Planning For Turkey Day!!

Happy Tuesday Steel Fans!! We are only 2 DAYS away from Thanksgiving this year! Everyone has a different reason as to why they are excited for Thanksgiving. Some are excited to be able to spend it with family and friends, to watch the Macy's day parade, have a day off of work, or to have an amazing meal and just relax. Either way, we all have some idea of what our Thanksgiving is going to look like. Today, we asked the boys what their plans are for Thanksgiving. Check it out! 

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

Mason Bergh #15
Spending Thanksgiving with my family in downtown Chicago.

Victor Bjorkung #27

Spend time with my billets.

Jake Bunz #3

Spend it with the whole family.

John Ernsting #18

Have dinner at my grandparents' house with my cousins.

Danny Fetzer #26
Eat and rest.

Robby Jackson #23

Have a big meal with my family and host family. 

Brady Jones #19 

Rest and enjoy time with my family and get ready for all of our games that week.

Brendon Kearney #12 

Practice and a good dinner with billets.

Nate Kwiecinski #5
Spend it with the boys and also my billet family.

Zach LaValle #11

Chill with my billets.

Brian LeBlanc #14

No clue

Biagio Lerario #9

Have a family gathering at my house. 

Connor McDonald #24
Being with the boys.


Liam McGing #4
Eat with family.


Cale Morris #35
Spending it with family/friends.


Chris Nell #31
Dinner with the family.


Robbie Payne #21
Eat lots of food.


Patrick Polino #17
Not sure yet.


John Schilling #16
Spending time with family and friends.

Peter Tischke #6
Hangout with the family.


Alec Vanko #28
Hopefully get to spend it with my family.


Connor Yau #2
Spend time with family.

Steel Fans we would like to wish you and your family a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving this year. May you be blessed with love and joy during this holiday season. 

Don't forget Steel fans the boys are home this weekend. On Friday, the Steel will welcome the Des Moines Buccaneers, for a 7:30pm match-up, and on Saturday, the boys will be welcoming the Indiana Ice, for a 7:05pm match-up. To order your tickets call (630) 594-1161 or order online at http://tickets.chicagosteelhockeyteam.com. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a puck-tastic day everyone!!

Project C.A.R.E.

Happy Thursday Steel fans!! We hope you are having a great week. During the hockey season our players visit W.A. Johnson Elementary School, Tioga Elementary School, and Blackhawk Middle School to help out with a program called Project C.A.R.E. Plus. This program is an academic mentoring program where volunteers work in the schools each week, assisting groups of students in their learning process. Last year along over 300 volunteers gave more than 6,000 hours of their time to the children. 

The Chicago Steel players have been working with Project C.A.R.E. for three years now. Each year our players spend one day a week, either Tuesday or Wednesday, at one of the local schools helping students learn. At the beginning of the year, we ask the players where they would like to help out. Most people would think that gym would be the first place on their list, however, this year's group all decided that they wanted to help out in a classroom. 

Yesterday we tagged along with our Wednesday Project C.A.R.E. group, which included: Liam McGing, Jake Bunz, Victor Bjorkung, Connor Yau, Alec Vanko, Chris Nell, and John Schilling, to get some pictures and insight into a normal day at Project C.A.R.E. We were able to observe the boys in gym class, Kindergarten, 1st grade, 3rd grade, and 8th grade. Check out some pictures below and thoughts from the boys about Project C.A.R.E.









 "I like going to Project CARE because it give you a chance to connect with the local community. My favorite part is seeing the smiles on the kids' faces when you come to help."
















"I like seeing the kid's reaction when I come in to help. My favorite part is when the kids know the answer right away and are jumping out of their seat to answer."






















"I enjoy going to Project CARE because the kids faces light up when I show up. I also like seeing the kids improve on their addition and subtraction facts every week."




















"I enjoy going to Project CARE to see the kids smiling faces every morning because they are ready to have fun and learn. My favorite part is being able to spend time with the kids and build relationships."


















"Project CARE gives me a chance to give back and shed some knowledge to kids. My favorite part is teaching the kids new information."

















"I enjoy teaching kids to read and helping them with necessary life skills. I favorite part is connecting with the kids and helping them learn."























"I like to see all the kids get all excited. My favorite part is spending time with the kindergarten kids."








Project C.A.R.E. is a great way to give back to the community. The players have loved the opportunity to work with the students and watch them grow. If you would like to donate your time or learn more about Project C.A.R.E. please click here. 

Have a great day Steel fans and we look forward to hopefully seeing you this weekend!! 

Yum, Yum, Yum!!

Happy Tuesday Steel Fans!! As of Thursday we are only a week away from Thanksgiving! No one can believe how fast Thanksgiving come up on us, it feels like Halloween was just here! This week people are either starting or finishing their menu. Today, we asked the boys what food items they are looking forward to this Thanksgiving. Check it out! 

What food item(s) are you looking forward to most at Thanksgiving dinner?

Mason Bergh #15
French Silk Pie

Victor Bjorkung #27

Turkey

Jake Bunz #3

Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy

John Ernsting #18

Turkey and mashed potatoes

Danny Fetzer #26
Turkey and Dad's stuffing

Robby Jackson #23

Turkey and mashed potatoes

Brady Jones #19 

Turkey, cheese and cracker lunchables

Brendon Kearney #12 

Turkey, stuffing, and potatoes

Nate Kwiecinski #5
Stuffing, ham, baked potatoes

Zach LaValle #11

Turkey and mashed potatoes

Brian LeBlanc #14

Mashed potatoes and gravy

Biagio Lerario #9

Sweet potatoes

Connor McDonald #24
Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes


Liam McGing #4
Mashed potatoes and corn


Cale Morris #35
Turkey and green beans


Chris Nell #31
Turkey, mashed potatoes, and steak


Robbie Payne #21
Pumpkin Pie and Mashed Potatoes


Patrick Polino #17
Mashed Potatoes and Turkey


John Schilling #16
Turkey and ham

Peter Tischke #6
Turkey and potatoes


Alec Vanko #28
I'm not a huge fan of the food on Thanksgiving.


Connor Yau #2
Steak, stuffing, and mashed potatoes

Steel Fans we hope that your Thanksgiving menus are coming along. 
What food are you looking forward to most this Thanksgiving?  

Don't forget the boys are home this weekend. On Friday, the Steel will welcome the Tri-City Storm, for a 7:30pm match-up, and on Saturday, the boys will be welcoming the Dubuque Fighting Saints, for a 7:05pm match-up. To order your tickets call (630) 594-1161 or order online at http://tickets.chicagosteelhockeyteam.com. 

Have a puck-tastic day everyone!!

You're Invited!!

Happy Thursday Steel Fans!! With only a few weeks away from Thanksgiving, people are starting to send out their invites and figure out who they will be spending their Thanksgiving meal with. Today, we asked the boys to name three people (dead or alive) who they would want to have Thanksgiving with. Check it out! 

If you could invite 3 people (dead or alive) to have Thanksgiving with you, who would it be?

Mason Bergh #15
1. Paul Bissionnette
2. Abraham Lincoln
3. Will Ferrell


Victor Bjorkung #27
1. Wayne Gretzky
2. Megan Fox
3. Sidney Crosby


Jake Bunz #3
1. Neil Jenkins
2. Bubbles
3. Batman


John Ernsting #18
1. Jesus
2. Adam Sandler
3. William Shakespeare


Danny Fetzer #26
Fetzer family

Robby Jackson #23
1. Jonathan Towes
2. Babe Ruth
3 Muhammad Ali


Brady Jones #19
1. Candace Parker
2. Neil Armstrong
3. Harry R. Drackett



Brendon Kearney #12
1. Kate Upton
2. Selena Gomez
3. Alex Morgan


Nate Kwiecinski #5
1. Papa Ray
2. Parents/family
3. Alex Morgan


Zach LaValle #11
1. Rod Kimble
2. Ron Burgundy
3. Billy Madison


Brian LeBlanc #14
All 4 of my grandparents


Biagio Lerario #9
1. Kate Upton
2. Megan Fox
3. Mila Kunis


Connor McDonald #24
1. Mom
2. Dad
3. Older sister


Liam McGing #4
1. Richard Dawkins
2. Charles Darwin
3. Julius Caesar


Cale Morris #35
1. Mom
2. Sisters
3. Doggie


Chris Nell #31
3 people from the original Thanksgiving


Robbie Payne #21
1. Lionel Messi
2. Stu Holden
3. My Grandma


Patrick Polino #17
My parents and brothers


John Schilling #16
1. Grandma
2. Barack Obama
3. Will Ferrell

Peter Tischke #6
1. Mr. Schilling
2. Ariana Grande
3. Kearney



Alec Vanko #28
1. Ronald Regan
2. Lebron James
3. Aaron Rodgers


Connor Yau #2
1. Lewis
2. Clark
3. Sacajawea

Steel Fans tell us three people you would invite to Thanksgiving with you and your family. Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, the Blog, or Instagram us a picture!  

Have a great day everyone, and make sure to watch the boys today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) on FastHockey.com as they take on the Lincoln Stars and the Omaha Lancers!

An Inside Look With Katie Sack!

Happy Tuesday Steel Fans!! 

Today we talked with Katie Sack, 
Director of Community Relations and Assistant to the GM.
Check it out!!!

Born and raised in Plainfield, Ill., Sack is in her tenth season as the director of community relations and the assistant to the General Manager. She initially began as a game day intern during the 2003-2004 season, while working towards a degree in marketing at the University of Illinois at Chicago. During her time at UIC, Katie was a member of the nationally ranked Cheerleading team for four seasons.

As the Director of Community Relations, Katie is responsible for scheduling player appearances within the community and handling all communication between the Steel staff, housing families, and player families. Her favorite part of the job is that she gets the opportunity to interact with families and fans on game days and in the community. Additionally, she likes being a part of an organization that gives the players tools for their future success on and off the ice. Along with working at the Steel, Katie is also the Head Coach for competitive cheerleading teams at Team Illinois Cheerleading, Inc.

What is your primary role (what do you do) with the Chicago Steel?

I organize community & player appearances throughout the year.  I also handle most of the communication between the Steel front office/coaching staff and the player & housing families.  Throughout the season I also run game day operations and organize Steel selection camp in June.  I also take care of making sure the front office, interns and coaching staff receive their fair share of cookies and brownies J

How did you first get involved with the Steel?

I was doing research for a paper in my marketing class back in college and reached out to one of the Steel staff members at the time, Kevin Erlenbach.  After the interview I got involved in helping out on game days and I’ve been here ever since… haha

What is your favorite part about working for the Steel?

I love the people I work with… all 5 of the front office members were all interns with the Steel at one point in time.  Most of us have been together for a number of years.  We’ve had our highs and lows but in the end we all have a great working relationship.

I love getting the opportunity to interact with families and fans on game days and in the community.  I also enjoy being a part of an organization that gives the players the tools they need to grow as a player on and off the ice so they can be successful at whatever it is they choose to do in the future.

What would you say is the hardest part about your job?

I would say the hardest part of my job is getting people to understand who the Chicago Steel is and what the USHL is all about.  The popularity of hockey has grown tremendously in the Chicago-land area over the past couple of years however many “new” hockey fans don’t understand what a great opportunity they have to see the up and coming hockey players right here in Chicago.  Chicago is a HUGE sports and entertainment market where fans have many different options to choose from on any given night.

What are you looking forward to most this season?

I am looking forward to seeing the team grow on and off the ice.  We seem to have a great group of players who have been great to work with out in the community.  They seem to be coming together as a team on the ice as well and hopefully we can continue to build and put up some more wins.

What is your typical day like at the Steel for you?

Every day tends to be different but typically I come in check my email and voicemails first.  During the day I am usually working on things like ticket documents for RJ and Dan, roster information for the coaching staff, scheduling community appearances, updating social media, etc.  Every day varies… some days start off with player appearances while other days are geared towards getting things done for an upcoming game.

What is a typical game day like for you?

I start my day off like I normally do by checking emails and voicemails.  Then I get to work on all of the game day paper (Rusty’s Reports, Media Guides, Team Agendas, Public Address Announcements, Game Script, etc.) as well as I help with set up of the arena.  The staff dinner & meeting normally happens around 5:00 pm and from there I change into game day attire and I normally run around like crazy collecting linecharts from both teams, making sure groups are in the correct spots for the pre-game activities and help out in the box office if need be. Once the game starts I run all of the in game promotions and activities… and when we win myself and RJ take care of the 3 stars of the game.  Depending on if we have another game the next day or not, the madness starts all over again that night doing prep work for the game the next day.

Join us next time as we talk to Tom Kobel who is the 

Director of Off-Ice Officials. 

I'm Thankful For...

Happy Thursday Steel Fans!! This month we are reminded of everything that we are thankful for. Some of you might be doing the Instagram or Facebook challenge that has you write or show something that you are thankful for, every day until Thanksgiving. Some people are thankful for their health, family, the troops, their faith, and the list goes on and on. Today, we asked the boys to name three things that they are thankful for, not including family or friends. Check it out! 

Name 3 things you are thankful for this Thanksgiving (not including family or friends).

Mason Bergh #15
1. I'm thankful for being apart of this team with this group of guys.
2. Good Health
3. The game of hockey


Victor Bjorkung #27
1. My health
2. Food
3. Hockey


Jake Bunz #3
The ability to play hockey everyday.

John Ernsting #18
1. Hockey
2. Food
3. Being Healthy


Danny Fetzer #26
Chicago Steel



Robby Jackson #23
1. Hockey
2. The boys
3 Warm Clothes


Brady Jones #19
1. Being able to play hockey
2. The boys
3. My Billets
4. God
5. Food


Brendon Kearney #12
1. Ability to play hockey
2. Good health
3. Good billets


Nate Kwiecinski #5
1. Being healthy
2. Support to fulfill my dream
3. God


Zach LaValle #11
1. Food
2. Hockey
3. Cherry Lozenges


Brian LeBlanc #14
1. Hockey
2. My health
3. Plenty of food


Biagio Lerario #9
1. My teammates
2. Food
3. My coaches



Connor McDonald #24
1. Hockey
2. Being healthy
3. The troops


Liam McGing #4
1. Food
2. Health
3. Team


Cale Morris #35
1. Hockey
2. Health
3. Being safe/blessed





Chris Nell #31
1. My health
2. Being able to play hockey
3. Lululemon


Robbie Payne #21
1. Being traded
2. Being healthy
3. Being able to play hockey


Patrick Polino #17
1. Being healthy
2. Able to play hockey
3. Technology


John Schilling #16
1. Hockey
2. Being healthy
3. Food

Peter Tischke #6
1. The boys
2. God
3. Pat Dolan


Alec Vanko #28
1. Health
2. Lululemon
3. Hockey


Connor Yau #2
1. The game of hockey
2. My house
3. J. Crew

Steel Fans tell us what you are thankful for during this time of the month, either through Facebook, Twitter, the Blog, or Instagram us a picture showing us!  

Have a great day everyone, and don't forget that the boys are home on Friday. They will be taking on the Green Bay Gamblers at 7:30pm, and make sure to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Northern IL Food Bank!!

Chicago Steel Food Drive!

Happy Tuesday Steel Fans!! We hope you had a wonderful weekend. This Friday we will be hosting a special event. On Friday, the Chicago Steel will be teaming up with the Northern Illinois Food Drive. For each non-perishable food item, fans will receive $2 off each ticket and a FREE Chuck-A-Puck. For more information, check out below!!

We hope to see you this Friday Steel Fans!! If you haven't ordered your tickets yet, you can still do so by calling (630) 594-1161 or going online at http://tickets.chicagosteelhockeyteam.com.