BGH: Louisville Rebels (IHL) 
(Updated April 5, 2004)
The
Louisville Rebels played for three seasons in Louisville, Kentucky from
1957-1960. The team played in the Armory (later renamed Louisville Gardens) and
later Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center. The move to Freedom Hall is
reported to be due to the failure of ice equipment at the Armory. Canadian businessman Leo Gasparini and
other lesser partners started the team.
In
1957-1958, the Rebels finished the regular season in third place. They faced the Cincinnati Mohawks (a
team dominating for the six prior seasons) in the first round of the
playoffs. The Rebels
defeated the Mohawks 3 of 5 games and moved to the finals to face the
Indianapolis Chiefs. The Rebels
were up 3 games to 2 in the best of seven series before injuries took their
toll on the team. The Chiefs won
the next two games (by one goal in each game) and took the IHL’s Turner Cup for
the 1957-58 season. The team took
a financial beating however and the rest of the stockholders sold their shares
to Gasparini. Gasparini vowed to
come back the following season with a winning team.
During
the off-season before the 1958-59 season, Gasparini searched Canada to form the
core of the next season’s team.
The Rebels had a widely known, deadly line that consisted of Ed “Moe” Bartoli
(RW), George Ranieri (LW), and Captain Ron Spong (C). Bartoli and Ranieri nicknamed Spong “Spongelli”, and the
line coined the “Pizza Line”.
Spong was known as one of the greatest playmakers in the IHL. The Rebels won the regular season title
as well as the Turner Cup in the 1958-1959 season. The following is the breakdown of the IHL’s
post-season play for the 1958-59 season.
SERIES
A (Best of seven games):
Louisville REBELS vs. Troy Bruins – Louisville wins series 4 games to 1,
moves to finals (Series C)
Game
1: @ Louisville: Louisville 4, Troy 1 – REBELS WIN
Game
2: @ Louisville: Louisville 8, Troy 5 – REBELS WIN
Game
3: @ Louisville: Louisville 4, Troy 5 – Bruins win
Game
4: @ Louisville: Louisville 9, Troy 3 – REBELS WIN
Game
5: @ Troy: Louisville 4, Troy 3 – REBELS WIN
----------
SERIES
B (Best of seven games): Fort
Wayne Komets vs. Indianapolis Chiefs – Ft. Wayne wins series 4 games to 1,
Komets move to finals (Series C)
Game
1: @ Indianapolis: Ft. Wayne 6, Indianapolis 4 – Komets win
Game
2: @ Fort Wayne: Ft. Wayne 5, Indianapolis 1 – Komets win
Game
3: @ Fort Wayne: Ft. Wayne 6, Indianapolis 1 – Komets win
Game
4: @ Fort Wayne: Ft. Wayne 2, Indianapolis 5 – Chiefs win
Game
5: @ Fort Wayne: Ft. Wayne 6, Indianapolis 4 – Komets win
----------
SERIES
C IHL Finals (Best of seven games):
LOUISVILLE REBELS vs. Ft. Wayne Komets – Louisville wins 4 games to 1
and takes the Turner Cup:
Game
1: @ Louisville: Louisville 1, Fort Wayne 4 – Komets win
Game
2: @ Fort Wayne: Louisville 6, Fort Wayne 4 – REBELS WIN
Game
3: @ Fort Wayne: Louisville 4, Fort Wayne 3 – REBELS WIN
Game
4: @ Louisville: Louisville 5, Fort Wayne 4 – REBELS WIN
Game
5: @ Fort Wayne: Louisville 3, Fort Wayne 1 – REBELS WIN
----------
In
their final season, they were knocked out of the playoffs due to a forfeit for
using an ineligible player (rumor).
Do you have pictures, stories, news
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You can view all of the former Louisville Rebels' career statistics by clicking Ralph Slate's Hockeydb.com or you can click on the player's name and view only his stats. |
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REBELS PLAYER |
NO. |
GAMES PLAYED |
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?, NOTES, PICTURES, ETC |
|
Warren Back
(D, later C) |
3 |
130
|
Alternate Captain
58-59. |
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??? |
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44
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Ed
"Moe" Bartoli (RW) |
8 |
111
|
The IHL’s most
penalized player in the 1958-59 season (191 minutes). Won the Louisville Rebels Booster
Club’s Most Popular Player Award for 1958-59. |
|
Ron Brain
(C) |
|
34
|
|
|
7 |
185
|
DECEASED (B: January
24, 1934 – D: December 7, 1994). Rebels Leading Scorer
1957-58. |
|
|
Lou Crowdis
(G) |
1 |
109
|
3rd Leading Goalie in
1958-59 postseason with 6 GP, 23 GA, 0 SO, 3.83 GAA. |
|
Don
Davidson (C) |
|
22
|
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Eddie
Dudych (RW) |
16 |
165
|
58-59 Playoff Points
Leader –26, 58-59 Playoff Goals Leader – 12. Teammates nicknamed him the Flying Dutchman due to his
skill creating breakaways. |
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Nick Foster
() |
|
5
|
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Jacques
Gagne (W) |
9 |
35?
Not all in LOU |
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Viger
Gendron (W) |
|
16
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George
Gibson (RW) |
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Fiori
Goegan (D) |
|
51
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Marcel
Goyette (D) |
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124
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Marius
Groleau (C) |
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58
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Garth Hayes
(LW) |
|
66?
Not all in LOU |
|
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George
Hayes (C) |
|
1
|
|
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Jim Hayward
(D) |
|
49?
Not all in LOU |
|
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Pete Horeck
(RW) |
|
15
|
|
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Guy James
(D) |
2 |
120
|
|
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Graham
Joyce (W) |
|
33?
Not all in LOU |
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Joe
Kastelic (LW) |
11 |
124
|
retired and living in Muskegon, |
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Ed
Kikendall (G) |
|
1
|
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Bob LaLonde
(G) |
|
3
|
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Roger
Maisonneuve (LW) |
|
2
|
deceased (February 26, 1933 - May 8, 2001), Indiana |
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Andre
Martin (D) |
3 |
51
|
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Grant
Morton (D) |
4,5 |
189
|
Called “Little Tank” by
the fans. |
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Laurie
Peterson (C) |
|
61
|
|
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Nick Polano
(D) |
|
35
|
|
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Ron
Quenville (W) |
15 |
17
|
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George
Ranieri (LW) |
12 |
119
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Won the Col. Wilkerson
Trophy for being the leading IHL scorer in the 1958-59 season (60 goals, 64
assists, 124 points). His
scoring was also an all-time IHL scoring record. |
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6
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Don Rigazio
(G) |
1 |
20
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Won the James Norris
Trophy for the 1958-59 IHL season (3.28 GAA), Leading Goalie for the 58-59
postseason (5 GP, 17 GA, 0 SO, 3.40 GAA). 1956 US Olympic Team. First goalie to score an assist in the IHL (1957-58). |
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John Roe
() |
|
20
|
|
|
|
?
|
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Gary Sharp
(LW) |
|
61
|
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John Sloane
(G) |
|
2
|
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Barry Smith
(G) |
|
19
|
|
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Ronnie
Spong (C) |
14 |
177
|
Assistant Coach and
Player 58-59. Team Captain
58-59. Assitant Captain Captain 57-58. |
|
Johnny
Ubriaco (C) |
|
5
|
|
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George
Usitalo (RW) |
|
29
|
|
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Claude
Vinet (LW) |
|
34
|
|
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George
White (W) |
|
2
|
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Tom Wilson
(LW) |
10 |
48
|
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Ted Wright
(LW) |
|
66
|
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STAFF |
SEASONS |
NOTES, PICTURES, ETC |
|
Bernard Barnett,
Treasurer |
1958-59 (all ???) |
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Marlow Cook, Secretary |
1958-59 (all ???) |
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Phil Filon, Trainer |
1958- |
Took over mid-season
when Eddie Zanetti went back to Canada. |
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Leo Gasparini, Vice
President & General Manager, Coach |
1958-59 (all ???) |
|
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A. R. Remmers,
President |
1958-59 (all ???) |
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Eddie Zanetti, Trainer |
1957-58-9 |
Returned to Canada in
the middle of the 1958-59 season. |
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BOOSTER CLUB OFFICERS |
SEASONS |
NOTES, PICTURES, ETC |
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E. N. Dilger, 2nd
Vice President |
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Norma Heitz, Vice
President |
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Thelma Jensen,
Secretary-Treasurer |
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George Sovey, Publicity
Director |
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Bob
Woods, President |
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