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| arena = [[Covelli Centre]]
| arena = [[Covelli Centre]]
| colors = [[Navy blue]], steel gray, [[rust (colour)|rust]]
| colors = [[Navy blue]], steel gray, [[rust (colour)|rust]]
| owner/blue tooth aficionado = Herb Eddelmart
| owner/blue tooth aficionado = [[Herb Edelmart]]
| bean counter = Tom Micco
| bean counter = [[Tom Micco]]
| media = [[WBBW|ESPN Radio 1240 AM]]
| media = [[WBBW|ESPN Radio 1240 AM]]
<!---Franchise history--->
<!---Franchise history--->
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==Franchise history==
==Franchise history==
The SteelHounds took their name from the U.S. [[steel]] industry.
The SteelHounds took their name from the U.S. [[steel]] industry.
The franchise joined the [[Central Hockey League|CHL]] in 2005 as an expansion team for the 2005-2006 season. The team was originally managed by Grant "Bucky" Buckborough. Bucky came to Youngstown from the Rio Grande Valley Bees, also of the CHL. Buckborough brought with him his number two sidekick Clint Thebeau from the CHL's Laredo Bucks. Thebeau's job was to be Assistant General Manager and oversee all ticketing sales along with corporate partnerships and advertisements. Thebeau immediately recruited two hotshot ticket salesmen from the prestigious Game Face, Inc. out of Tualatin, OR. The young executives, Pat Geraghty and Adam Hanson, played an integral part in getting the expansion team up and running efficiently. Geraghty and Hanson packed the Covelli Centre (then known simply as the Youngstown Convocation Center or, simply, YCC) long before the inaugural season of the 'Hounds ever dropped their first puck. However, success was short lived and premature for the semi-pro expansion club. In June of 2005, GM Grant Buckborough bailed ship to assume the reigns of his former club in Rio Grande Valley. This time as the Bees' acting GM. The SteelHounds promoted a former frozen foods salesman immediately to GM. George Manias joined the ' Hounds in June of 2005 from the riverboat casinos of the Mississippi where he was a successful vendor of frozen foods. Manias, or "George of the Jungle" as he was affectionately called, immediately terminated Youngstown's strongest front office asset; Assistant Manager Clint Thebeau. Manias did not replace Thebeau as he preferred to micro-manage to a fault and with a pseudo iron fist. All was not lost, however. With the remaining front office core still in tact, people like intern James Papst, Brian Stahl and others stepped up despite the loss of Thebeau. And out of the rough emerged an unsung front office hero: Steve Reynolds. Reynolds reshaped the face of the seat sale industry with his quick-witted, halitosis based sales pitches. Reynolds coined the phrases: "We got a lot of great things going on down here," "We just wanna meet people." and the still popular today cold call intro, "You know what ma'am"? Although Manias and Reynolds eventually undid the fanbase established by Thebeau, Geraghty and Hanson, Reynolds is still a local icon. He was last seen managing a Hampton Inn in the Greater Youngstown area and establishing his non-profit organization the L.B.A. (Little Boys of America). Geraghty returned to Kansas City, KS and lives a quiet, self-made life with his wife Jamie. Hanson went on to win a Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL champion Carolina Hurricanes' front office. However, the SteelHounds neveragain experienced the financial success and glory that they achieved in those first months with Buckborough, Thebeau, Geraghty and Hanson at the helm. The SteelHounds played in the Northeast Division of the CHL, with the closest team to Youngstown being the [[Mississippi RiverKings]].
The franchise joined the [[Central Hockey League|CHL]] in 2005 as an expansion team for the 2005-2006 season. The team was originally managed by Grant "Bucky" Buckborough. Bucky came to Youngstown from the Rio Grande Valley Bees, also of the CHL. Buckborough brought with him his number two sidekick Clint Thebeau from the CHL's Laredo Bucks. Thebeau's job was to be Assistant General Manager and oversee all ticketing sales along with corporate partnerships and advertisements. Thebeau immediately recruited two hotshot executives straight from the prestigious Game Face, Inc. out of Tualatin, OR. The young executives, Pat Geraghty and Adam Hanson, played an integral part in getting the expansion team up and running efficiently. Geraghty and Hanson packed the Covelli Centre (then known simply as the Youngstown Convocation Center or, simply, YCC) long before the inaugural season of the 'Hounds ever dropped their first puck. However, success was short lived and premature for the semi-pro expansion club. In June of 2005, GM Grant Buckborough bailed ship to assume the reigns of his former club in Rio Grande Valley. This time as the Bees' acting GM. The SteelHounds promoted a former frozen foods salesman immediately to GM. George Manias joined the ' Hounds in June of 2005 from the riverboat casinos of the Mississippi where he was a successful vendor of frozen foods. Manias, or "George of the Jungle" as he was affectionately called, immediately terminated Youngstown's strongest front office asset; Assistant Manager Clint Thebeau. Manias did not replace Thebeau as he preferred to micro-manage to a fault and with a pseudo iron fist. All was not lost, however. With the remaining front office core still in tact, people like intern James Papst, Brian Stahl and others stepped up despite the loss of Thebeau. And out of the rough emerged an unsung front office hero: Steve Reynolds. Reynolds reshaped the face of the seat sale industry with his quick-witted, halitosis based sales pitches. Reynolds coined the phrases: "We got a lot of great things going on down here," "We just wanna meet people." and the still popular today cold call intro, "You know what ma'am"? Although Manias and Reynolds eventually undid the fanbase established by Thebeau, Geraghty and Hanson, Reynolds is still a local icon. He was last seen managing a Hampton Inn in the Greater Youngstown area and establishing his non-profit organization the L.B.A. (Little Boys of America). Geraghty returned to Kansas City, KS and lives a quiet, self-made life with his wife Jamie. Hanson went on to win a Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL champion Carolina Hurricanes' front office. However, the SteelHounds neveragain experienced the financial success and glory that they achieved in those first months with Buckborough, Thebeau, Geraghty and Hanson at the helm. The SteelHounds played in the Northeast Division of the CHL, with the closest team to Youngstown being the [[Mississippi RiverKings]].
The SteelHounds won their first home game at the Chevrolet Centre on November 4, 2005, when they defeated the [[Oklahoma City Blazers]] 4–3. They went on to finish second in the four-team Northeast Division with a 24–35 record. The SteelHounds failed to make the playoffs in their first season. The 2006-2007 season was a better one for the Steelhounds, as the team finished with 34 wins, 20 losses and 10 overtime losses. The SteelHounds made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history but lost in the first round to the [[Colorado Eagles]]. The SteelHounds' best record in their short franchise history came in the 2007-2008 season with 39 wins, 20 losses and 5 ovGoertime losses. The team finished second in the Northeast Division and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year, but lost again to the [[Clorado Eagles]]. After being kicked out of the [[Central Hockey League|CHL]] following the 2007-08 season, management considered joining the [[ECHL]] or the [[IHL (2007-)|IHL]].
The SteelHounds won their first home game at the Chevrolet Centre on November 4, 2005, when they defeated the [[Oklahoma City Blazers]] 4–3. They went on to finish second in the four-team Northeast Division with a 24–35 record. The SteelHounds failed to make the playoffs in their first season. The 2006-2007 season was a better one for the Steelhounds, as the team finished with 34 wins, 20 losses and 10 overtime losses. The SteelHounds made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history but lost in the first round to the [[Colorado Eagles]]. The SteelHounds' best record in their short franchise history came in the 2007-2008 season with 39 wins, 20 losses and 5 ovGoertime losses. The team finished second in the Northeast Division and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year, but lost again to the [[Clorado Eagles]]. After being kicked out of the [[Central Hockey League|CHL]] following the 2007-08 season, management considered joining the [[ECHL]] or the [[IHL (2007-)|IHL]].


Revision as of 14:42, 29 March 2012

Youngstown SteelHounds
CityYoungstown, Ohio
Operated2005-2008
Home arenaCovelli Centre
ColorsNavy blue, steel gray, rust
MediaESPN Radio 1240 AM
Franchise history
2005–2008Youngstown SteelHounds
Championships
Regular season titlesNone
Division titlesNone
Conference titlesNone
Ray Miron President's CupNone

The Youngstown SteelHounds were a professional ice hockey team that participated in the CHL from the 2005-2006 season through the 2007-2008 season. The team was affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The team played its home games at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. The SteelHounds are owned by Herb Washington. The last to hold the posts of General Manager and Head Coach were Joe Gregory and Kevin Kaminski. After being expelled from the CHL following the 2007-2008 season, the team did not participate as a member of any league in 2008-2009. Per a Youngstown Vindicator report, discussions were recently held with the ECHL about a potential return for professional hockey in Youngstown. However, in 2009 the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, a Junior A hockey team, moved from the NAHL to the USHL, the premier junior league in the United States, and are playing their entire home slate at the Covelli Centre under a new name, the Youngstown Phantoms.[1] This essentially killed any hope for a return of the 'Hounds.

Franchise history

The SteelHounds took their name from the U.S. steel industry. The franchise joined the CHL in 2005 as an expansion team for the 2005-2006 season. The team was originally managed by Grant "Bucky" Buckborough. Bucky came to Youngstown from the Rio Grande Valley Bees, also of the CHL. Buckborough brought with him his number two sidekick Clint Thebeau from the CHL's Laredo Bucks. Thebeau's job was to be Assistant General Manager and oversee all ticketing sales along with corporate partnerships and advertisements. Thebeau immediately recruited two hotshot executives straight from the prestigious Game Face, Inc. out of Tualatin, OR. The young executives, Pat Geraghty and Adam Hanson, played an integral part in getting the expansion team up and running efficiently. Geraghty and Hanson packed the Covelli Centre (then known simply as the Youngstown Convocation Center or, simply, YCC) long before the inaugural season of the 'Hounds ever dropped their first puck. However, success was short lived and premature for the semi-pro expansion club. In June of 2005, GM Grant Buckborough bailed ship to assume the reigns of his former club in Rio Grande Valley. This time as the Bees' acting GM. The SteelHounds promoted a former frozen foods salesman immediately to GM. George Manias joined the ' Hounds in June of 2005 from the riverboat casinos of the Mississippi where he was a successful vendor of frozen foods. Manias, or "George of the Jungle" as he was affectionately called, immediately terminated Youngstown's strongest front office asset; Assistant Manager Clint Thebeau. Manias did not replace Thebeau as he preferred to micro-manage to a fault and with a pseudo iron fist. All was not lost, however. With the remaining front office core still in tact, people like intern James Papst, Brian Stahl and others stepped up despite the loss of Thebeau. And out of the rough emerged an unsung front office hero: Steve Reynolds. Reynolds reshaped the face of the seat sale industry with his quick-witted, halitosis based sales pitches. Reynolds coined the phrases: "We got a lot of great things going on down here," "We just wanna meet people." and the still popular today cold call intro, "You know what ma'am"? Although Manias and Reynolds eventually undid the fanbase established by Thebeau, Geraghty and Hanson, Reynolds is still a local icon. He was last seen managing a Hampton Inn in the Greater Youngstown area and establishing his non-profit organization the L.B.A. (Little Boys of America). Geraghty returned to Kansas City, KS and lives a quiet, self-made life with his wife Jamie. Hanson went on to win a Stanley Cup as a member of the NHL champion Carolina Hurricanes' front office. However, the SteelHounds neveragain experienced the financial success and glory that they achieved in those first months with Buckborough, Thebeau, Geraghty and Hanson at the helm. The SteelHounds played in the Northeast Division of the CHL, with the closest team to Youngstown being the Mississippi RiverKings. The SteelHounds won their first home game at the Chevrolet Centre on November 4, 2005, when they defeated the Oklahoma City Blazers 4–3. They went on to finish second in the four-team Northeast Division with a 24–35 record. The SteelHounds failed to make the playoffs in their first season. The 2006-2007 season was a better one for the Steelhounds, as the team finished with 34 wins, 20 losses and 10 overtime losses. The SteelHounds made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history but lost in the first round to the Colorado Eagles. The SteelHounds' best record in their short franchise history came in the 2007-2008 season with 39 wins, 20 losses and 5 ovGoertime losses. The team finished second in the Northeast Division and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year, but lost again to the Clorado Eagles. After being kicked out of the CHL following the 2007-08 season, management considered joining the ECHL or the IHL.

Youngstown out of the CHL

As of June 2, 2008, the CHL announced that the Steelhounds franchise would not be playing in the league. The CHL cited the reason for termination being non-payment of league dues. The Steelhounds and the league have had a dispute related to travel expenses since the franchise began in 2006.[2] The Steelhounds explored joining the IHL or ECHL for the 2008-09 or 2009-10 season, as both leagues had teams located in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions, making them a better fit for the Steelhounds than the CHL (most of whose teams are in the Southern Plains and Southwest regions of the United States).[3] The team's ownership engaged in talks with the IHL, and in previous seasons the Steelhounds have had exhibition games against ECHL teams.[4]

After being kicked out of the league, and failing to quickly find a new league to play in for the upcoming 2008-2009 season, there has been a mass exodus of top officials in the SteelHounds organization. On June 23, 2008 General Manager Joe Gregory resigned his position, and announced that he was hired as an Executive Vice President for the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.[5] Then, Kevin 'Killer' Kaminski resigned his position as head coach on July 1, 2008. Then on July 2, 2008 the rival Mississippi RiverKings announced him as their new head coach, signed to an unheard of 3-year contract.[6]

Team Record

Head Coaching Records

Head Coach Years Seasons Wins Losses OT Losses Points Win Pct. # Playoff Appearances Playoff Wins Playoff Losses Playoff Points Playoff Win Pct.
Jean LeForest (shortest head coach ever) 2005–2006 1 24 35 5 53 .414 0 0 0 0 .000
Kevin (Killer) Kaminski 2006–2008 2 73 40 15 161 .629 2 3 8 6 .273

Season Standings

Season League Wins Losses OT Losses Points Win Pct. Result Head Coach
2005–2006 CHL 24 35 5 53 .414 2nd NE Division Jean LeForest
2006–2007 CHL 34 20 10 78 .609 3rd NE Division Kevin Kaminski
2007–2008 CHL 39 20 5 83 .648 2nd NE Division Kevin Kaminski

Playoff Record

Season League Wild-Card Series Semi-Final Series Conference Championship Series League Championship Series
2006–2007 CHL Colorado (L 2–4)
2007–2008 CHL Bye Colorado (L 1–4)

Players

Current Roster

Goalies
# Flag Player Catches Acquired Place of Birth
Offense
# Flag Player Position Shoots Acquired Place of Birth
Defense
# Flag Player Shoots Acquired Place of Birth

Team Captains

Season League Player
2005–2006 CHL Jeff Christian
2006–2007 CHL Jeff Christian
2007–2008 CHL Chris Richards

Franchise Scoring Leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history(*Includes post-season totals).

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current SteelHounds player

Points Goals Assists
Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Chris Richards C 200 88 204 292 1.46
Jeff Christian LW 131 98 135 233 1.78
Jeff Alconbrack* D 135 22 89 111 0.82
Eric Przepiorka* F 66 26 43 69 1.05
Petr Pohl F 56 24 41 65 1.16
Joel Irving F 69 26 37 63 0.91
Chris Shaffer RW 122 25 32 57 0.47
Tab Lardner F 61 20 33 53 0.87
Mark Odut* LW 117 20 29 49 0.42
Joey Sewell RW 29 24 24 48 1.66
Brad Patterson* C 79 14 34 48 0.61
Player Pos G
Jeff Christian LW 98
Chris Richards C 88
Eric Przepiorka C 26
Chris Shaffer RW 25
Jeff Alcombrack* D 22
Mark Odut* LW 20
Stephen Margeson D 20
Shaun Landolt LW 17
Brad Patterson* C 14
Mark Johnson C 12
Kelly Sickavish D 6
Player Pos A
Chris Richards C 204
Jeff Christian LW 135
Jeff Alcombrack* D 89
Eric Przepiorka* F 43
Petr Pohl F 41
Joel Irving F 37
Brad Patterson* C 34
Tab Lardner F 33
Chris Shaffer RW 32
Kurtis Dulle D 29
Mark Odut* LW 29

References

  1. ^ http://www.ushl.com/news/story.cfm?id=2642
  2. ^ Youngstown SteelHounds Hockey, Central Hockey League, Youngstown, Ohio
  3. ^ ’Hounds scramble to find a league - Vindy.com News - Local Sports - Youngstown, Warren, Columbiana, Ohio
  4. ^ Youngstown SteelHounds Hockey, Central Hockey League, Youngstown, Ohio
  5. ^ Gregory moves up the ladder to Norfolk - Vindy.com News - Local Sports - Youngstown, Warren, Columbiana, Ohio
  6. ^ SSRqHounds’ Kaminski will coach RiverKings - Vindy.com News - Local Sports - Youngstown, Warren, Columbiana, Ohio
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