Steel Kick off Home Preseason Slate on Saturday
September 7, 2022 – United States Hockey League (USHL) – Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS – Chicago Steel fans can catch a glimpse of the start of hockey season in Chicago this weekend when the Steel take on the Muskegon Lumberjacks in a pair of preseason contests Friday, Sep. 9 at Trinity Health Arena at 6:10 pm CT and on Steel home ice at Fox Valley Ice Arena Saturday, Sep. 10 at 7:05 pm CT.
New for the 2022-2023 season, all Chicago Steel tickets will be digital and available on mobile devices. Fans should create their profile online. For more information on digital tickets for the Chicago Steel, click here. Fans attending Saturday’s game and all Steel home games this season are encouraged to purchase tickets prior to arriving at the arena to avoid any delays on game night.
This weekend marks the inaugural Steel Icebreaker tournament, an elite AAA showcase that will include 42 teams from North America, facing off at rinks in Chicagoland including Fox Valley Ice Arena from Friday, September 9 through Sunday, September 11, 2022. Participating teams will be in attendance at Saturday’s game.
Included on the Steel preseason roster are eight forwards, five defensemen and two goaltenders who return to the club after playing for Chicago a season ago.
For just the third time in team history, the Steel return a pair of goaltenders to the roster with more than 10 games of USHL experience apiece in Jack Stark and Christian Manz.
Stark, a 2021 USHL All-Rookie First Team selection, returns to the crease after missing most of the 2021-2022 season due to injury. In his first USHL season in 2020-2021, the Yale University commit totaled an 11-3-0-0 record with a 2.64 goals against average and an .896 save percentage in 14 games. Stark appeared in one regular season game in 2021-2022, earning a victory in his only appearance.
Manz, a native of Blaine, Minn., appeared in 19 games during the 2021-2022 campaign with a 12-4-2-0 mark in addition to a 2.83 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.
Leading the offensive attack for the Steel are two skaters selected in the 2022 NHL Draft in July. Forwards Nick Moldenhauer, chosen in the Third Round (#95 Overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Zam Plante, a Fifth Round selection (#150 Overall) of the Pittsburgh Penguins, return to the Steel roster after their rookie seasons a year ago.
Moldenhauer, a native of Mississauga, Ontario, was named to the 2021-2022 USHL All-Rookie Second Team after totaling 43 points (18G, 25A) over 41 games, one of just two league rookies to average over a point per game with more than 40 games played.
Plante led Hermantown High to a Minnesota High School State Championship, splitting his 2021-2022 campaign between Hermantown and the Steel. The University of Minnesota-Duluth commit finished the USHL season with 14 points (6G, 8A) over his final 14 regular season games with Chicago en route to 21 points (10G, 11A) in 31 appearances for the Steel.
Behind the bench, Steel head coach and general manager Mike Garman takes over the head coaching duties after the ascension of previous head coach Brock Sheahan to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL in the same capacity.
This weekend’s opponent, the Muskegon Lumberjacks have reached the Clark Cup Playoffs in five consecutive seasons dating back to the 2016-2017 slate (2020 playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19). Muskegon reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2022, falling to Madison in five games.
The Lumberjacks are led by fifth year head coach Mike Hamilton, recipient of the 2021 USHL Coach of the Year award.
Returning to Muskegon for the 2022-2023 season is Lumberjacks defenseman Jeremiah Slavin, brother of two Steel Alumni, Jaccob and Josiah Slavin. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound blueliner appeared in 42 games with Muskegon during his rookie year, including three contests against the Steel.
After a pair of home games to finish the preseason against the Youngstown Phantoms on Friday, Sep. 16 and Saturday, Sep. 17 at 7:05 pm CT, the Steel begin the 2022-2023 season on Thursday, September 22 at the Dick’s Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, PA.
Single game tickets are on sale now by calling 855-51-STEEL, purchasing at ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com or visiting the Steel box office at Fox Valley Ice Arena during business hours. Starting this season, all Steel tickets are now digital. To learn more, visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
Season ticket plans starting at 5 games for just $50 and group tickets and experiences are on sale now by calling 855-51-STEEL or emailing [email protected].
Chicago Steel Preseason Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, September 9 at Muskegon Lumberjacks (PRESEASON) (6:10 pm CT)
Saturday, September 10 vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks (PRESEASON) (7:05 pm CT)
Friday, September 16 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (PRESEASON) (7:05 pm CT)
Saturday, September 17 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (PRESEASON) (7:05 pm CT)
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