played 295 games, tallying 144 goals and 156 assists. He had a 40-goal season in 1985-86 (41-35-76), and a 94-point season in 1986-87 (39 goals, 55 assists). He had at least 26 goals in each of his four seasons in Indianapolis. He would leave Indy and play four years with the Fort Wayne Komets, posting a career-best 100-point season in 1989-90 in Fort Wayne. A native of Aurora, Minnesota, Bob is 52.
Aaron Smith: Played four games with the Ice in the CHL in 2003-04, picking up two penalty minutes. It was the first of two years he would play professionally, with five teams in the CHL and ECHL. In 61 games, he scored three goals and added 10 assists. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, he is 35.

Today in history: Sept. 8-13

We have a LOT of Today in History catching up to do. Apologies -- as we hit preseason mode, other life commitments sometimes stand in the way of hockey (yes, hockey is life, but sometimes, a few other things jump out).

That said, we'll be hitting regular season mode before you know it.

First, let's look back
Sept. 8
Birthdays
Jack McIntyre: Defenseman who briefly played for the 1963 Capitols as he neared the end of a long pro career that carried him through 499 NHL games with the Bruins, Blackhawks and Red Wings from 1949-60. He continued to play professional/senior hockey through 1969. Thought of as an offensive defenseman, he scored 109 goals and tallied 102 assists in his NHL career, and played in the 1952 and 1953 Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins. He also spent several years as a coach in minor pro, senior and junior hockey. A native of Brussels, Ontario, he was born in 1930 and passed away in 1998.

Sept. 9
Ed Nicholson: Defenseman who played for the Caps from 1947-49, with eight goals, 40 assists and 109 PIMs in 130 games. He was a strong defenseman who was both a puck-mover and a checker. He appeared in one NHL game for Detroit in 1948-49, and was traded to the St. Louis Flyers in August 1949 for Steve Black and Bill Brennan. He played three years in St. Louis and scored 22 goals. A native of Kingston, Ont., he was born in 1923 and passed away in 1987.
Don Ashbee: Winger who played for the Capitals in their final 1951-52 season, splitting the year between Indianapolis and the Buffalo Bisons. He had eight goals and 17 assists overall in that campaign. He played from 1949-57, spending all of that time in the minors, primarily in the AHL and WHL. A native of Weston, Ont., he was born in 1930.
Tim Ferguson: Left wing who played three games for the Ice in 1997-98, totaling a goal and an assist. Ferguson turned pro in 1986 and scored 28 goals for IHL Salt Lake in 1986-87, but primarily played in Europe before returning to North America in 1997 and playing for the Ice and in the CHL/ECHL/UHL through 2001. As a junior, he holds the United States Hockey League scoring record with 135 points in 1985-86 with Des Moines. He is the younger brother of former Ice coach Bob Ferguson, who was his coach with the Ice. A native of Kingston, Ont. he is 45.
Kevin Miller: A solid two-way forward who played 26 games for the Ice in 1997-98, tallying 11 goals and 11 assists. He and brothers Kelly and Kip played in the NHL. Kip was also a popular Ice player. A United States Olympian in 1988, Kevin was drafted by the Rangers and played 620 NHL games for the Rangers, Red Wings, Blues, Capitals, Sharks, Blackhawks, Penguins, Islanders and Senators. He had consecutive 20-goal seasons from 1991-94, and again tallied 28 goals in 1995-96 with San Jose and Pittsburgh. All told, he scored 150 NHL goals. He also was part of the Grand Rapids Griffins' Turner Cup titlists in 2000. Kevin is a cousin of Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller and Red Wing Drew Miller. A native of Lansing, Mich., he is 46.
Dan Back: Ice defenseman in 2000-01, totaling two assists in 32 games. Back played for five ECHL teams from 1997-2000 before joining the Ice. He played 152 total professional games and retired after his stint with the Ice. A native of Hamilton, Ont., he is 35.

Sept. 10

Yvon Vautour: The Isles' sixth-round pick in 1976, Vautour played 59 games for the Checkers in 1979-80, scoring 27 goals and 28 assists. It was a renaissance year for the right winger, who had his second straight 20-goal season and earned a 17-game callup to the Stanley Cup champion Islanders. He would be dealt to Colorado for the 1980-81 season and play three years for the Rockies/Devils franchise and five games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1984-85. He scored 26 goals in 204 NHL games. A native of Saint John, NB, he is 55. 

Rob Holland: Checkers goaltender during their CHL heyday from 1980-84, and played with the team through 1986 in the IHL. He split time in the pipes for a couple of those years with Kelly Hrudey. Holland himself is a veteran of 44 NHL games with the Penguins from 1979-81 before joining the Chex. He was loaned to the Checkers at the end of the 1980-81 campaign and then was dealt outright to the Islanders -- who assigned him to Indianapolis -- later that year. Holland was part of the 1982 and 1983 Adams Cup championship teams, and his play backstopped an upstart team into the 1984 finals, where an injury sidelined him and hindered the team's chances at a three-peat. He had nine shutouts as a Checker and during the two championship years, backstopped the team to a 39-22-2 record. His best year was 1982-83, where he went 24-11-1 with a 2.87 GAA and four shutouts -- a feat he duplicated in 1984-85, the first IHL season. Holland and Hrudey shared the CHL's Terry Sawchuk Trophy for fewest goals allowed in 1982 and 1983. After his stint with the Ice, he played his final pro year with Milwaukee in 1986-87, appearing in 66 games. A native of Montreal, he is 54. 

Rob Palmer: Defenseman who played 27 games for the Checkers in 1980-81, with one goal and nine assists. The Kings' fifth-round pick in 1976, he played four seasons in Los Angeles before joining the Checkers, then played two more for the Devils through 1984. He had a 9-101-110 mark in 320 NHL games. A native of Sarnia, Ont., he is 55.
Jim File: Checkers player in 1984-85, his rookie year after graduating from Ferris State University. He had two goals and six assists in nine games, his only professional games in North America. He is a member of Ferris State's Hall of Fame. A native of Toronto, he is 50.

Mike Pomichter: Winger for the Ice from 1994-96, where he played 80 games, tallying 13 goals and nine assists. All of his scoring came in 1994-95. The Blackhawks' second-round pick in 1990, he only played four games for the Ice in 1995-96 before going to the AHL to play for Conrwall, Saint John and Portland that season. He continued to play in the AHL, UHL and ECHL through 2002. Today, he is a firefighter in Connecticut and still plays a bit of hockey. A native of New Haven, Conn., he is 38. 

Sept. 12

Shawn Byram: Left wing who played 188 games for the Ice, primarily from 1991-94. He also played a game for the team in 1988-89. The Islanders' fourth-round pick in 1986, Byram came to the Ice after scoring 28 goals for the Capital District Islanders in the AHL in 1990-91 and earning a callup to New York. He was dealt to Chicago the following year, where he rejoined the Ice and had a big season, with 18 goals and 21 assists. In 1993-94, he had 23 goals and 24 assists before going to Europe to play much of the balance of his career. He retired in 2003 after tallying 65 points for WCHL Bakersfield. A native of Neepawa, Man., he is 43. 

Sept. 13

Phil Dalgleish: Defenseman for the Chiefs in 1955-56, where he played five games. He had two goals and an assist. He also played 63 games for IHL Louisville two years prior. A native of Montreal, he was born in 1923. 

Greatest playoff games #2: Checkers 5, Birmingham South Stars 4 (1983)

If we were putting together a list of the greatest teams to grace the ice in Indianapolis, the early-1980s Checkers would be at the top of the list. It was rare to see a minor-league team keep its core together for two or three consecutive years, but the Checkers had most of its core players together for several years -- including some who were here for all five years the franchise was owned by the New York Islanders and operated in the then-"Triple A" level CHL. They were one of the CHL's premier franchises during that entire five-year run, winning two championships, making three appearances in the Adams Cup Finals and carrying a boatload of hardware year-in and year-out.

The 1982-83 season saw the Chex trying to repeat after they beat the Dallas Black Hawks to win the Adams Cup the previous year. They easily won the regular-season title with a 50-28-2 mark. Their 102 points were 17 more than second-place Colorado. The Checkers dispatched the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in a tough six-game series, while the third-place Birmingham South Stars -- an affiliate of the Minnesota North Stars -- knocked off the Colorado Flames in the other.

That set up a final where there was certainly no love lost. The Checkers had a veteran team led by Red Laurence, who had 43 goals and just missed a 100-point season, 40-goal scorer Steve Stoyanovich, Scott Howson and Garth MacGuigan -- who both had 30-goal years -- a veteran presence in captain Kevin Devine and a cadre of strong defensemen led by Bruce Affleck, Darcy Regier and Tim Lockridge and a future NHL mainstay in 19-year-old Gord Dineen. In goal, Kelly Hrudey -- on his way to a long NHL career -- and Checkers mainstay Rob Holland formed a potent 1-2 punch.

Needless to say, this was as well-stocked as a minor-league team could be. But championships are not given, and the South Stars were a strong foe. Led by 108-point scorer Wes Jarvis and goaltender Warren Skoerdinski -- another future NHL regular -- the South Stars were upset-minded. The CHL -- which had constricted to six teams that off-season and chopped a round out of the playoffs as a result -- had an unusual best-of-9 format for the finals. It would last only one year, but it would give the Checkers some legs. Early on, Birmingham had the upper hand. The Checkers won Game 1, but the South Stars stole Game 2 on Jim Dobson's hat-trick goal nine seconds into OT. Back at home, Birmingham won Game 3, and was set to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series in Game 4.

That leads us to No. 2 on our list of greatest hockey games in Indianapolis hockey history -- the pivotal moment on the way to a championship, complete with a dramatic comeback and capped by a dramatic goal.

The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center saw 4,133 fans file through the gates on April 29, 1983, hoping to see their team take a big lead in the series. Mario Lessard -- who had replaced Skoerdinski in Game 1 -- took the nets for the Stars. Kelly Hrudey had played every minute of the series for the Checkers, but Rob Holland took his place in net for the Checkers.

But through two periods, Lessard's net had been untouched. Meanwhile, ex-Checker Frank Beaton scored on a deflection just 152 seconds into the game, and then Jim Dobson scored a close-in goal in the second to give the Stars a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes.

Headed into the second intermission, Birmingham defenseman Dave Richter had 1:10 to serve on an elbowing minor. The Checkers -- whose potent power play had been 0-for-3 so far -- would only need 17 of those 70 seconds to get back in the game, and would only need 44 seconds to tie the game. Bruce Affleck shot, Lessard made the save and then Scott Howson banged home the rebound to make it a 2-1 game. That opened the floodgates for the Checkers. Just 27 seconds later, Dave Simpson tied the game on assists from the young pups -- teenagers Gord Dineen and Ron Handy.

Dobson took advantage of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Checkers' Glen Duncan to temporarily give Birmingham a lead at 6:49, but the floodgates had been opened for Indianapolis. With Richter in the box again, Kevin Devine tied the game on a backhander with 7:24 left. When Devine fed Dineen inside the point for the go-ahead goal with 3:07 showing on the clock, the Checkers looked on their way.

Briefly. With a minute left, Birmingham pulled Lessard for the extra attacker, desperately trying to tie the game. Holland stopped Dan McCarthy's shot, but looked unsure of whether or not to cover it up or clear it. He tried to clear, but Dave DeBol intercepted and buried the puck into the net.

With 25 seconds left, the Checkers' four-goal third period comeback appeared for naught. The game was headed for overtime, and the home team had all the momentum.

The Checkers were OT veterans -- this would be their fourth in 10 playoff games, including their second in the series. The overtime was evenly-played. Holland stopped seven Birmingham shots, Lessard had six saves. Neither team had a power play, and the goaltenders kept every chance at bay.

The game appeared to be headed long into the night. The Checkers had an offensive-zone faceoff to Lessard's right with three seconds left in OT. There's not much time for anything except a draw back and a quick shot -- if there's a clean face-off win, which is difficult in such situations.

But that's exactly what happened. Center Garth MacGuigan leaned in to take the draw. Red Laurence -- the team's leading scorer all season -- set up beyond the top of the circle at the point.

MacGuigan won it cleanly. Laurence whizzed one toward the net.

Score.

The Checkers poured off the bench in pandemonium. There was brief confusion on the ice, as referee Don Koharski emphatically signaled it a good goal, before the horn sounded to end the period. The linesmen -- Jim Kehm and Mark Khedouri -- weren't as sure. They conferenced, but allowed the goal and a dramatic Checkers overtime victory.

Typical of the Checkers, they spread it around. Of their five goals in the 5-4 victory, they came from five different players. Gord Dineen (G, 2A), Bruce Affleck (2A) and Kevin Devine (G, A) each had multi-point nights. Eleven different players registered a point. Meanwhile, Holland stopped 27 shots. Lessard stopped 41 of the 46 shots that came his way.

Propelled by their dramatic OT victory, the Checkers wouldn't lose a game the rest of the series. Returning home to Indianapolis, they won Game 5 by a 5-2 score and Game 6 on Scott Howson's OT power-play tally. By the time the series returned to Birmingham, the Checkers had a commanding 4-2 lead in the best-of-9, and finished it off with an emphatic 7-2 victory, keyed by Glen Duncan's hat trick and finished off by Howson's 12th playoff goal with 11 seconds left.

The Checkers would clean up when it came to postseason awards and honors. Regier, Hrudey, Stoyanovich, Dineen, Laurence and Holland would be named to either the CHL First or Second All-Star Teams, noting they were the best or second-best at their positions. Hrudey was league MVP. Affleck was Playoff MVP -- which he would win again the following year in a losing effort. Dineen was named the top defenseman and most improved defenseman, while Laurence won the Ironman Award. For the second straight year, Hrudey and Holland shared the Terry Sawchuk Trophy for fewest goals allowed. For the second straight year, coach Fred Creighton would be named the CHL's Coach of the Year.

But the most dramatic moment -- Laurence's OT goal with just one second showing on the clock -- propelled the Checkers to a championship, to date the only back-to-back titles ever won by Indianapolis hockey teams. It was the fifth of what are now eight championship teams to play in Indianapolis.

Game boxscore

Game 4: April 29, 1983 at Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center

Indianapolis	0	0	4	1	--5
Birmingham	1	1	2	0	--4

First period
BIR-Beaton 4 (Bergloff, Martinson), 2:32

Penalties: Handy (I) misconduct, 8:20; Martinson (B) misconduct, 8:20; Simpson (I) holding, 15:05; DeBol (B) holding, 18:06

Second period
BIR-Dobson 6 (Homola), 2:22
Penalties: K. Hanson (B) interference, 4:50; Homola (B) tripping, 10:38; Richter (B) elbowing, 19:10
Third period
IND-Howson 9 (Affleck, Stoyanovich), :17 (pp)

IND-Simpson 5 (Dineen, Handy), :44

BIR-Dobson 7 (McCarthy, Jarvis), 6:49 (pp)

IND-Devine 2 (Regier, Dineen), 12:36 (pp)

IND-Dineen 2 (Devine, Affleck), 16:53

BIR-DeBol 4 (McCarthy), 19:35
Penalties: Duncan (I) unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting, 5:51; Hicks (B) fighting, 5:51; Richter (B) hooking, 10:50

Overtime

IND-Laurence 10 (MacGuigan), 19:59

Shots on goal: IND 13-12-14-7-46 (Lessard 41 saves), BIR 9-7-8-7-31 (Holland 27 saves)
Power play: IND 2-5, BIR 1-2
Att: 4,133
Officials: R-Don Koharski, L-Jim Kehm, Mark Khedouri

Previous entries

#3: Capitals 3, Springfield Indians 2, OT (1942)
#4: Ice 1, Detroit Vipers 0, 2OT (1999)
#5: Checkers 3, Wichita Wind 2, OT (1982)

#6: Ice 2, Muskegon Lumberjacks 1 (1990)

#7: Capitals 6, Cleveland Barons 2 (1950)

#8: Chiefs 3, Louisville Rebels 2 (1958)

#9: Ice 7, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 6 (2009)

#10: Checkers 6, Colorado Flames 5, OT (1984)