Jake Kupsky, Mason Mitchell Return from AHL Stints

BOISE, Idaho – Goaltender Jake Kupsky has been assigned to the Idaho Steelheads from the Colorado Eagles, and forward Mason Mitchell has been released from his Player Try-Out (PTO) contract and returns to the Steelheads, Steelheads Head Coach & Director of Hockey Operations announced on Friday.Kupsky, 26, earned his first AHL call-up on Tuesday after signing his first AHL contract on Dec. 30, 2020 with the Eagles. He has played 14 games with the Steelheads this season, boasting an 8-5-0 record with a 2.01 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage with two shutouts. The Waukesha, Wisc. native leads the ECHL in goals-against average among qualifying goaltenders and shares the second-most shutouts in the league while holding opponents to three goals or less in 13 of 14 appearances.The 6-foot-3 netminder was named Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week on December 14, saving 49 of 51 shots in a pair of wins. In 34 ECHL games between Idaho, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and South Carolina Stingrays since the 2019-20 season, Kupsky owns a 15-13-3 record with a 2.37 GAA and a .914 save pct. with three shutouts.Mitchell, 27, re-joins the Steelheads after playing on January 15 and earning a plus-one rating. Though yet to play with the Steelheads, he has played 17 games with the Cyclones during the 2021-22 season, posting four goals and six assists for 10 points with 14 penalty minutes and a plus-two rating. The Edmonton, Alb. native has spent the last three seasons between the Cyclones and Florida Everblades and earned a career-best 31 points (18-13—31) in 57 games with Cincinnati in 2019-20. Through his first 114 ECHL games between Cincinnati, Florida and the South Carolina Stingrays since 2017-18, Mitchell owns 61 points (32-29—61) with seven power play goals and 138 penalty minutes.The 6-foot-2 forward made his professional debut with the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Oct. 22, 2017 at Rockford and scored his first professional goal on Nov. 25, 2017 against Hartford. In 40 games with AHL Hersey, Mitchell totaled six points (1-5—6) with 43 penalty minutes, and he was named Hershey’s 2017-18 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year for his contributions to the Hershey community.The Steelheads continue their six-game road trip with the first of three games against the Rapid City Rush tonight at 7:05 p.m. and return home on Wednesday, Jan. 26 against the Kansas City Mavericks. Single-game tickets are available for all home games during the 2021-22 regular season by going to idahosteelheads.com or calling 331-TIXS! Make sure to secure your FloSports subscription for the 2021-22 season to lock in all Steelheads games and action from around the ECHL.