Former teammates set to reunite in Idaho

(Boise, ID) ? The Idaho Steelheads have agreed to terms with two more players for the upcoming ECHL hockey season, reaching agreements with forwards Michael Olson and Brandan Kushniruk. Olson and Kushniruk both come to Idaho out of the college ranks, but were teammates over two seasons (2003-2005) for the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League. The pair won a Doyle Cup championship with the Clippers in 2004. ?Any time we can bring character and leadership into our locker room, we?ll do it,? Steelheads head coach Derek Laxdal said. ?It?s an important part of what we?re doing here.? ?Both Brandan and Michael fit that mold and are very talented hockey players.? Olson, 25, was the 2005 Canadian Junior A Player of the Year, joining a list that includes NHL standouts like Dany Heatley and Mike Comrie. He then went on to play college hockey at St. Cloud State, scoring 16 goals and adding 16 assists in his tenure. The Tisdale, SK, native was a college teammate of former Steelheads defenseman Matt Stephenson. Kushniruk, pictured right, played college hockey at Princeton of the Ivy League, where he was team captain and an ECAC All-Academic performer. He scored 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) as a senior and, like Olson, finished his career with 16 goals. At Princeton, Kushniruk majored in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Season-ticket packages for the 2009-2010 season are available now, starting as low as $450 per seat for all 36 home games. Partial-season ticket packages are available for as little as $150. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or visit www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.