Idaho Steelheads

Idaho Steelheads
2015–16 ECHL season
City	Boise, Idaho
League	ECHL
Conference	Western
Division	West
Founded	1996 (In the WCHL)
Home arena	CenturyLink Arena
Colors	Blue, black, white, silver
Owner(s)	Idaho Sports Properties LLC
Head coach	Neil Graham[1]
Media	KTIK-FM Idaho Statesman
Affiliates	Dallas Stars (NHL) Texas Stars (AHL)
Franchise history
1997–present	Idaho Steelheads
Championships
Regular season titles	2 (2002–03, 2009–10)
Division Championships	5 (2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2014–15)
Conference Championships	5 (2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2006–07), 2009–10)
Kelly Cups	2 (2003–04, 2006–07)

The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003.

During the 2003–04 season and since the 2005–06 season the Steelheads have been an affiliate of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars.^[2] The Austin-based Texas Stars have been Idaho's AHL affiliate since the 2009–10 season. Home games are played at the 5,000-seat CenturyLink Arena in downtown Boise.

The team was founded by Diamond Sports Management in 1996, headed by Cord Pereira. The Steelheads will play in the reorganized West Division of the ECHL's Western Conference in 2015–16.^[3]

The Steelheads are named for a species of seagoing rainbow trout native to Idaho streams and rivers and popular with local anglers. Despite this, the original primary and alternate logos consisted of a puck bouncing off a hockey mask and the state of Idaho respectively. When the team underwent a rebrand in the 2006–07 season, a trout was included in Idaho's alternate. After the departure of the Victoria Salmon Kings in 2011, the Steelheads made the trout logo their new primary one.

History

WCHL

1997–2003

The Steelheads began play as part of a four-team expansion in the West Coast Hockey League in 1997, along with the Tacoma Sabercats, Phoenix Mustangs and Tucson Gila Monsters, which have all since ceased operations. Former New York Islanders defenseman Dave Langevin became Idaho's first head coach. During its inaugural season, in addition to its WCHL schedule the Steelheads played two exhibition games in Boise against the Russian Super League team CKA-Amur (now Amur Khabarovsk). The Steelheads finished third in the WCHL North Division in 1997–98, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Anchorage Aces (now the Alaska Aces).^[4]

Langevin left the team in 1998 and was replaced as head coach by former NHL goaltender Clint Malarchuk. Under Malarchuk the Steelheads were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 1998–99 and 1999–00.^[5]

In 2000, Malarchuk was succeeded as head coach by John Olver, who had coached the Tacoma Sabercats to the WCHL championship in 1998–99. The Steelheads reached the WCHL finals in 2000–01 and 2001–02, but were defeated by the San Diego Gulls and Fresno Falcons, respectively.^[6]

Although the Steelheads finished with the best record in the WCHL's final season in 2002–03, the Falcons eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs.^[7]

ECHL

The Idaho Steelheads have been a member of the ECHL since 2003, winning the league's Kelly Cup championship in 2004 and 2007. They are one of only four active ECHL teams to win multiple league championships, alongside the Alaska Aces and South Carolina Stingrays with three championships each, and the Toledo Walleye (which was then known as the Storm prior to suspending operations in 2007 to build their new arena) with two. The defunct Hampton Roads Admirals also won three ECHL championships.

2003–2010

In 2003, the WCHL was absorbed by the ECHL and folded. The Steelheads, along with several other WCHL-affiliated teams – namely the Alaska Aces, Bakersfield Condors, Fresno Falcons, Las Vegas Wranglers, Long Beach Ice Dogs and San Diego Gulls – became ECHL members beginning with the 2003–04 season. Idaho won the 2004 Kelly Cup in its first season in the ECHL, defeating the Florida Everblades in the Kelly Cup finals. The Steelheads were the first team to win the ECHL championship in its first year in the league since the Greensboro Monarchs won the title in the league's second season of operation (1989–90).

In 2004–05 the Steelheads were eliminated in the first round of the ECHL playoffs by the Long Beach Ice Dogs. Olver was succeeded as head coach by Derek Laxdal after the season. In 2005–06 Laxdal guided the team back to the playoffs, but they were eliminated in the second round by the Las Vegas Wranglers.

The Steelheads hosted the 2007 ECHL All-Star Game in Boise. Later that year the Steelheads won their second Kelly Cup by defeating the Stockton Thunder, Las Vegas Wranglers and Alaska Aces in the playoffs, and ultimately the Dayton Bombers in the league finals.

In the 2007–08 playoffs, Idaho was swept in the first round by eventual champions the Alaska Aces, and in the 2008–09 playoffs lost to Victoria Salmon Kings in the first round.

In 2009–10, the Steelheads clinched their first Brabham Cup (ECHL regular season title) with one week remaining in the season. They received a bye in the first round of the 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs before sweeping the Utah Grizzlies in the conference semifinals and beating the Stockton Thunder in six games to win the National Conference championship to advance to their third Kelly Cup finals since joining the league in 2003. They met the Cincinnati Cyclones in the finals, but lost the series 4-1, with each game being decided by one goal.

2010–present

Laxdal left the team after the 2009–10 season to accept the head coaching position with the major junior Edmonton Oil Kings. Although his replacement, Hardy Sauter, led the Steelheads to a playoff series victory against Las Vegas in 2010–11, he was let go after the 2011–12 season after the Steelheads failed to crack the 75-point plateau for the first time since the team's WCHL days. In June 2012, the Steelheads named SPHL Augusta RiverHawks head coach Brad Ralph as Sauter's replacement.^[8]

In Ralph's first season in Idaho the Steelheads advanced to the Western Conference finals, but were defeated by the Stockton Thunder in five games.^[9] In the first round of the 2013–14 playoffs, the Steelheads defeated the Colorado Eagles in six games, culminating in a quadruple overtime victory which set a record as the longest game in ECHL history.^[10] They were eliminated in the second round by the eventual champion Alaska Aces.^[11]

In 2014–15 the Steelheads won the regular season Pacific Division title with their first 100-point season since 2009–10, but were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Utah Grizzlies. Ralph left the Steelheads in August 2015 to take the head coaching position with the WHL Kelowna Rockets.^[12] Assistant coach and former player Neil Graham was promoted to the head coaching position several days later.^[1]

As of the end of the 2014–15 season the Steelheads have never missed the playoffs in either the WCHL or the ECHL.^[13]

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Records as of end of the 2015–16 ECHL season.^[14]

Season	League	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Coach	Playoffs
1997–98	WCHL	64	27	30	—	7	61	253	275	2057	3rd, North	Dave Langevin	Lost in round 1, 1–3 (Anchorage)
1998–99	WCHL	71	31	34	—	6	68	265	298	2027	4th, North	Clint Malarchuk	Lost in round 1, 0-2 (Tacoma)
1999–00	WCHL	72	31	36	—	5	67	287	300	1943	4th, North	Clint Malarchuk	Lost in round 1, 0-3 (Tacoma)
2000–01	WCHL	72	47	21	—	4	98	293	244	1631	1st, North	John Olver	Lost in finals, 3-4 (San Diego)
2001–02	WCHL	72	47	17	—	8	102	288	213	1846	1st, North	John Olver	Lost in finals, 2-4 (Fresno)
2002–03	WCHL	72	52	16	—	4	108	267	186	1421	1st, WCHL	John Olver	Lost in round 1, 2-4 (Fresno)
2003–04	ECHL	72	40	23	—	9	89	219	208	1725	3rd, Pacific	John Olver	Won Kelly Cup, 4-1 (Florida)
2004–05	ECHL	72	42	23	2	5	91	223	183	1437	3rd, West	John Olver	Lost in round 1, 1-3 (Long Beach)
2005–06	ECHL	72	43	21	4	4	94	268	221	1650	3rd, West	Derek Laxdal	Lost in round 2, 3-4 (Las Vegas)
2006–07	ECHL	72	42	24	2	4	90	240	208	1621	2nd, West	Derek Laxdal	Won Kelly Cup, 4-1 (Dayton)
2007–08	ECHL	72	40	22	5	5	90	224	183	1492	2nd, West	Derek Laxdal	Lost in round 2, 0-4 (Alaska)
2008–09	ECHL	72	44	24	2	2	90	224	186	1361	2nd, West	Derek Laxdal	Lost in round 1, 0-4 (Victoria)
2009–10	ECHL	72	48	17	2	5	103	260	191	1361	1st, West	Derek Laxdal	Lost in finals, 1-4 (Cincinnati)
2010–11	ECHL	72	32	27	4	9	77	225	217	1124	2nd, Mountain	Hardy Sauter	Lost in round 2, 0-4 (Alaska)
2011–12	ECHL	72	31	32	2	7	71	194	236	1169	4th, Mountain	Hardy Sauter	Lost in round 2, 1-4 (Las Vegas)
2012–13	ECHL	72	45	20	1	6	97	262	198	1337	2nd, Mountain	Brad Ralph	Lost in conference finals, 1-4 (Stockton)
2013–14	ECHL	72	39	26	3	4	85	223	212	1418	2nd, Mountain	Brad Ralph	Lost in round 2, 1-4 (Alaska)
2014–15	ECHL	72	48	18	2	4	102	258	187	1170	1st, Pacific	Brad Ralph	Lost in round 1, 2-4 (Utah)
2015–16	ECHL	72	38	24	7	3	86	203	187	917	2nd, West	Neil Graham	Lost in round 1, 3-4 (Allen)

Media

All Steelheads games are broadcast on AM 1350 KTIK in Boise and have been since the 1997 inception of the franchise. KTIK and the Steelheads were under the same ownership until Citadel Broadcasting's 2002 purchase of the station. Will Hoenike is the voice of the Steelheads, and Jim "Stumpy" Monroe was the longtime producer of the Steelheads' talk shows and play-by-play from 1997 until his retirement in fall 2011.

Current roster

Updated January 1, 2016.^[15]

#	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace	Contract
23		Baldwin, CorbinCorbin Baldwin	D	L	25	2015	Winnipeg, Manitoba	Steelheads
17		Basaraba, JoeJoe Basaraba	RW	R	23	2015	Fort Frances, Ontario	Steelheads
36		Beck, ColtonColton Beck (A)	LW	L	25	2014	Langley, British Columbia	Steelheads
27		Boutin, ShawnShawn Boutin (A)	D	R	26	2015	Val d'Or, Quebec	Steelheads
24		Braid, ChanceChance Braid	LW	L	21	2015	Wainwright, Alberta	Steelheads
43		Carroll, AndrewAndrew Carroll (A)	LW	L	30	2015	Shoreview, Minnesota	Steelheads
20		Cross, DamianDamian Cross	C	R	26	2015	Nepean, Ontario	Steelheads
21		Dahl, JeffersonJefferson Dahl	C	R	26	2014	Eau Claire, Wisconsin	Steelheads
30		Desrosiers, PhilippePhilippe Desrosiers	G	L	20	2015	Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec	Dallas
33		Fallen, TommyTommy Fallen	D	L	25	2015	Plymouth, Minnesota	Steelheads
35		Hartzell, EricEric Hartzell	G	L	26	2015	White Bear Lake, Minnesota	Steelheads
5		Johnston, DanielDaniel Johnston	D	R	23	2015	Calgary, Alberta	Steelheads
25		Kamrass, ZackZack Kamrass	D	L	25	2015	Atlanta, Georgia	Texas
26		Linsmayer, RobRob Linsmayer	F	R	26	2013	Winnetka, Illinois	Steelheads
18		Magee, BrandonBrandon Magee	C	R	22	2015	Edmonton, Alberta	Texas
8		Martin, ColeCole Martin	D	L	22	2015	Arlington, Texas	Steelheads
29		McMillan, CarsonCarson McMillan (C)	RW	R	27	2015	Brandon, Manitoba	Steelheads
59		Molin, EmilEmil Molin	C	L	23	2015	Gävle, Sweden	Dallas
47		Morrissette, AndreAndre Morrissette	F	R	24	2015	Trois-Rivieres, Quebec	Steelheads
28		Panzarella, AndrewAndrew Panzarella	D	R	26	2015	Columbia, Maryland	Steelheads
15		Peters, TaylorTaylor Peters	C	L	24	2014	Delta, British Columbia	Dallas
7		Rutt, JakeJake Rutt	D	L	25	2015	Scarborough, Maine	Steelheads
19		Smith, QuinnQuinn Smith	F	L	24	2015	Fairfield, Connecticut	Steelheads
9		Snydeman, TorinTorin Snydeman	F	R	26	2015	Groton, Massachusetts	Steelheads

Staff
Title	Staff member
Head coach	Neil Graham
Trainer	Jason Switzer

Logos

• 

  Primary, from 1997–98 to 2005–06

• 

  Alternate logo, 1997–98

• 

  Primary, from 2006–07 to 2010–11
  Alternate logo since 2011–12

Championships

Year	League	Trophy
2003–2004	ECHL	Kelly Cup
2006–2007	ECHL	Kelly Cup
2009–2010	ECHL	Brabham Cup

Retired numbers

The Steelheads currently have three retired numbers.^[16]

• 4: Jeremy Mylamok
• 16: Marty Flichel
• 22: Cal Ingraham

Rivalries

The Steelheads' most notable rivals are the Alaska Aces.^[17] These two teams are the surviving remnants of the WCHL in their original markets, their common histories going back nearly 20 years. Three other WCHL refugees, the San Diego Gulls, Long Beach Ice Dogs, and Fresno Falcons have since folded, while the Bakersfield Condors relocated in 2015 to become the Norfolk Admirals.

With the ECHL's 2015 exit from California, the Steelheads are the westernmost ECHL team in the 48 contiguous United States and the second-westernmost team overall after Alaska. Geographically, Idaho's closest opponent is the Utah Grizzlies at 345 miles (555 km), followed by the Colorado Eagles at 766 miles (1,233 km).

Until their 2014 suspension of operations^[18] the Steelheads also enjoyed a rivalry with the Las Vegas Wranglers due to their frequent playoff meetings.

References

1. "Steelheads promote assistant coach, former player Neil Graham to head coach", Idaho Statesman, August 7, 2015. (accessed 7 August 2015)
2. DALLAS STARS SIGN TWO-YEAR AFFILIATION EXTENSION WITH IDAHO STEELHEADS
3. "ALIGNMENT, PLAYOFF FORMAT ANNOUNCED FOR 2015-16 SEASON". ECHL. February 3, 2015.
4. 1997-98 WCHL Playoff Results
5. 1998–99 WCHL Playoff Results
6. 2001–02 WCHL Playoff Results
7. 2002-03 WCHL Playoff Results
8. Press release. "Ralph Named Head Coach of Steelheads". ECHL. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
9. Steelheads' season comes to an end in Stockton, Idaho Statesman, May 12, 2013. (accessed 27 May 2013)
10. "Longest ECHL Game in History: Colorado Eagles Fall to Idaho Steelheads in Fourth OT", The Pink Puck, April 28, 2014. (accessed 15 June 2014)
11. Murphy, Brian. "Steelheads eliminated from playoffs", Idaho Statesman, May 9, 2014. (accessed 15 June 2014)
12. "Idaho Steelheads coach Brad Ralph resigns, takes job in WHL". Idaho Statesman. 2015-08-04. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
13. "Steelheads, Eagles to meet in Kelly Cup Playoffs". Idaho Steelheads. 2013-05-27. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
14. Hockeydb.com, Idaho Steelheads Statistics and History
15. "Idaho Steelheads - Roster". Retrieved January 31, 2015.
16. "Idaho Steelheads will retire Marty Flichel's number this season", Idaho Statesman, August 9, 2014. (accessed 11 August 2014)
17. Prentice, George. "Idaho Steelheads' 4 for $46", Boise Weekly, November 6, 2013. (accessed 15 June 2014)
18. Guillermo, Matt. "Venue flux to sideline Las Vegas Wranglers next season", KVVU-TV, May 20, 2014. (accessed 15 June 2014)

External links

Media related to Idaho Steelheads at Wikimedia Commons

• Idaho Steelheads official site