| Idaho Steelheads | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Boise, Idaho |
| League | ECHL |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Mountain |
| Founded | 1997 (in theWCHL) |
| Home arena | Idaho Central Arena |
| Colors | Navy blue, silver, black, white |
| Owner(s) | Idaho Sports Properties LLC |
| General manager | Steven Anderson[1] |
| Head coach | Everett Sheen |
| Media | KTIK Idaho Statesman |
| Affiliates | Dallas Stars (NHL) Texas Stars (AHL) |
| Website | idahosteelheads |
| Franchise history | |
| 1997–present | Idaho Steelheads |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 3 (2002–03,2009–10,2022–23) |
| Division titles | 6 (2000–01,2001–02,2002–03,2009–10,2014–15,2022–23) |
| Conference titles | 6 (2000–01,2001–02,2003–04,2006–07,2009–10,2022–23) |
| Kelly Cups | 2 (2003–04,2006–07) |
 Current season | |
TheIdaho Steelheads are an American professional minor leagueice hockey team based inBoise, Idaho, and a member of theECHL. The Steelheads play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference since the2016–17 season.
In 1996, the Steelheads were announced as a 1997–98 expansion team by Diamond Sports Management, headed by Cord Pereira, as a member of theWest Coast Hockey League (WCHL). The Steelheads and the rest of the WCHL joined the ECHL in 2003. As of the 2022-23 season, the Steelheads are the westernmost ECHL team. During the 2003–04 season and since the 2005–06 season the Steelheads have been an affiliate of theNational Hockey League'sDallas Stars.[2] The Austin-basedTexas Stars have been the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate since the2009–10 season. Home games are played at the 5,002-seatIdaho Central Arena in downtown Boise.
The Steelheads are named for a species of seagoingrainbow 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 theVictoria Salmon Kings in 2011, the Steelheads made the trout logo their new primary one.
The Steelheads began play as part of a four-team expansion in theWest Coast Hockey League in 1997, along with theTacoma Sabercats,Phoenix Mustangs andTucson Gila Monsters, which have all since ceased operations. FormerNew York Islanders defensemanDave 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 theRussian Super League team CKA-Amur (nowAmur 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 (later known as theAlaska Aces).[3]
Langevin left the team in 1998 and was replaced as head coach by former NHL goaltenderClint Malarchuk. Under Malarchuk the Steelheads were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 1998–99 and 1999–00.[4]
In 2000, Malarchuk was succeeded as head coach byJohn 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 theSan Diego Gulls andFresno Falcons, respectively.[5]
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.[6]
The Idaho Steelheads have been a member of the ECHL since 2003, winning the league'sKelly Cup championship in 2004 and 2007. They are one of only five active ECHL teams to win multiple league championships, alongside theSouth Carolina Stingrays with three championships, and theAllen Americans,Florida Everblades andToledo Walleye (which was then known as the Storm prior to suspending operations in 2007 to build their new arena) with two each. The defunctAlaska Aces andHampton Roads Admirals also won three ECHL championships each.
In 2003, the WCHL was absorbed by the ECHL and folded. The Steelheads, along with several other WCHL-affiliated teams – namely theAlaska Aces,Bakersfield Condors, Fresno Falcons,Las Vegas Wranglers,Long Beach Ice Dogs andSan Diego Gulls – became ECHL members beginning with the2003–04 season. Idaho won the 2004Kelly Cup in its first season in theECHL, defeating theFlorida 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 theGreensboro Monarchs won the title in the league's second season of operation (1989–90).
In2004–05 the Steelheads were eliminated in the first round of the ECHL playoffs by the Long Beach Ice Dogs. Olver was succeeded as head coach byDerek Laxdal after the season. In2005–06 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 2007ECHL All-Star Game inBoise. Later that year the Steelheads won their second Kelly Cup by defeating theStockton Thunder, Las Vegas Wranglers and Alaska Aces in the playoffs, and ultimately theDayton Bombers in the league finals.
In the2007–08 playoffs, Idaho was swept in the first round by eventual champions theAlaska Aces, and in the2008–09 playoffs lost toVictoria Salmon Kings in the first round.
In2009–10, the Steelheads clinched their firstBrabham Cup (ECHL regular season title) with one week remaining in the season. They received a bye in the first round of the2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs before sweeping theUtah Grizzlies in the conference semifinals and beating theStockton 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 theCincinnati Cyclones in the finals, but lost the series 4–1, with each game being decided by one goal.
Laxdal left the team after the 2009–10 season to accept the head coaching position with themajor juniorEdmonton Oil Kings. Although his replacement,Hardy Sauter, led the Steelheads to a playoff series victory against Las Vegas in2010–11, he was let go after the2011–12 season after the Steelheads failed to crack the 75-point plateau for the first time since the team's WCHL tenure. In June 2012, the Steelheads namedSPHLAugusta RiverHawks head coachBrad Ralph as Sauter's replacement.[7]
In Ralph'sfirst season in Idaho the Steelheads advanced to the Western Conference finals, but were defeated by the Stockton Thunder in five games.[8] In the first round of the2013–14 playoffs, the Steelheads defeated theColorado Eagles in six games, culminating in a quadruple overtime victory which set a record as the longest game in ECHL history.[9] They were eliminated in the second round by the eventual champion Alaska Aces.[10]
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 theUtah Grizzlies. Ralph left the Steelheads in August 2015 to take the head coaching position with theWHLKelowna Rockets.[11] Assistant coach and former player Neil Graham was promoted to the head coaching position several days later.[12]
Idaho finished the2015–16 season in second place in the West Division, although tied in points with the first placeColorado Eagles due to them having more wins. They were seeded fifth in the Western Conference for the2016 Kelly Cup playoffs and were defeated in the conference quarterfinals by the defending championAllen Americans, 4-games-to-3. Jefferson Dahl andEmil Molin would tie for the team lead in goals during the regular season with 22 goals. Rob Linsmayer led the team with 57 points.Philippe Desrosiers appeared in a team high 31 games in goal for the Steelheads with a 15–7–6 record with a 2.34 GAA and 2 shutouts.[13] Idaho would finish 15th overall in attendance with an average of 4198 fans per game.
As of the end of the 2018–19 season, the Steelheads have never missed the playoffs in either the WCHL or the ECHL.[14] When theDetroit Red Wings became eliminated from the2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Steelheads then had the longest active playoff streak in professional hockey at twenty seasons in 2016–17.[15] This streak ended when the Steelheads failed to make the playoffs at the end of the 2021-22 season.
In early 2019, it was confirmed that the Steelheads had been approached by the upcomingSeattle Kraken with an interest in the Steelheads becoming theirAmerican Hockey League affiliate,[16] although the Kraken later filed for an AHL expansion team inPalm Springs, California, which came to be theCoachella Valley Firebirds.[17]
In July 2019, head coach Neil Graham was hired as an assistant coach of the AHL affiliateTexas Stars and was replaced by Steelheads' assistant Everett Sheen. Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Steelheads voluntarily suspended operations for the2020–21 ECHL season.[18]
The Steelheads' most notable rival are theUtah Grizzlies due to proximity.
The team's former rivals include the refugees of the old WCHL: theAlaska Aces,Fresno Falcons, andBakersfield Condors.[19] In their original markets, their common history stretched back nearly twenty years. Fresno then folded in 2008, Bakersfield relocated to become the newNorfolk Admirals in 2015, and the Alaska franchise folded in 2017 before it was sold to become theMaine Mariners.
Until their 2014 suspension of operations,[20] the Steelheads also had a rivalry with theLas Vegas Wranglers due to their frequent playoff meetings.
All Steelheads games are broadcast on AM 1350KTIK in Boise and have been since the 1997 inception of the franchise. KTIK and the Steelheads were under the same ownership untilCitadel Broadcasting's 2002 purchase of the station. SparkLight cable carries live video on channel 72. Collin Schuck[21] is the voice of the Steelheads for all home and away games since joining the organization in 2018.
In 2021 streaming video coverage was added with theECHL partnership withFloSports. Collin Schuck's radio play by play is blended with in house CCTV video during away games, and additional production features (such as stream only instant replay on separate feed from CCTV) for home games.
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 the2024–25 ECHL season.[22]
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | League | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Standing | Coach | Year | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
| 1997–98 | WCHL | 64 | 27 | 30 | — | 7 | 61 | 253 | 275 | 2057 | 3rd, North | Dave Langevin | 1998 | — | L, 1–3,ANC | — | — |
| 1998–99 | 71 | 31 | 34 | — | 6 | 68 | 265 | 298 | 2027 | 4th, North | Clint Malarchuk | 1999 | — | L, 0–2,TAC | — | — | |
| 1999–00 | 72 | 31 | 36 | — | 5 | 67 | 287 | 300 | 1943 | 4th, North | 2000 | — | L, 0–3,TAC | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | 72 | 47 | 21 | — | 4 | 98 | 293 | 244 | 1631 | 1st, North | John Olver | 2001 | — | W, 3–0,ANC | W, 3–0,COL | L, 3–4,SDG | |
| 2001–02 | 72 | 47 | 17 | — | 8 | 102 | 288 | 213 | 1846 | 1st, North | 2002 | — | W, 3–1,ANC | W, 3–2,TAC | L, 2–4,FRE | ||
| 2002–03 | 72 | 52 | 16 | — | 4 | 108 | 267 | 186 | 1421 | 1st, WCHL | 2003 | — | L, 2–4,FRE | — | |||
| 2003–04 | ECHL | 72 | 40 | 23 | — | 9 | 89 | 219 | 208 | 1725 | 3rd, Pacific | John Olver | 2004 | W, 3–2,LV | W, 3–1,AK | W, 3–1,GWT | W, 4–1,FLA |
| 2004–05 | 72 | 42 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 91 | 223 | 183 | 1437 | 3rd, West | 2005 | L, 1–3,LBH | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | 72 | 43 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 94 | 268 | 221 | 1650 | 3rd, West | Derek Laxdal | 2006 | L, 3–4,LV | — | — | — | |
| 2006–07 | 72 | 42 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 90 | 240 | 208 | 1621 | 2nd, West | 2007 | W, 4–2,STK | W, 4–2,LV | W, 4–1,AK | W, 4–1,DAY | ||
| 2007–08 | 72 | 40 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 90 | 224 | 183 | 1492 | 2nd, West | 2008 | L, 0–4,AK | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | 72 | 44 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 90 | 224 | 186 | 1361 | 2nd, West | 2009 | L, 0–4,VIC | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | 72 | 48 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 103 | 260 | 191 | 1361 | 1st, West | 2010 | BYE | W, 4–0,UTA | W, 4–2,STK | L, 1–4,CIN | ||
| 2010–11 | 72 | 32 | 27 | 4 | 9 | 77 | 225 | 217 | 1124 | 2nd, Mountain | Hardy Sauter | 2011 | W, 3–2,LV | L, 0–4,AK | — | — | |
| 2011–12 | 72 | 31 | 32 | 2 | 7 | 71 | 194 | 236 | 1169 | 4th, Mountain | 2012 | W, 3–2,ONT | L, 1–4,LV | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | 72 | 45 | 20 | 1 | 6 | 97 | 262 | 198 | 1337 | 2nd, Mountain | Brad Ralph | 2013 | W, 4–2,COL | W, 4–2,ONT | L, 1–4,STK | — | |
| 2013–14 | 72 | 39 | 26 | 3 | 4 | 85 | 223 | 212 | 1418 | 2nd, Mountain | 2014 | W, 4–2,COL | L, 1–4,AK | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | 72 | 48 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 102 | 258 | 187 | 1170 | 1st, Pacific | 2015 | L, 2–4,UTA | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | 72 | 38 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 86 | 203 | 187 | 917 | 2nd, West | Neil Graham | 2016 | L, 3–4,ALN | — | — | — | |
| 2016–17 | 72 | 43 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 93 | 234 | 206 | 1122 | 3rd, Mountain | 2017 | L, 1–4,COL | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | 72 | 44 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 96 | 244 | 188 | 1240 | 2nd, Mountain | 2018 | W, 4–3,ALN | L, 0–4,COL | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | 72 | 41 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 88 | 241 | 203 | 1410 | 2nd, Mountain | 2019 | W, 4–1,UTA | L, 2–4,TUL | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | 61 | 36 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 79 | 168 | 155 | 744 | 2nd, Mountain | Everett Sheen | 2020 | Season cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 2020–21 | Opted out of participating due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | 2021 | did not participate | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 72 | 36 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 75 | 216 | 191 | 807 | 5th, Mountain | Everett Sheen | 2022 | did not qualify | ||||
| 2022–23 | 72 | 58 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 119 | 290 | 153 | 833 | 1st, Mountain | 2023 | W, 4–2,UTA | W, 4–1,ALN | W, 4–1,TOL | L, 0–4,FLA | ||
| 2023–24 | 72 | 48 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 303 | 242 | 830 | 2nd, Mountain | 2024 | W, 4–1,ALN | L, 1–4,KCM | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | 72 | 37 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 84 | 251 | 231 | 912 | 5th, Mountain | 2025 | did not qualify | |||||
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Jeremy Mylymok | D | 2000–2006 | December 1, 2008[23] |
| 12 | Scott Burt | LW | 2000-2007 | February 3, 2018[24] |
| 16 | Marty Flichel | RW | 2002–2012 | January 5, 2015[25] |
| 22 | Cal Ingraham | F | 1998–2002 | October 28, 2004 |
| Year | League | Trophy |
|---|---|---|
| 2003–2004 | ECHL | Kelly Cup |
| 2006–2007 | ECHL | Kelly Cup |
| 2009–2010 | ECHL | Brabham Cup |
| 2022–2023 | ECHL | Brabham Cup |
Media related toIdaho Steelheads at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by | Kelly Cup champions 2003–04 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Kelly Cup champions 2006–07 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Brabham Cup champions 2009–10 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Brabham Cup champions 2022–23 | Succeeded by Incumbent |
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