In their six-year franchise history, the Indy Fuel have had a number of standouts. Even though the team hasn’t seen a large chunk of players make it to the NHL yet, there are a number of players past and present who have displayed some huge potential. In no particular order, here are my picks for the Fuel’s three stars.
Justin Holl
The first name on my list goes to defensemen Justin Holl. Holl is one of the few Fuel alumni who have actually made it to the NHL. Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks 54th overall back in 2010, he now plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs after signing with the AHL’s Marlies as a free agent.
Aside from guiding the Marlies to a Calder Championship in 2018, Holl became the first Fuel alumni to make his debut in the NHL. Having been called up on an emergency basis, Holl made his NHL debut on January 31st against the New York Islanders. There, he’d score his first NHL goal as Toronto shut out New York by a 5-0 final.
Holl has managed to stay put with the Toronto Maple Leafs since 2018. He played consistently among one of the top defensive pairings last season, especially after the firing of Mike Babcock.
During his tenure with the Fuel, Holl, who stands tall at 6’4, played in 66 games in 2014-15. During his brief stint in the league, he would go on to amass seven goal along with 27 assists which made for 34 points. He also added 39 penalty minutes and a Plus/Minus rating of -4.
While in the AHL, the native of Tonka, Minnesota would appear in two games with the Rockford IceHogs. He did so in 2014-15, not recording any points before joining the Fuel.
Kevin Lankinen
The second star on my list goes to goaltender Kevin Lankinen. Lankinen, a Finnish goaltender, signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in May of 2018 and he would begin the 2018-19 season with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL. There, he would start 19 games, recording seven wins and a .910 save percentage. As well, Lankinen added a 2.50 GAA.
He was assigned to the Indy Fuel in October and would play six games for the organization. In those six games, Lankinen recorded four wins, a 3.18 GAA and a .893 save percentage.
Lankinen, who stands tall at 6’2, would remain with Rockford for 2019-20. There, he started 21 games and began taking over for Collin Deila. The backstop recorded eight wins, a 3.03 GAA and a .909 save percentage.
Lankinen appears to be becoming one of Chicago’s most promising goalie prospects and has since put his skills on display, this seeing him be signed to a two-year contract extension.
Before making the move to North America, Lankinen, 25-years-old, played for a few different teams in Finland. The Finnish National Team took home the gold medal at the 2019 IIHF World Championships. Kevin Lankinen was a major contributor to the team. Throughout the duration of the tournament, Lankinen went 7-1-0, with a 1.50 GAA and a .942 save percentage.
Craig Wyszomirski
The third star on my list goes to defensemen Craig Wyszomirski. Wyszomirski, who recently retired, only spent one season with the Indy Fuel. However, during that time, the organization appointed him as captain.
Now 27-years-old, Wyszomirski brought a lot to a rather young Fuel team. While his final season was ended early due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the lefty appeared in 43 games throughout the duration of the regular season.
During 2019-20, Wyszomirski recorded four goals along with six assists for a total of 10 points. He also added 89 penalty minutes and a Plus/Minus rating of +8. Wyszomirski spent most of his career split between the ECHL and AHL.
Spending the majority of his pro days within the Los Angeles Kings organization, the Mahwah, New Jersey native played 142 games with the Manchester Monarchs. During that three-year tenure, Having recorded eight goals along with 29 assists, he tallied a total of 37 points. He also appeared in 44 games between the Utica Comets, Ontario Reign and Syracuse Crunch.