Chicago Steel
CityGeneva, Illinois
LeagueUSHL
ConferenceEastern
Founded2000
Home arenaFox Valley Ice Arena
(capacity: 3,500)
ColorsBlack, red, gray
     
Owner(s)Wirtz Corporation
General managerMike Garman[1]
Head coachMike Garman
Websitechicagosteelhockeyteam.com
Franchise history
1996–2000Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks
2000–presentChicago Steel
Championships
Regular season titles2 Anderson Cups (2019–20, 2020–21)
Playoff championships2 Clark Cups (2017, 2021)

The Chicago Steel are members of the United States Hockey League, joining the league in 2000. The Steel have played their home games at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Illinois, since 2015; previously, the team played at Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, Illinois, from 2000 to 2015.

History

The Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks, founded in 1996,[2] moved to Bensenville, Illinois, and became the Chicago Steel in 2000. In May 2015, the majority ownership of the Steel was purchased by Larry Robbins while then current owners Bruce Liimatainen and Mike Greenberg remained involved as minority owners. The announcement for the change of ownership was accompanied by a change of leadership as Ryan Bennett and Dan Muse were hired as the new general manager and head coach, respectively.[3]

On May 22, 2017, the Steel defeated the Sioux City Musketeers 2–1 in overtime of game five, finishing a 3-games-to-2 series win to claim the franchise's first Clark Cup. Head coach Dan Muse would then be hired by the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators as an assistant coach and Mark Abalan would take over as head coach of the Steel.[4] On January 2, 2018, Abalan was let go and Ryan Cruthers was named interim head coach and assistant general manager of the Steel.[5] During the 2018 Clark Cup playoffs, the interim tag was removed and Cruthers was named the permanent head coach,[6] however, Cruthers would leave the team in May 2018 when the Steel hired Ryan Hardy as general manager.[7] Greg Moore was then hired as the head coach for the 2018–19 season after previously serving as an assistant with Team USA.[8] In 2019, Moore left to become head coach of the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League and Brock Sheahan was promoted to head coach.[9] The Steel then won the regular season championship, the Anderson Cup, in the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 season.[10] The Steel won a second-straight Anderson Cup in the shortened 2020–21 season[11] and subsequently won their second Clark Cup as playoff champions.

On August 1, 2023 Larry Robbins sold the team to the Wirtz Corporation, who also own the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks franchise.[12]

Notable alumni

Team spirit

The team mascot is a dog named Rusty. Occasionally also seen at Steel home games is a puppy named Rascal.

Roster

As of December 24, 2022.[13]

No. S/P/C Player Pos Ht Wt DoB Hometown Previous team College commitment
1 Minnesota Jack Stark G 5' 10" 158 lb 2003-06-19 Chaska, Minnesota Sioux Falls Power U18 (Midget AAA) Yale
2 Illinois Chris Able D 6' 1" 199 lb 2004-11-04 Libertyville, Illinois Chicago Mission U18 (Midget AAA) Ohio State
3 Minnesota Hunter Hady D 6' 4" 195 lb 2004-08-02 Rochester, Minnesota Sioux Falls Power U18 (Midget AAA) Boston University
4 Massachusetts Nolan Joyce D 6' 1" 194 lb 2003-09-25 Dedham, Massachusetts Saint Sebastian's (USHS–MA) Boston College
5 Slovakia Leo Eperješi D 6' 3" 193 lb 2005-02-27 Košice, Slovakia Košice (Slovak Extraliga U20) Maine
6 Quebec Olivier Beaulieu D 5' 11" 156 lb 2005-01-07 Terrebonne, Quebec Northwood (USHS–NY) Clarkson
7 Arizona Jake Livanavage D 5' 10" 175 lb 2004-05-06 Gilbert, Arizona Jr. Coyotes (Midget AAA) North Dakota
8 British Columbia Grayden Slipec F 5' 10" 178 lb 2005-03-06 Surrey, British Columbia Surrey (BCHL) North Dakota
9 Ontario Nicholas Moldenhauer F 5' 10" 170 lb 2004-05-25 Mississauga, Ontario North Jersey Avalanche U18 (Midget AAA) Michigan
10 Massachusetts Christopher Delaney F 5' 6" 148 lb 2004-09-25 Hopkinton, Massachusetts Boston Junior Bruins (NCDC) UMass
11 New York (state) Michael Hagens D 5' 11" 170 lb 2005-02-18 Hauppauge, New York Mount Saint Charles U18 (Midget AAA) Harvard
12 California Jordan Brisson F 6' 1" 183 lb 2003-12-01 Manhattan Beach, California Shattuck-Saint Mary's Prep (Midget AAA) Colorado College
13 Minnesota Jack Harvey F 5' 10" 176 lb 2003-03-31 Stacy, Minnesota Gentry Academy U18 (Midget AAA) Boston University
14 Ontario Mick Thompson F 5' 8" 162 lb 2004-03-01 Toronto, Ontario North Jersey Avalanche U18 (Midget AAA) Harvard
15 Minnesota Brady Arneson F 5' 10" 173 lb 2005-02-11 Red Wing, Minnesota Sioux Falls Power U18 (Midget AAA) Maine
17 British Columbia Mack Celebrini F 5' 11" 189 lb 2006-06-13 Vancouver, British Columbia Shattuck-Saint Mary's Prep (Midget AAA) Boston University
18 Manitoba Jayden Perron F 5' 9" 163 lb 2005-01-11 Winnipeg, Manitoba Sioux Falls Power U16 (Midget AAA) North Dakota
20 New York (state) Charlie Major F 5' 10" 168 lb 2004-09-14 Skaneateles, New York Bishop Kearney Selects U18 (Midget AAA) Cornell
21 British Columbia Cameron Johnson F 5' 8" 159 lb 2004-11-28 Vancouver, British Columbia Chilliwack (BCHL) Harvard
22 New Jersey Anthony Dowd D 5' 6" 154 lb 2003-04-25 Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey New Jersey Titans U18 (Midget AAA) Arizona State
23 Ohio Jack Brandt F 5' 10" 175 lb 2004-06-14 Columbus, Ohio Tabor (USHS–MA) None
25 Minnesota Thor Byfuglien D 5' 11" 165 lb 2003-07-14 Roseau, Minnesota Roseau (USHS–MN) St. Cloud State
26 New York (state) Michael Emerson F 6' 1" 197 lb 2003-12-26 Yorktown Heights, New York North Jersey Avalanche U18 (Midget AAA) North Dakota
27 Minnesota Zam Plante F 5' 10" 168 lb 2004-08-24 Hermantown, Minnesota Hermantown (USHS–MN) Minnesota Duluth
30 California Miles Roberts G 6' 1" 208 lb 2005-02-04 Orange, California Anaheim Jr. Ducks U18 (Midget AAA) None
35 Minnesota Christian Manz G 6' 0" 184 lb 2004-01-13 Blaine, Minnesota Philadelphia (NCDC) Augustana

References

  1. ^ "Mike Garman Named Steel General Manager; Noëlle Needham Elevated to Associate General Manager". OurSports Central. July 7, 2021.
  2. ^ "Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks Statistics and History". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  3. ^ "CHICAGO STEEL OF THE UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE ANNOUNCES OWNERSHIP CHANGE AND NEW LEADERSHIP". Junior Hockey News. May 21, 2015.
  4. ^ "Dan Muse Named Assistant Coach of Nashville Predators". United States Hockey League. July 21, 2017.
  5. ^ "Steel Announce Player Development Partnership with Belfry Hockey". 2 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Ryan Cruthers Named Head Coach of USHL's Chicago Steel". OurSportsCentral.com. April 25, 2018.
  7. ^ "Steel Name Ryan Hardy General Manager". OurSprtsCentral.com. May 30, 2018.
  8. ^ "Greg Moore Named Head Coach of Chicago Steel". OurSportsCentral.com. June 6, 2018.
  9. ^ Steel, Chicago (2019-12-01). "GREG MOORE NAMED HEAD COACH OF TORONTO MARLIES (AHL)". Chicago Steel. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  10. ^ "Steel Named 2019-2020 Anderson Cup Champions". OurSports Central. April 1, 2020.
  11. ^ "Chicago Steel Named Anderson Cup Champions for Second-Straight Season". OurSports Central. April 18, 2021.
  12. ^ "USHL Chicago Steel announce ownership sale to Wirtz Corporation - TSN.ca". TSN. 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  13. ^ "Chicago Steel Roster". USHL. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2022.

External links

United States Hockey League
Sports teams based in the Chicago metropolitan area
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