'Steel'-ing the spotlight

This Friday, the 2015 NHL Entry Draft kicks off in Sunrise, Florida. There are many USHL players alike that are eligible to get drafted into the pros, and last year's NHL Draft saw a record 35 USHL players drafted in the two days the draft took place, including two Chicago Steel players. Check out the infographic below to see which Steel players are in the spotlight for the upcoming draft!

Alumni Check-In: Brendon Kearney

When you’re as passionate about hockey as Brendon Kearney is, there are no days off. The Steel alum and Northville, Mich. native is heading to rival Big 10 country to continue his playing career at Ohio State University this fall. Though both of his parents attended college at the University of Michigan, it didn’t take long for them to come around to the idea of Brendon donning the scarlet and gray in the name of the sport he loves.

The magnitude of the opportunity isn’t wasted on Brendon, either. He is spending his summer back home, working hard to prepare himself physically for his August arrival to Columbus. This includes daily workouts split between weight training and cardio. The rigor doesn’t bother him, though. According to Brendon, his commitment to excelling at the college level stems from his two seasons spent with the Steel.  The assistant captain’s career stats in Chicago totaled 100 games played and 19 goals scored along with 32 assists, amassing 51 total points. He attributes good coaching and the high level of competition he faced in the USHL as pivotal reasons for his success and elevated level of play.

Though his mentality is firmly centered on work, Brendon says he has been able to escape the grind to take in a few Detroit Tigers games this season, some much deserved fun for the self-proclaimed baseball fanatic. He and his family will also be heading to Costa Rica for vacation soon and Brendon’s greatest concern lies not with what to pack but with staying on track physically. He is looking forward to relaxing, but not until he has finished his morning workout. 

With a bright future ahead of him, Brendon has stayed humble and grateful. “I wouldn’t change a thing about my time in Chicago,” he noted. Neither would the Steel. His contributions to the organization both on and off the ice won’t be forgotten and his future success is imminent and well-deserved. --Madeline Lena

Photo by MJB Images

Meet the Interns: Summer 2015

Chris Kwiecinski - Media Relations Intern

Chris Kwiecinski is a senior at Bradley University, where he majors in Sports Communication and minors in Social Media Marketing. He hails from the Chicago suburb Vernon Hills, which is 45 minutes north of the city, and is an aspiring sports journalist. When it comes to sports experience, Chris isn’t a Michael Jordan, as his last time playing organized sports came on the court of his eighth grade basketball team. However, he is no stranger in the sports world, as he’s covered club hockey, NCAA basketball, baseball and soccer at the Division I level as the Sports Editor of the Bradley Scout Newspaper. He also assists with game day operations on the Braves Vision crew in Bradley Athletics department. As a hockey fan, Chris roots sportively for his hometown Chicago Blackhawks. But, he also keeps track of Winnipeg Jets defenseman, and Blackhawk alumni, Dustin Byfuglien, who is his favorite player. When he has downtime, Chris enjoys diving into Netflix, where he is currently binge watching the doctor comedy Scrubs, or listening to his favorite musical artists, which include Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino and Neil Diamond. On Friday nights, you can find Chris at the Portillos off of Route 60 enjoying a classic cheeseburger with everything on it, planning a vacation to Tybee Island in sunny Georgia.


Emily Schmalbach - Media Relations Intern

Born and raised in Chicago, Ill., Schmalbach joins the Steel as in intern for the Media Relations Department. Graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in Communication, she worked for their Athletic Department for three years. Growing up in Chicago, she has been a Blackhawks fan for twenty years. The Hawks alone didn't interest her, but the love of the game did. Schmalbach is a fan of hockey in general, and how many of the athletes represent themselves and their organization. Her favorite player is Tyler Seguin because of his actions on and off the ice. Schmalbach's hobbies include softball, roller hockey with friends, traveling, and listening to country music. With the Steel, she hopes to further her knowledge in hockey operations.


Madeline Lena - Media Relations Intern

Madeline Lena, a native of Oak Park, Ill., recently graduated from Saint Louis University with a degree in Communication and Sports Business. She has a passion for sports and storytelling that guide her career aspirations in sports media. Her favorite food is hot sauce and she would trust Duncan Keith with her life due to his reliability. Madeline lives and dies by the Entourage gang and is optimistic for the movie, but her unrelenting film of choice is and will always be Forrest Gump. She enjoys all music except for country, and finds herself in a constant state of disadvantage throughout everyday due to her left-handedness.




Matthew Johnson - Sales Intern

Born and raised in Burbank, Ill., Matthew is a senior at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Some of Matthew's previous work experience includes being the Athletic Equipment Room Assistant for Ball State Intercollegiate Athletics. Matthew has also worked with Game Operations during his time at Ball State, assisting with their game day parking and promotions. Along with his time at Ball State, Matthew has helped the Mid-American Conference with their on the field Instant Replay during the 2014 football season. Some of Matthew’s favorite things include traveling to Australia, watching Chicago Fire or watching his favorite movie Space Jam. On his down time, he likes to listen to music and enjoys playing/watching sports. His favorite sport to watch is hockey, along with his favorite team the Chicago Blackhawks, or watching his favorite player, Carey Price.

CJ Wilson Mazda Player of the Month: Tanner Laczynski

The Chicago Steel would like to congratulate forward Tanner Laczynski on being named the CJ Wilson Mazda Player of the Month. 

Laczynski scored four goals and added four assists over the Steel’s five games in April. He finished the season third in scoring on the Steel with 46 points (18g, 28a) in 57 games. The Shorewood, Ill. native posted four consecutive multi-point games in April, and earned CCM Forward of the Week honors in the final week of the regular season. The 6-foot, 182-pound forward is committed to the Ohio State University.

CJ Wilson Mazda is a proud sponsor of the Chicago Steel. With three dealerships across Chicagoland, CJ Wilson Mazda is one of the nation’s top Mazda dealer groups with one of the nation’s largest inventories. CJ Wilson isn’t your typical car guy, and CJ Wilson Mazda is not your typical car dealership. For more information on CJ Wilson Mazda, please visit http://zoomzoomnation.com/.

Scenes From the Steel Game

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

Photo by: MJB Images

WEEKEND MILESTONES

-Mikey Joyaux's goal on Friday gave him 20 points on the season. 

-Mason Bergh had two assists on Friday to give him 40 assists for the season. 

-John Ernsting scored his 10th goal of the season in Friday's win.

-Freddy Olofsson recorded his 60th point of the season on Friday.

-Ryan Blankemeier surpassed 30 points on the season in Cedar Rapids on Saturday.

-Connor Murphy recorded his 20th assist of the season, helping on Ryan Blankemeier's goal.

Chicago Steel Week 29 Game Preview

The Chicago Steel have two games in the final week of the 2014-15 regular season. Friday night, the Steel host the Green Bay Gamblers in their home finale. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the Steel head to Cedar Rapids, with play set to begin at 7:05 p.m.

The Steel (29-26-3) defeated the Youngstown Phantoms in Wednesday’s annual School Day Game, 5-4, in their first shootout of the season. Zach Osburn tallied the game-winning shootout goal and Lassi Yrjola made 41 saves for the win in net. Last weekend, the Steel split their two games against Bloomington and Team USA. The Thunder took down the Steel 4-3 on Friday, but Chicago bounced back on Saturday, defeating the U-17 Juniors, 4-3. Freddy Olofsson and Mason Bergh continue to lead the Steel in scoring, each with 59 points on the season. Dennis Gilbert and Jake Jaremko were both named to NHL Central Scouting’s “Final Rankings” of North American players eligible for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Gilbert and Jaremko came in at No. 58 and No. 110, respectively. Gilbert is now listed as the top-ranked USHL Defenseman eligible for the upcoming draft.

The Green Bay Gamblers (18-32-8) have struggled this season and are in last place in the Eastern Conference. The Gamblers dropped both of their games this past week, losing to Bloomington and Dubuque. The Steel are 3-1-1 against Green Bay this season. Mason Bergh has tallied ten points across the five meetings, including a six-point effort back in September. Lassi Yrjola is 2-0 against the Gamblers and recorded his only shutout of the season back in January in Green Bay.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (38-20-0) currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference and have qualified for the postseason for the second straight year. Cedar Rapids lost both of their road games last weekend. They will travel to Waterloo on Friday prior to hosting the Steel on Saturday evening. Erik Foley (52 points), Andrew Oglevie (51 points) and Jiri Fronk (49 points) lead the RoughRiders in scoring. The Steel are 0-2-1 against Cedar Rapids this year. 

Tickets for Friday’s game can be purchased by calling the Steel Ticket Office at 630-594-1161 or by visiting tickets.chicagosteelhockeyteam.com. Following Friday’s home game, we will have Skate with the Steel open to all fans! Skate rentals will be available for $1.00.     

CJ Wilson Mazda Player of the Month: Carson Vance

The Chicago Steel would like to congratulate defenseman Carson Vance on being named the CJ Wilson Mazda Player of the Month.

In the month of March, Vance led all Steel defenseman in scoring with nine points (3g, 6a) all in his first 10 games with the team. Acquired from the Youngstown Phantoms at the trade deadline, Vance has been off to a hot start for the Steel, highlighted by an overtime game winning goal against Team USA on the 14th.

CJ Wilson Mazda is a proud sponsor of the Chicago Steel. With three dealerships across Chicagoland, CJ Wilson Mazda is one of the nation’s top Mazda dealer groups with one of the nation’s largest inventories. CJ Wilson isn’t your typical car guy, and CJ Wilson Mazda is not your typical car dealership. For more information on CJ Wilson Mazda, please visit http://zoomzoomnation.com/