The Chicago Steel are members of the

United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...

, joining the league in 2000. The Steel have played their home games at

Fox Valley Ice Arena Fox Valley Ice Arena is a public skating facility offering basic to advanced skating lessons for both figure skating and hockey. In addition, it is home to the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League. It contains two rinks: one measures ...

Geneva, Illinois Geneva is a city in and the county seat of Kane County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the western side of the Chicago suburbs. Per the 2020 census, the population was 21,393. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, located between S ...

, since 2015; previously, the team played at

Edge Ice Arena The Edge Ice Arena includes ''The Edge on John Street'', ''The Water's Edge Aquatic Center'', and The ''Edge II Ice Arena'' a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Bensenville, Illinois. It had been used as the official training facility and ...

Bensenville, Illinois Bensenville is a village located near O'Hare International Airport in DuPage County, Illinois, with a portion of the town in Cook County. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 18,813. First known as Tioga, it was formally establishe ...

, from 2000 to 2015.

History

The Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks, founded in 1996, moved to

, 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. On May 22, 2017, the Steel defeated the

Sioux City Musketeers The Sioux City Musketeers are a junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Musketeers' home ice is Tyson Events Center. The team was founded in 1972, and has won three Anderson Cups a ...

2–1 in overtime of game five, finishing a 3-games-to-2 series win to claim the franchise's first

Clark Cup The United States Hockey League began in 1961 as a semi-professional ice hockey league. Starting with the 1979–80 season, the league became a strictly Amateur league, and began awarding its champion the Clark Cup Trophy. All champions of the USHL ...

. Head coach Dan Muse would then be hired by the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

as an assistant coach and Mark Abalan would take over as head coach of the Steel. On January 2, 2018, Abalan was let go and

Ryan Cruthers Ryan Cruthers (born July 4, 1984, in Farmingdale, New York) is a former professional ice hockey player. In 2019, he became the assistant coach of the NCAA Robert Morris of Atlantic Hockey. During Cruthers' pre-collegiate career he won an East ...

was named interim head coach and assistant general manager of the Steel. During the 2018 Clark Cup playoffs, the interim tag was removed and Cruthers was named the permanent head coach, however, Cruthers would leave the team in May 2018 when the Steel hired Ryan Hardy as general manager. Greg Moore was then hired as the head coach for the 2018–19 season after previously serving as an assistant with Team USA. In 2019, Moore left to become head coach of the

Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies is owned by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a c ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

and Brock Sheahan was promoted to head coach. The Steel then won the regular season championship, the

Anderson Cup The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...

, in the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 season. The Steel won a second-straight Anderson Cup in the shortened 2020–21 season and subsequently won their second Clark Cup as playoff champions.

Notable alumni

Jake Chelios Jake Chelios (born March 8, 1991), also known as Jieke Kailiaosi, is an American-born professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently playing in China for Kunlun Red Star in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Born in the United States, he r ...

, played for the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

, son of

Chris Chelios Christos Kostas Chelios (born January 25, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He was one of the longest tenured players in the National Hockey League, and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion—one with the Montreal Can ...

Matt Clackson Matthew Clackson (born April 26, 1985) is a Canadian-born American former professional ice hockey right winger who played six seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) for five different teams. His father, Kim Clackson, played in the National Ho ...

, former

(AHL) player and son of

Kim Clackson Kimbel Gerald Clackson (born February 13, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 106 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and 271 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA). Clackson played for the Winnipeg ...

* Dennis Gilbert, played for the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

* Tom Gilbert, played for the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

, and

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

Drew LeBlanc Andrew John LeBlanc (born June 29, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Augsburger Panther of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He won the Hobey Baker Award in 2013 as the top National Collegiate Athle ...

, played two games for the Chicago Blackhawks * Andrew Miller, played for the Edmonton Oilers * John Moore, played for the

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

, and

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

as well as an 2011 AHL All-Star *

Travis Morin Travis Andrew Morin (born January 9, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey player who briefly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Dallas Stars. He most notably played with the Stars American Hockey League (AHL) affil ...

, played for the

Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...

Jamie Oleksiak Jamieson Oleksiak (born December 21, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed the "Big Rig", Oleksiak was selected 14th overall in the first ro ...

, plays for the

Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and began play during the league's 2021–22 season. ...

* Danny Richmond, played for the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

and Chicago Blackhawks *

Philip Samuelsson Philip Bo Samuelsson (born July 26, 1991) is a Swedish-American professional ice hockey defenceman for Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Samuelsson was drafted in the second round, 61st overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by ...

, played for

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

and Arizona Coyotes, son of

Ulf Samuelsson Ulf Bo Samuelsson (born March 26, 1964) is a Swedish-American former professional ice hockey defenceman who formerly served as assistant coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. He played several seasons in the NHL with the Har ...

Jaccob Slavin Jaccob Scott Slavin (born May 1, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Slavin was selected by the Hurricanes in the fourth round, 120th ove ...

, plays for the

Lee Sweatt Walter Lee Sweatt (born August 13, 1985) 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 (NHL) in 2011, bef ...

, played for the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...

Owen Power Owen Power (born November 22, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played college ice hockey for the University of Michigan. Power was drafted first overall by the ...

, 1st overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, plays for the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

Team spirit

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

Roster

As of December 24, 2022.

References

External links

Chicago Steel Hockey Team
Official site {{Chicagosports 2000 establishments in Illinois Amateur ice hockey teams in Illinois Bensenville, Illinois

Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

Ice hockey clubs established in 2000 United States Hockey League teams Sports in Kane County, Illinois Geneva, Illinois