Tuesday, September 20, 2011

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. 

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