Catching Up With #12

Happy Thursday Steel Fans!! We hope that you are having a great week and enjoying all of the amazing weather outside.

Next Thursday will make it 2 months since the season ended. Even thought tryouts are right around the corner, many of you might be wondering what the players have been up to since they went back home.

Today we were able to talk to forward, Brendon Kearney, and find out what he has been up to since he headed back to Michigan. Check it out!!

Photo By: MJB Images

What have you been doing since the season ended?

Since the season has been over I’ve just been spending some time with friends and family as well as working out to stay in shape.

Do you have any big plans for the summer? What are they?

I’ve got a few big plans for the summer, after try-out camp in Chicago I head out to Buffalo where I’ll be a camp counselor for a Selects Hockey camp. Then in July my family and some friends are taking a vacation to Costa Rica for a week, and then finally a few friends and I are going to a 3-day country concert.

What are you looking forward to most this summer?

What I’m looking forward to most this summer is spending some much-needed time with friends and family. It gets tough at times during the season not being able to see everyone so I can’t wait to catch up with everyone.

Are you doing any preparation for next season? If so, how.

As far as preparation for next season I’ll be in the gym working out a couple days a week trying to get bigger and stronger, as well as on the ice working on things such as my stride and shot. I also spend time at home shooting pucks as well.

What’s been your favorite thing you’ve done since the end of the season?

My favorite thing since the season has ended has been going to some different ballparks with friends, I went to Wrigley before I left Chicago and have just been trying to get to as many different parks as I can.

What is your normal day like now that you're not at the rink everyday?

My normal day since the season has ended has typically been workouts and on ice in the morning then just relaxing for the rest of the day, maybe hangout by the pool in the afternoon and then usually spend some time with family or friends at night.

Photo By: MJB Images

Well Steel Fans we hope you enjoyed finding out what Brendon Kearney has been up to! We hope that your summer is as fun-filled as his is! 

Have a great weekend everyone!! 

Sponsor of the Week: Tom and Eddie's

Happy Tuesday Steel Fans! We hope that you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Today we are continuing our new series by highlighting another wonderful sponsor.

This week's sponsor is Tom and Eddie’s!

Tom and Eddie’s is a gourmet burger joint that offers a variety of burgers, salads, sides, and desserts. They give their customers the option to dine in, carry out, or order online. Tom and Eddie’s has been a sponsor and team favorite since 2011! Check out some of our favorite items below...

Brendon Kearney: The Ampersand with onion rings

Robby Jackson: Tried and True with sweet potato fries and a vanilla shake

John Ernsting: Blue Buffalo chicken sandwich with a root beer float

Cale Morris: Burger Primavera with chips

Katie Sack: Chicken Finger Platter with extra ranch and a side of fresh cut fries

RJ Bosworth: Tried and True burger with nothing on it, a side of fresh cut fries, and a chocolate shake

John Montalbano: Sunrise Caesar salad with grilled chicken

Steve Newton: The Blue Chip with sweet potato fries

Dan London: Chicken Capri sandwich with sweet potato fries

Tom and Eddie’s Locations and Hours of Operations:

Lombard:

348 Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL 60148

Sunday-Thursday: 11am-9pm

Friday and Saturday: 11am-10pm

Naperville:

1516 N. Naper Blvd.

Naperville, IL 60563

Sunday-Thursday: 11am-9pm

Friday and Saturday: 10:30am-10pm

For more locations and hours of operations please visit http://www.tomandeddies.com, and to view Tom and Eddie’s menu visit http://www.tomandeddies.com/Printable-Menu_973dc.html.

We hope you enjoy their food as much as we do!!

Happy Eating!!

Who's Next??

Happy Thursday Steel Fans! We hope you are having a great day and starting to make plans for Memorial Day weekend!!

After 14 seasons in the USHL the Chicago Steel have produced some amazing talent! With tryouts coming up, the question becomes who's next?? Check out our special video below that looks back on the Chicago Steel's 14 seasons!!

We hope you have a great weekend Steel Fans!! Be safe and have fun!! 

Memorial Day!!

Happy Hump Day Steel Fans! We hope that you had a great day today. I know that most of you would have rather been off work, enjoying the beautiful weather, but just think you have a three day weekend coming up.  

Today we decided to dedicate our post to the American men and women who are part of the military. As we all know, Monday is a day that we honor all of the men and women who fought for our country and lost their lives. Memorial Day became a national holiday in 1971, and is celebrated on the last Monday in the month of May. To give you an idea about how many people have put their lives in harm’s way for our freedom, look at the facts below…

U.S. War Casualties:
Civil War - Approximately 620,000 Americans died. The Union lost almost 365,000 troops and the Confederacy about 260,000. More than half of these deaths were caused by disease.

World War I - 116,516 Americans died, more than half from disease.

World War II - 405,399 Americans died.

Korean War - 36,574 Americans died.

Vietnam Conflict - 58,220 Americans died. More than 47,000 Americans were killed in action and nearly 11,000 died of other causes.

Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm - 148 U.S. battle deaths and 145 non-battle deaths.

Operation Iraqi Freedom - 4,422 U.S. service members died.

Operation New Dawn - 66 U.S. service members died.

Operation Enduring Freedom - 2,318 U.S. service members have died as of May 12, 2014.

 **Statistics were provided by CNN.com

The Chicago Steel would like to thank, honor, and remember all the men and women who lost their lives during their active duty. Without your sacrifice we wouldn’t have the freedom that we know and love today. We ask all of you to also remember the military men and women who lost their lives, their families and friends on this special holiday.

Happy Memorial Day!!

Throwback Thursday...Steel Style

Happy Thursday Steel Fans! We hope that you are having a great week. According to the Weather Channel, this weekend we are suppose to be in the 60's with some clouds. Hopefully you will be able to do some fun activities outside.

If any of you are on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter; you are aware that today is Throwback Thursday. Today we figured that we would look back at some of the highlights of the season. Check it out!

#1...Artem Artemov broke the Steel's 10 game losing streak on October 27th, when he scored the game-winning shoot-out goal against Cedar Rapids. Following this win, the team went on a 4 game winning streak.

Photo By: MJB Images

#2...On November 8th, John Ernsting scored his first USHL hat trick against the Green Bay Gamblers to secure a 6-3 W.

Photo By: MJB Images

#3...Cale Morris received his first USHL shutout on November 22nd when the Steel welcomed the Tri-City Storm to the Edge. This shutout was the first of three for Morris. His other two shutouts were against the Dubuque Fighting Saints and the Green Bay Gamblers. 

Photo By: MJB Images

#4...When the Chicago Steel welcomed the Muskegon Lumberjacks on March 22nd, Robby Jackson had one of his best games of the season, capitalizing 3 separate times and earning his first USHL hat trick. Jackson's hat trick helped propel the Steel to a 7-3 W. 

Photo By: MJB Images

#5...On March 29th, CJ Smith scored a hat trick against the Des Moines Buccaneers. Smith was the only player this season to score a hat trick while the boys were on the road. 

Photo By: MJB Images

#6...Captain Danny Fetzer ended his USHL and Chicago Steel career with a hat trick on April 2nd to snag a 5-2 W against the Youngstown Phantoms.  

Photo By: MJB Images

It's your turn Steel fans! What were some of the highlights for you this season? Let us know below or tag us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and we'll post them next Thursday!

Have a great day everyone, and enjoy your weekend!!

Sponsor of the Week: Mario's Deli

Happy Tuesday Steel Fans! We hope that you had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.  Today we are starting a new series, which will highlight one of our amazing sponsors.

This week's sponsor is Mario's Deli.

Mario's Deli is an Italian deli that offers a variety of subs, salads, and pastas to their customers. They give their customers the options to dine in, carry out, or have their food delivered. This establishment is a team favorite! Check out some of our favorite items below...

Brendon Kearney: Italian Sub

Robby Jackson: Meat Lasagna

John Ernsting: Italian Beef and Cheese

Cale Morris: Joey's Sub

Katie Sack: Mac and Cheese

RJ Bosworth: Italian Sausage Sub with extra red sauce and peppers, 

Iced Tea and milk chocolate M&M’s

John Montalbano: Spaghetti with red sauce with a meatball on the side

Steve Newton: Turkey and Cheese Sub

Dan London: Roast Beef Sub with Swiss cheese

Mario's Deli is located at:

18 S. Addison St.

Bensenville, IL 60106

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday: 9am-7pm

Saturday: 9am-3pm

Sunday: Closed

For more information or to place an order call (630) 238-1099.  To view Mario’s menu visit  http://www.mariosdeli2.com/index.html.

We hope you enjoy their food as much as we do!!

Bon Appetit!

Just In Time For Mother's Day!!

Happy Thursday Steel Fans!! In honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, we figured that we would give you an awesome prize to give to your mom, grandma, or aunt. What’s the prize? It’s an…

AUTOGRAPHED PINK PRACTICE JERSEY!!

To be entered into the contest tell us:

What do you love about your mom?

If you are a mom, tell us:

What about being a mom do you love?

Enter by commenting on this post, tweet the @ChiSteelInsider or @ChicagoSteel, or write a comment on our Facebook Page. You have from today until next Thursday, May 15^th.

Good luck, and to all the mom’s out there…

Mother's Day Ideas!

Happy Tuesday Everyone! We are well into May already with Mother's Day just around the corner. If you haven't started thinking about what to get mom or grandma for Mother's Day, we recommend you start thinking about it. Let's face it, when your mom or grandma gives you ideas about what they would like, it makes shopping a whole lot easier. It's when they say "surprise me" or "I'll love anything" that it makes it hard to figure something out.

Well don't worry too much, we've got some ideas for you today about what to get that special hockey mom or grandma in your life!

1. Hockey Mom Bracelet

Moms love when they can tell the world about their kids. What better way to do so than to let everyone know that their kid plays hockey? Mom's can wear this with their every day outfits, whether it is running errands, cooking, or working. It's classy but fun at the same time. .


2. Hockey Earrings 

This give is a subtle way for moms or grandmas to always have a little touch of hockey with them. As moms know when hockey is your kid's life, it also becomes your life. The earrings also add a special touch when your loved one is at the game cheering on you and your team. They can be worn for a game or in their every day life when they are taking you to and from practice, when they are shopping, or when they go out to coffee with a friend.


3. Hockey Mom Candles 

After a long and tiring day, sometimes all a mom wants to do is relax. This candle is a perfect idea if your mom loves to go to a quiet place and read or relax with a bubble bath. Candles have a way of making an environment more relaxing. Also, if you mom like's to light candles in general, this could be a nice addition to the decoration you have in your house.


4. Hockey Wine Glasses

Going along with relaxing at the end of the day, a glass of wine can also do the trick. These hand-panted wine glasses can be customized to have your name and number on them. Pair these glasses with your mom's favorite bottle of wine and it will be a gift that never stops giving. These glasses can be found on Etsy if you are interested.


5. Season Tickets

For the ultimate Steel hockey fan, you can surprise her with season tickets for the 2014-2015 season! This gift will continue to give for the next 8 months, plus it's something that you and your mom could do together. If you are interested in season tickets, call (630) 594-1161.

We hope that this gives you some ideas of what to get that special lady in your life. 

Moms, what has been your favorite Mother's Day gift?

We would like to send all those hockey moms out there a special thank you for always being the a taxi to and from practice, a nurse when your player was injured, a cook, a fan, and the biggest supporter that your player has in the stands. Without you your player wouldn't be where they are today. Thank you moms!! 

Draft Day

Happy Thursday Steel Fans! By the time the season rolls around the team has a total of 23 players on their roster. However, what happens in the months before the start of the season? Prior to tryouts, the USHL teams participate in a two day draft. This year the draft will be held on Monday, May 5th at 5pm and Tuesday, May 6th at 8am. To learn more about the draft process, check out the information below, provided by the USHL.  

The USHL Draft Process

The USHL Draft takes place during the first week of May each year and is completed in two “Phases”.

Phase I of the Draft is eight rounds of “Futures” age players only, which are U-17 players for next year’s season. (1998 birth year players only for the 2014 Draft) 

Phase II of the Draft will take place the following day beginning with round one. This draft is open to players of all ages eligible to play junior hockey and are not currently protected by another USHL team.  Teams will fill their roster to a total of 45 players on this date; this includes players that were previously on a team’s Affiliate List. The total number of players that a team will draft will vary depending on the number of Affiliate players a team may have.  All veteran roster players are automatically protected by their current team until July 10.

Teams will have their training camps/tryouts in June and July. Teams will typically have 60-80 players at their training camps. By July 10th, teams must be down to a 30-man protected and 18-man affiliate list. Undrafted players have the opportunity to go to any team’s camp and make the team as a tryout player.

Before the season starts, teams will be required to have their team rosters cut down to 23 players and teams are allowed to carry an 18-man affiliate list of players.

The above information gives you a generic idea about how the draft works, but what does it look like from the eyes of an organization? We were also able to sit down with Coach RJ Enga to get learn more about the draft, and see how the coaches get ready for it. Check it out! 

Prior to the draft, how do you scout players?

We start in September looking at the NAHL and AAA leagues. By the time the draft comes around we have an idea of the player pool. We know what we need and look for players to replace the one we have here who are going to be leaving for college.

How do you decide what players you want to draft?

We look at hockey ability. However, we also take into consideration the character, personality, and work ethic of the player we are scouting. We know our players and we know what will fit well into our team. It’s also important for us to meet with these kids, talk to coaches, and other teammates, to get an idea of who they are.

What does draft day look like for you?

It’s a long day, and we drink a lot of coffee. There are a lot of names being thrown around, as well as, a lot of communication and discussion. Overall we look at a lot of different variables and pick who we believe will be the best. In the office we have names of players we want to draft on a board. We continue to look up stats, talk to coaches, players, and advisers to ensure that we have all of our bases covered.

What happens when your pick gets taken?

Before the draft we have a list of players under each round number, arranged in order of who we would pick first. We go off of those names for each round. However, if we see someone who we like that wasn’t picked, in an earlier round, we’ll move him over and push the other picks back a round.

What is your favorite part about the draft?

My favorite part is the excitement about getting a new player and knowing you are part of a young man’s dream. It’s rewarding to hear the excitement in their voice, and see where the future of the organization is going.

What is the toughest part about the draft?

The toughest part is selecting the right player at the right pick. It’s all a projection, based on research, scouting, and knowing if the player will live up to their potential.

For new coaches, what advice would you give them about doing a draft?

My advice would be to know your current team and what would fit best. When looking at potential players know about them, talk to people who know them, do your research so you can select the best players for your team, collaborate with staff, and know the personality of your locker room. 

We hope you were able to learn something new about the draft. We would also like to thank Coach Enga for taking the time out of his day to sit down and talk with us. 

If you are interested in watching the draft live, and for free, log on to http://www.ushl.com. 

Have a great day Steel fans!!