Chicago Steel
Encyclopedia
The Chicago Steel is a Tier 1 junior ice hockey
team formed in 2000. It plays all of its home games at the Edge Ice Arena
, located in Bensenville, Illinois
. The Steel play in the Eastern Division of the United States Hockey League
. The current GM and Head Coach of the Steel is Scott McConnell. McConnell was promoted from assistant coach to his current role on the morning of Thursday, February 24, 2011, when Jon Waibel was relieved of his duties as head coach and GM, having led the injury-plagued team to a 9-27-7 record to that point. Before the 10/11 season, Waibel had spent five seasons as the assistant coach under former NHL'er Steve Poapst
, who left late in the off-season to take a job with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs
. McConnell was named full-time head coach and GM on May 16, 2011 - before this, he'd been the interim head coach and GM.
by one point.
The feat was remarkable considering the Steel didn’t have a scorer or a goaltender ranked among the league leaders. Danny Charleston led the team in scoring and Curt Hammer award winner Topher Scott also provided clutch goals. Shane Connolly
and Adam D’Alba split the goaltending duties and Nichol claimed league coach of the year honors.
The division title didn’t bring post-season success, however, as the Steel fell to eventual Clark Cup
champion Waterloo Black Hawks in a tight, five-game, first-round series.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team formed in 2000. It plays all of its home games at the Edge Ice Arena
Edge Ice Arena
The Edge Ice Arena is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Bensenville, Illinois. It had been used by the official training facility and practice arena for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League before the team built a new downtown Chicago training facility. The ice arena is...
, located in Bensenville, Illinois
Bensenville, Illinois
Bensenville is a village located primarily in DuPage County, Illinois, with a small section near O'Hare International Airport in Cook County, Illinois, overlapping into the city of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 20,703. Bensenville is home to the Edge Ice Arena, home of...
. The Steel play in the Eastern Division of the United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
. The current GM and Head Coach of the Steel is Scott McConnell. McConnell was promoted from assistant coach to his current role on the morning of Thursday, February 24, 2011, when Jon Waibel was relieved of his duties as head coach and GM, having led the injury-plagued team to a 9-27-7 record to that point. Before the 10/11 season, Waibel had spent five seasons as the assistant coach under former NHL'er Steve Poapst
Steve Poapst
Steve Ray Poapst is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who completed his playing career with the St. Louis Blues of the NHL after four seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and one with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Advancing to management after his playing career was over, he was named head...
, who left late in the off-season to take a job with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs
Rockford IceHogs
This article is about the former UHL franchise. For the current American Hockey League franchise, see Rockford IceHogs.The Rockford IceHogs were a professional ice hockey team in Rockford, Illinois USA. They were a member of the United Hockey League from 1999 to 2007. The IceHogs played their home...
. McConnell was named full-time head coach and GM on May 16, 2011 - before this, he'd been the interim head coach and GM.
History
The Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks moved to Chicago, Illinois and became the Steel in 2000. For the most part, the team hovered around the .500 mark, until 2003-04. Under the direction of rookie Head Coach Wil Nichol, the Steel won their first-ever East Division title, besting the Cedar Rapids RoughRidersCedar Rapids RoughRiders
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the East Division of the United States Hockey League . Before moving to Cedar Rapids in 1999, the team was based in Mason City, where they were known as the North Iowa Huskies....
by one point.
The feat was remarkable considering the Steel didn’t have a scorer or a goaltender ranked among the league leaders. Danny Charleston led the team in scoring and Curt Hammer award winner Topher Scott also provided clutch goals. Shane Connolly
Shane Connolly
Shane Connolly is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club St Laurence's & has been a member of the Kildare senior inter county team since 2011.- External links :...
and Adam D’Alba split the goaltending duties and Nichol claimed league coach of the year honors.
The division title didn’t bring post-season success, however, as the Steel fell to eventual Clark Cup
Clark Cup
The Clark Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the winner of the United States Hockey League Tier 1 Junior Hockey playoff champions. The Clark Cup was named in honor of Dan Clark, the long-time registrar of the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association. Clark was also the recipient of the NHL's Lester...
champion Waterloo Black Hawks in a tight, five-game, first-round series.
Roster
As of October 6, 2011.| # | Player | Shoots | Height | Weight | Birthday | Hometown | College commitment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 |  |
Aidan Cavallini | L | 5' 11" | 186 lbs. | Jan 1, 1992 | St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
None |
| 16 |  |
Theo DiPauli | 5' 10" | 180 lbs. | Feb 28, 1991 | Woodridge, Illinois Woodridge, Illinois Woodridge is a suburb of Chicago, located primarily in DuPage County, Illinois with portions in Will County and Cook County. It uses the 630 and 331 area codes. The population was 30,934 at the 2000 census. A special census commissioned in 2003 put the population at 33,253... |
Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the University of Notre Dame. The team competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association at the NCAA Division I level.- History :... |
|
| 12 | |
Jimmy Devito | 5'11" | 165 lbs. | Apr 2, 1994 | Bloomingdale, Illinois Bloomingdale, Illinois Bloomingdale is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, approximately 25 miles west of Chicago. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census.-History:... |
None | |
| 27 | |
Michael Fallon | 5' 11" | 175 lbs. | Jul 8, 1991 | Glenview, Illinois Glenview, Illinois There are at least two locations in Illinois called Glenview:*Glenview, Cook County, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago*Glenview, St. Clair County, Illinois, an eastern suburb of St. Louis... |
UMass Lowell | |
| 13 |  |
Christian Heil | L | 6' 2" | 178 lbs. | Mar 25, 1994 | Westminster, Colorado Westminster, Colorado Westminster is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Westminster is a northwest suburb of Denver. The Westminster Municipal Center is located north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol. The United States Census Bureau that the city population... |
Colorado College Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey The Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Colorado College. The Tigers are a member of Western Collegiate Hockey Association... |
| 18 | |
Jeff Kubiak | L | 6' 3" | 205 lbs. | Jan 18, 1994 | Tinley Park, Illinois Tinley Park, Illinois Tinley Park is a village located primarily in Cook County, Illinois, United States with a small portion in Will County. The population was 48,401 at the 2000 census, and 58,322 in the 2007 census. It is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of Chicago... |
None |
| 10 |  |
Daniel Kucerovy | 5' 10" | 165 lbs. | Jan 23, 1994 | Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Bethel Park is a home rule municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area, approximately 7 miles southwest of Pittsburgh... |
None | |
| 9 |  |
Phillip Marinaccio | 5' 11" | 180 lbs. | Apr 14, 1993 | Maple, Ontario Maple, Ontario Maple is a high-growth suburban community northwest of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, part of the city of Vaughan in York Region.-Geography:The west branch of the Don River rises to the northwest and flows 1 km west of Maple. Several creeks are to the east and the Black Creek begins slightly west... |
None | |
| 11 | |
Andrew Miller | R | 6' 1" | 185 lbs. | Jun 18, 1991 | West Dundee, Illinois West Dundee, Illinois West Dundee is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,975 as of July 2008.West Dundee lies across the Fox River from East Dundee and Carpentersville.-Geography:West Dundee is located at .... |
None |
| 21 | |
Charlie O'Connor | 5' 11" | 174 lbs. | Feb 23, 1993 | Elk Grove Village, Illinois Elk Grove Village, Illinois Elk Grove Village is a municipality located in northeastern Illinois adjacent to O'Hare International Airport and the City of Chicago. Elk Grove Village encompasses in land area with located in Cook County and located in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 32,745 at the 2010 census... |
None | |
| 24 |  |
Bo Pieper | L | 5' 11" | 177 lbs. | Dec 17, 1994 | Roseville, Minnesota Roseville, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 33,690 people, 14,598 households, and 8,598 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,543.9 people per square mile . There were 14,917 housing units at an average density of 1,126.4 per square mile... |
None |
| 14 | |
Canon Pieper | L | 5' 10" | 178 lbs. | Dec 15, 1993 | Roseville, Minnesota Roseville, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 33,690 people, 14,598 households, and 8,598 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,543.9 people per square mile . There were 14,917 housing units at an average density of 1,126.4 per square mile... |
None |
| 17 |  |
Zach Saar | R | 6' 5" | 200 lbs. | Jun 22, 1993 | Plainwell, Michigan Plainwell, Michigan Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census.Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with U.S. 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles to the west. Kalamazoo is about ten miles to the south and Grand Rapids... |
Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey The Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey, also known as the Penn State Icers, is a college ice hockey program that represents the Penn State University... |
| 15 |  |
Ali Thomas | L | 6' 3" | 206 lbs. | Sep 22, 1992 | Harlem, New York | None |
| # | Player | Shoots | Height | Weight | Birthday | Hometown | College commitment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | |
Joel Benson | 6' 1" | 195 lbs. | Apr 18, 1992 | Marquette, Michigan Marquette, Michigan Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern... |
None | |
| 25 |  |
Kyle Buffardi | 6' 2" | 180 lbs. | Apr 22, 1993 | Westminster, California Westminster, California -Government:In the state legislature Westminster is located in the 34th, Senate District, represented by Democrat Lou Correa and Republican Tom Harman respectively, and in the 67th and 68th Assembly District, represented by Republicans Jim Silva and Van Tran respectively... |
None | |
| 8 | |
Ryan Fraser-Lee | 6' 2" | 195 lbs. | Feb 2, 1993 | Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand... |
None | |
| 5 | |
Chris Joyaux | 6' 1" | 195 lbs. | Apr 19, 1992 | Bloomingdale, Illinois Bloomingdale, Illinois Bloomingdale is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, approximately 25 miles west of Chicago. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census.-History:... |
Miami Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey The Miami RedHawks men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Miami University. The RedHawks are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association... |
|
| 20 | |
Christian Neumann | 6' 0" | 185 lbs. | Sep 1, 1993 | Naperville, Illinois Naperville, Illinois Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,... |
None | |
| 7 | |
Jaccob Slavin | 6' 2" | 170 lbs. | May 1, 1994 | Erie, Colorado Erie, Colorado Erie is a Statutory Town in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The estimated population according to the 2010 US Census is 18,135 and was recorded as 6,291 at the 2000 census. The Town of Erie is located just west of I-25 for easy access to I-70, Denver International Airport... |
Colorado College Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey The Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents Colorado College. The Tigers are a member of Western Collegiate Hockey Association... |
|
| 2 | |
Ryan Trenz | 6' 0" | 190 lbs. | Dec 27, 1991 | St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
None |
| # | Player | Shoots | Height | Weight | Birthday | Hometown | College commitment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 |  |
Mathias Dahlstrom | L | 6' 0" | 180 lbs. | Feb 26, 1991 | Smedjebacken, Sweden Smedjebacken Smedjebacken is a locality and the seat of Smedjebacken Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,121 inhabitants in 2005.Geographically, the town Smedjebacken is situated by the lake Barken, with an area of 34km², which in turn belongs to the Kolbäcksån stream-system, which drains into lake... |
None |
| 31 | |
Adam Miller | 5' 9" | 161 lbs. | Mar 13, 1992 | Long Grove, Illinois Long Grove, Illinois Long Grove is an affluent village located in Lake County, Illinois, approximately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2005 census, the village had a total population of 6,735... |
None | |
| 1 | |
Alex Sakellaropoulos | 6' 2" | 205 lbs. | May 2, 1994 | Tinley Park, Illinois Tinley Park, Illinois Tinley Park is a village located primarily in Cook County, Illinois, United States with a small portion in Will County. The population was 48,401 at the 2000 census, and 58,322 in the 2007 census. It is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of Chicago... |
None |
Notable alumni
- Matt ClacksonMatt ClacksonMatthew Clackson is a Canadian-born American professional ice hockey right winger for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League...
, Philadelphia Flyers prospect - Tom GilbertTom GilbertThomas Kelly "Tom" Gilbert is an American ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, defenseman for the Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... - Joe LoprienoJoe LoprienoJoe Loprieno is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Worcester Sharks in the American Hockey League....
, San Jose Sharks prospect - John MooreJohn Moore (ice hockey)John Moore is an American ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.-Junior:Moore attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois...
, defenseman for the Columbus Blue JacketsColumbus Blue JacketsThe Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and 2011 AHL All-Star - Travis MorinTravis MorinTravis Morin is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Dallas Stars organization of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Dallas Stars prospect - Danny RichmondDanny RichmondDanny Richmond is a professional ice hockey defenseman for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. He is the son of retired NHL defenseman, Steve Richmond.-Amateur career:...
, member of 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks - Lee SweattLee SweattWalter Lee Sweatt is an American former professional ice hockey player. Sweatt played four years of professional hockey in Europe and North America. Sweatt played three games in the National Hockey League in 2011, before retiring to work in the financial industry...
, Vanouver Canucks prospect - Philip SamuelssonPhilip SamuelssonPhilip Samuelsson is a Swedish-American ice hockey player who plays defence. Samuelsson was drafted in the second round, 61st overall of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins...
, Defenseman for the Boston College EaglesBoston College EaglesThe Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
, prospect for the Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, son of Ulf SamuelssonUlf SamuelssonUlf Samuelsson is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently the head coach of Modo Hockey of the Elitserien . He played for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers.- Biography :He specialized in heavy body checks...
Team spirit
The team mascot is a dog named Rusty. Formerly also seen was a puppy named Rascal (a reference to a program through the team called Rusty's Rascals).External links
- Chicago Steel Hockey Team Official site