Two Maine-Stays Return to Idaho

The Idaho Steelheads, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League?s Dallas Stars, announced today the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Travis White, returning for a third season, and forward Brent Shepheard who joins the team for a second stint. The former University of Maine teammates played three seasons together as Black Bears from 2003-2006.?Both players are coming off injuries and are anxious to get back out on the ice,? said Steelheads head coach Derek Laxdal. ?We expect Wight to start off strong and Shepheard will work hard in training camp to pick up where he left off. Each will be an important part of the physical attributes of our game.?Wight, 26, was a member of the Steelheads 2007 Kelly Cup Championship team his rookie season, playing in all 22 postseason contests. He finished the season first among all rookies with a plus-27, placing him fifth overall in the ECHL. He was named the Steelheads? Rookie Of The Year and Unsung Hero for 2006-07, as voted on by his teammates. In 2007-08, Wight received his first AHL call up to Idaho?s then affiliate, Iowa Stars. He was returned to Idaho never seeing any ice time. The 5-10, 180-pounder played only 38 games before sustaining a season-ending injury in late January. He began the season, as he did in 2006-07 at training camp with the American Hockey League?s Manitoba Moose.Wight was the Black Bears? top defenseman helping them advance to the Frozen Four of the NCAA Tournament twice. With a team-leading plus-15 in 2005-06, he won the Shawn Walsh Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Unsung Hero Award. Wight, who hails from Fannystelle, MAN, appeared in 102 NCAA games and collected 17 points (2g-15a).The rookie Shepheard, played in only nine Steelheads games in 2007-08 before missing the remainder of the season due to an injury. He attended the AHL?s Chicago Wolves 2007-08 training camp and subsequently played in one preseason game with the team before arriving in Idaho.Standing 6-0 and 195-pounds, Shepheard was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team in 2007 and earned a Distinguished Scholar for achieving a 3.0 or better in each semester over four varsity seasons. He also earned the Maine Scholar Athlete-silver medal as well as the Hockey East Academic Honor Roll. In 2005-06, Shepheard was the recipient of the Dr. Dale Lick Achievement Award for top grade point average on the team. The 25-year-old played in 123 games, scoring 26 goals and 25 assists during his time as a Black Bear, and helped lead the team to their second consecutive Frozen Four in the NCAA Tournament and their third trip in four seasons while he was enrolled there.Prior to Maine, Shepheard played junior hockey with the Nanaimo Clippers, members of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), earning 53 points (24g-29a) in 60 games. While with the Clippers, Shepheard was captain of the team, named Most Inspirational Player, and was named a 2002 BCHL All-Star. A variety of Season Ticket Plans for the 2008-09 season, with reduced pricing in some sections, are now available by calling (208) 383.0080 or visiting the team?s website at www.idahosteelheads.com.- www.idahosteelheads.com -