BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Steelheads are regular season champions of the ECHL, with hopes of a league championship front of mind. Idaho clinched the regular season title after knocking off Kansas City on Saturday night.
The last time Idaho brought home the Bramham Cup, the phrase 'Tik Tok' was simply a top of the chart single from Kesha. A lot has changed since then, 2010, but high-level hockey continues in the City of Boise.
Steelheads head coach Everett Sheen and captain AJ White agree, Idaho has a special team this year.
“It's a testament to how hard these guys have worked all season and, you know, kind of the first step in hopefully a long journey here,” Sheen said.
White said it’s been a team effort, with a deep roster to match.
“It's a special moment for all of us," Sheen said. "We definitely enjoyed it for the night and obviously it's one of our main goals, to be the best team in the league and that's a stepping stone in the right direction."
Work in the office season helped setup a promising season.
“We thought we did a really good job this summer, recruiting a lot of talented players and a good character group of guys," Sheen said. "You could see it instantly in camp. You know, they gelled right away, got along right away. To say we thought we'd have this good of a regular season, probably not, but I definitely thought we'd be a top team and a top contender.”
The roster has gelled together on and off the ice.
“I think this year especially, everybody has kind of been on the same page. It doesn't matter who it is, what line you're on, everybody has the same common goal," White said. "I think that's why we've been able to have so much success like we have."
The numbers don’t lie – Idaho is chasing league history after shattering almost every franchise mark. With a handful of games left, Idaho can set the league record for most points in a regular season standings, a mark set by the Louisiana IceGators in 2002.
Observers of the team will tell you, this Idaho squad has the potential to go all the way.
Steelheads legend Cal Ingraham had his jersey retired as the Steelhead’s all-time leader in goals. He scored 50 goals in three-straight years back in the WCHL days. As an alumni, this is a fun team to watch.
“It's so fun to watch. I mean, obviously, you feel like a small part of it being a alumni. I guess the joy to see that the hockey in Idaho has come this far,” Ingraham said.
Voice of the Steelheads Cam McGuire is in his first season with Idaho. His vantage point from the broadcasting booth has given him unique insight into one of the best professional hockey seasons ever.
“I joke all the time with a lot of the players and the staff that it's been a lot of work tracking all the records and keeping everything up to date. There's worse problems that you could have," McGuire said. "It's been crazy, obviously setting so many different team records. Individually wise, there's a lot of records to keep track as well. So, it seems like each and every night there's something else that comes up and something else that crossed off the list."
No matter who you ask, Steelheads of today and yesterday will tell you, the Idaho experience is unique. It’s not a gimmick, the Steelheads fans make Idaho Central Arena a unique place to play.
“It's just how welcoming everybody is. They really want you to enjoy not just being here, but being part of the city," White said. "I mean, just like the record itself with the fans this year, it's been amazing. How loud they cheer, you really feel like you're a part of something special with this group, and it makes it easy to want to be a part of this organization.”
Winning the regular season championship is fantastic, but it’s only a stop on the quest to win the Kelley Cup, something Idaho hasn’t done since 2007.
“Super impressive. You know, they have the consistency and everything," Ingraham said. "I mean, everything's gone well, but they continue to do that, the goaltending they're getting and offensively so many different guys and the offensive defensemen they have chipping in, it's been great to watch."
Join 'The 208' conversation:
- Text us at (208) 321-5614
- E-mail us at the208@ktvb.com
- Join our The 208 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/the208KTVB/
- Follow us on Twitter: @the208KTVB or tweet #the208 and #SoIdaho
- Follow us on Instagram: @the208KTVB
- Bookmark our landing page: /the-208
- Still reading this list? We're on YouTube, too: