Boise, ID (10/01/15) – Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Neil Graham announced on Thursday that the Idaho Steelheads have agreed to terms with defenseman Mark Louis on an ECHL contract.
Louis, 28, has played the past four seasons in the American Hockey League. The native of Ponoka, Alberta played 174 games for the Portland Pirates from 2012 to 2015 and finished last season playing seven games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He’s tallied one goal and 15 points in 181 professional games.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound defender brings toughness and versatility to the Steelheads lineup. Louis racked up 349 penalty minutes in 174 games for Portland, ranking 12th all-time for the Pirates. With the Pirates, Louis also gained experience on the wing where he was implemented as a power forward for parts of the 2013-14 season.
“Mark is a big, powerful defenseman who skates well and uses his size to his advantage,” said Graham. “He’s another player who brings a lot of leadership and experience to our group.”
Louis originally joined the Pirates on a professional tryout after four years at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada. In April 2012, he signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes, and he signed a new two-year, two-way deal with the team in 2013. Louis was traded to the Islanders last March and assigned to Bridgeport.
The Steelheads open the regular season on Friday, October 16, at home against the Rapid City Rush. It is the first of 36 home games, each of which will be played at CenturyLink Arena.
Season tickets are on sale now with full-season packages starting as low as $275 per seat for all 36 home games. Partial-season packages are also available. Contact the Idaho Steelheads at 208-383-0080 for more information or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com.
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