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Chicago Steel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 a hockey team that plays in the United States Hockey League, having joined 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

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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.[citation needed]

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

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Team spirit

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

References

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  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". January 2, 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 (December 1, 2019). "GREG MOORE NAMED HEAD COACH OF TORONTO MARLIES (AHL)". Chicago Steel. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  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. July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  13. ^ Mcardle, Tommy (December 7, 2023). "See Kurt Russell and Son Wyatt Russell Share a Scene Together in "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters "(Exclusive)". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
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