Laxdal, players take time away from hockey for Christmas

After a wildly-successful 22-5-2 start to the season, head coach Derek Laxdal has given the Idaho Steelheads a few days off over the Christmas week so they can spend the holiday with family and friends. The team will re-assemble in Boise on Christmas night before traveling to West Valley City, UT, to face the Utah Grizzlies on December 26. Laxdal himself took the opportunity for a little time away from hockey, loading up the family and heading to the renowned Sun Valley Resort for a little relaxation and skiing at Dollar Mountain. There are no games scheduled in the ECHL until the day after Christmas, when Idaho and Utah is one of nine post-holiday matchups. Due to programming conflicts on KTIK, the Bud Light Idaho Steelheads Radio Show will also be off the air until after the Christmas holiday, returning to its normal 6 - 7 PM timeslot on December 28. The show, hosted by Voice of the Steelheads Doug Plagens, will be bumped off the air a few more times the following week before hitting its nightly stride once again on KTIK (1350 AM, www.ktik.com) after the college football bowl season concludes. Steelheads team president Eric Trapp also closed the front office the week before Christmas, but the sales and marketing staff will be back at their post on Monday morning, December 28, preparing for a trio of home games on December 31, January 1, and January 2 at Qwest Arena against the Stockton Thunder. Tickets for those three games are available by calling 208.331.TIXS. Want to save money on box office fees and get your dinner taken care of at the same time? Contact a Steelheads account executive about putting together a group night for your business, school, civic group, or sports team. A group of 20 or more receives deep ticket discounts -- with no box office fees -- and each ticket comes with a free Pepsi product, Double R Ranch hot dog, and bag of Tim's Cascade potato chips. Want more information on a group night with the Idaho Steelheads? Call 208.383.0080 and ask for an account executive.