Youngstown Steelhounds
Encyclopedia
The Youngstown SteelHounds were a professional ice hockey
team that participated in the CHL
from the 2005-2006 season through the 2007-2008 season. The team was affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets
of the NHL
and the Syracuse Crunch
of the AHL
. The team played its home games at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio
.
The SteelHounds are owned by Herb Washington
. The last to hold the posts of General Manager and Head Coach were Joe Gregory and Kevin Kaminski
. After being expelled from the CHL following the 2007-2008 season, the team did not participate as a member of any league in 2008-2009. Per a Youngstown Vindicator report, discussions were recently held with the ECHL about a potential return for professional hockey in Youngstown. However, in 2009 the Mahoning Valley Phantoms
, a Junior A hockey team, moved from the NAHL to the USHL, the premier junior league in the United States, and are playing their entire home slate at the Covelli Centre under a new name, the Youngstown Phantoms. This essentially killed any hope for a return of the 'Hounds.
industry.
The franchise joined the CHL
in 2005 as an expansion team for the 2005-2006 season. The team played in the Northeast Division of the CHL, with the closest team to Youngstown being the Mississippi RiverKings.
The SteelHounds won their first home game at the Chevrolet Centre on November 4, 2005, when they defeated the Oklahoma City Blazers
4–3. They went on to finish second in the four-team Northeast Division with a 24–35 record. The SteelHounds failed to make the playoffs in their first season. The 2006-2007 season was a better one for the Steelhounds, as the team finished with 34 wins, 20 losses and 10 overtime losses. The SteelHounds made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history but lost in the first round to the Colorado Eagles
. The SteelHounds' best record in their short franchise history came in the 2007-2008 season with 39 wins, 20 losses and 5 overtime losses. The team finished second in the Northeast Division and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year, but lost again to the Colorado Eagles
. After being kicked out of the CHL
following the 2007-08 season, management considered joining the ECHL
or the IHL.
for the 2008-09 or 2009-10 season, as both leagues had teams located in the Great Lakes
and Mid-Atlantic
regions, making them a better fit for the Steelhounds than the CHL (most of whose teams are in the Southern Plains
and Southwest
regions of the United States
). The team's ownership engaged in talks with the IHL, and in previous seasons the Steelhounds have had exhibition games against ECHL teams.
After being kicked out of the league, and failing to quickly find a new league to play in for the upcoming 2008-2009 season, there has been a mass exodus of top officials in the SteelHounds organization. On June 23, 2008 General Manager Joe Gregory resigned his position, and announced that he was hired as an Executive Vice President for the Norfolk Admirals
of the AHL
. Then, Kevin 'Killer' Kaminski resigned his position as head coach on July 1, 2008. Then on July 2, 2008 the rival Mississippi RiverKings announced him as their new head coach, signed to an unheard of 3-year contract.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current SteelHounds player
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 that participated in the CHL
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
from the 2005-2006 season through the 2007-2008 season. The team was affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The 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...
of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and the Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...
of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. The team played its home games at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
.
The SteelHounds are owned by Herb Washington
Herb Washington
Herbert Lee Washington is a former world-class sprinter in the early 1970s who parlayed his speed into a brief Major League Baseball stint, and later became the owner/operator of numerous McDonald's restaurants and a minor-league professional hockey franchise and held a number of high-ranking...
. The last to hold the posts of General Manager and Head Coach were Joe Gregory and Kevin Kaminski
Kevin Kaminski
Kevin S. Kaminski is a former Canadian ice hockey player.Selected in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota North Stars, Kaminski only played one game for the North Stars before he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for Gaetan Duchesne...
. After being expelled from the CHL following the 2007-2008 season, the team did not participate as a member of any league in 2008-2009. Per a Youngstown Vindicator report, discussions were recently held with the ECHL about a potential return for professional hockey in Youngstown. However, in 2009 the Mahoning Valley Phantoms
Mahoning Valley Phantoms
The Youngstown Phantoms are a Tier I Junior A ice hockey team that plays in the East Division of the United States Hockey League. The team plays home games at the 5,200-seat Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. The team is owned by Bruce J...
, a Junior A hockey team, moved from the NAHL to the USHL, the premier junior league in the United States, and are playing their entire home slate at the Covelli Centre under a new name, the Youngstown Phantoms. This essentially killed any hope for a return of the 'Hounds.
Franchise history
The SteelHounds took their name from the U.S. steelSteel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
industry.
The franchise joined the CHL
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
in 2005 as an expansion team for the 2005-2006 season. The team played in the Northeast Division of the CHL, with the closest team to Youngstown being the Mississippi RiverKings.
The SteelHounds won their first home game at the Chevrolet Centre on November 4, 2005, when they defeated the Oklahoma City Blazers
Oklahoma City Blazers
The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white...
4–3. They went on to finish second in the four-team Northeast Division with a 24–35 record. The SteelHounds failed to make the playoffs in their first season. The 2006-2007 season was a better one for the Steelhounds, as the team finished with 34 wins, 20 losses and 10 overtime losses. The SteelHounds made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history but lost in the first round to the Colorado Eagles
Colorado Eagles
The Colorado Eagles are a professional ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference, where they serve as the "Double-A" affiliate of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps...
. The SteelHounds' best record in their short franchise history came in the 2007-2008 season with 39 wins, 20 losses and 5 overtime losses. The team finished second in the Northeast Division and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year, but lost again to the Colorado Eagles
Colorado Eagles
The Colorado Eagles are a professional ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference, where they serve as the "Double-A" affiliate of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps...
. After being kicked out of the CHL
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
following the 2007-08 season, management considered joining the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
or the IHL.
Youngstown out of the CHL
As of June 2, 2008, the CHL announced that the Steelhounds franchise would not be playing in the league. The CHL cited the reason for termination being non-payment of league dues. The Steelhounds and the league have had a dispute related to travel expenses since the franchise began in 2006. The Steelhounds explored joining the IHL or ECHLECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
for the 2008-09 or 2009-10 season, as both leagues had teams located in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes region (North America)
The Great Lakes region of North America, occasionally known as the Third Coast or the Fresh Coast , includes the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian province of Ontario...
and Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
regions, making them a better fit for the Steelhounds than the CHL (most of whose teams are in the Southern Plains
South Central United States
The South Central United States or South Central states is a region of the United States located in the south central part of the country. It evolved out of the archaic southwest, which originally was literally the western U.S. South...
and Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
regions of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). The team's ownership engaged in talks with the IHL, and in previous seasons the Steelhounds have had exhibition games against ECHL teams.
After being kicked out of the league, and failing to quickly find a new league to play in for the upcoming 2008-2009 season, there has been a mass exodus of top officials in the SteelHounds organization. On June 23, 2008 General Manager Joe Gregory resigned his position, and announced that he was hired as an Executive Vice President for the Norfolk Admirals
Norfolk Admirals
The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:...
of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. Then, Kevin 'Killer' Kaminski resigned his position as head coach on July 1, 2008. Then on July 2, 2008 the rival Mississippi RiverKings announced him as their new head coach, signed to an unheard of 3-year contract.
Head Coaching Records
| Head Coach | Years | Seasons | Wins | Losses | OT Losses | Points | Win Pct. | # Playoff Appearances | Playoff Wins | Playoff Losses | Playoff Points | Playoff Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean LeForest | 2005–2006 | 1 | 24 | 35 | 5 | 53 | .414 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Kevin Kaminski | 2006–2008 | 2 | 73 | 40 | 15 | 161 | .629 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 6 | .273 |
Season Standings
| Season | League | Wins | Losses | OT Losses | Points | Win Pct. | Result | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2006 | CHL | 24 | 35 | 5 | 53 | .414 | 2nd NE Division | Jean LeForest |
| 2006–2007 | CHL | 34 | 20 | 10 | 78 | .609 | 3rd NE Division | Kevin Kaminski |
| 2007–2008 | CHL | 39 | 20 | 5 | 83 | .648 | 2nd NE Division | Kevin Kaminski |
Playoff Record
| Season | League | Wild-Card Series | Semi-Final Series | Conference Championship Series | League Championship Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2007 | CHL | Colorado Colorado Eagles The Colorado Eagles are a professional ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference, where they serve as the "Double-A" affiliate of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps... (L 2–4) |
|||
| 2007–2008 | CHL | Bye | Colorado Colorado Eagles The Colorado Eagles are a professional ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference, where they serve as the "Double-A" affiliate of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps... (L 1–4) |
Current Roster
| # | Flag | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth |
|---|
| # | Flag | Player | Position | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth |
|---|
| # | Flag | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth |
|---|
Team Captains
| Season | League | Player |
| 2005–2006 | CHL | Jeff Christian |
| 2006–2007 | CHL | Jeff Christian |
| 2007–2008 | CHL | Chris Richards |
Franchise Scoring Leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history(*Includes post-season totals).Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current SteelHounds player
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