Mark Douglas Messier {'1': ", '2': ", '3': ", '4': "} ( ; born January 18, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey center of the National Hockey League and former special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers.
 He played a quarter of a century in the NHL (1979–2004) with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks.
 He also played professionally with the World Hockey Association (WHA)'s Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers.
 He was the last former WHA player to be active in professional hockey, and the last active player who had played in the NHL in the 1970s.
Ralph Hopiavuori (born July 15, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
 Hopiavuori played parts of three WHA seasons with the Cleveland Crusaders and Indianapolis Racers.
 He was drafted in the third round of the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
 Hopiavuori was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, and moved to Kitchener, Ontario at the age of 16.
John Sheridan (born September 18, 1954 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 69 games in the World Hockey Association.
 He played for the Indianapolis Racers.
 Sheridan was selected by the Minnesota North Stars in round 6 (96th overall), of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft and by the Indianapolis Racers in round 7 (92nd overall) of the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft after his freshman year at University of Minnesota.
Brian Kennedy Conacher (born August 31, 1941) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, executive and broadcaster.
 Conacher played on Canadian Olympic hockey team, then became a professional player in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
 Conacher was a member of the 1967 Stanley Cup championship team.
 After playing, Conacher took up coaching and broadcasting.
 He later joined the Indianapolis Racers and Edmonton Oilers as general manager.
 He was the manager of Maple Leaf Gardens until 1998.
 Conacher also held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
The Indianapolis Racers were a major league hockey team in the World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1978.
 They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season.
 They played at Market Square Arena.
 They are often best known for being the first major league team to secure the services of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.
Michel Dubois (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
 Dubois played parts of two WHA seasons with the Indianapolis Racers and Quebec Nordiques.
 He was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft by the Chicago Cougars.
Dave Morrow (born May 4, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
 Drafted in the fourth round of the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, Morrow opted to play in the WHA after being selected by the Cincinnati Stingers in the second round of the 1977 WHA Amateur Draft.
 He played ten games for the Indianapolis Racers during the 1978–79 WHA season.
 He is the father of Joe Morrow, who was a 2011 first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Josh Morrow, who was a 2002 seventh-round pick of the Nashville Predators.
Richard "Rick" Fraser (born July 11, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
 Drafted in the tenth round of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft by the Chicago Black Hawks, Fraser opted to play in the WHA after being selected by the Indianapolis Racers in the seventeenth round of the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft.
 He played four games for the Racers during the 1974–75 WHA season.
 He is the younger brother of former National Hockey League referee Kerry Fraser.
Wayne Douglas Gretzky {'1': ", '2': ", '3': ", '4': "} ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach.
 He played twenty seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999.
 Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and the league itself.
 He is the leading scorer in NHL history, with more goals and assists than any other player.
 He garnered more assists than any other player scored total points, and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accomplished four times.
 In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive.
 At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records.
 As of 2015, he still holds 60 NHL records.
Brad Rhiness (born November 6, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
 Drafted in the first round of the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft by the San Diego Mariners, Rhiness played parts of two WHA seasons with the Mariners and Indianapolis Racers.
 He was also drafted in the seventh round of the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft by the Vancouver Canucks.

Question: The Indianapolis Racers are often best known for being the first major league team to secure the services of a Canadian former professional ice hockey player born in what year?  
Answer: 1961