Idaho Junior Steelheads Headed to 14U National Championship

BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Junior Steelheads are set to compete at the USA Hockey 14U Tier II National Championship Tournament from March 31 through April 4 at both Wings Event Center and Wings West Ice Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich., representing the state of Idaho at the national tournament.The Idaho Junior Steelheads 14U Team, consisting of 16 boys from the Treasure Valley community, head into their version of the Little League World Series for the first time after punching their ticket through two wins over the Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy 1-0 in overtime and 3-1 as part of a best-of-three series in February.The Junior Steelheads have made the National Championship Game five times in their history with three at the 14U level (2012, 2015, 2018) and two at the 18U level (2014, 2018). The lone National Championship came at the 2012 14U Tier II National Championship in Wayne, N.J. with a roster that included current Idaho Steelheads forward Zach Walker as well as Kansas City Mavericks forward Bailey Conger when they defeated the Oklahoma City Oil Kings.This is the first opportunity to play for a national championship for this roster led by Head Coach Gordon Jones, the newest President at the College of Western Idaho and former player at Brown University.“We have a team of wonderful kids who have pulled together to create a winning hockey team,” said Jones. “The commitment and dedication shown by these kids and their families are incredible. Besides being strong athletes, these kids learn how to be good citizens and become leaders with integrity. They will represent us well.”The tournament consists of 44 teams and over 800 players from across the U.S. and will play at two host sites, one of which hosts the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings, where the Idaho Steelheads played earlier in March. The Round Robin portion of the tournament begins on Thursday, Mar. 31 with the championship games taking place at Wings West Ice Arena on Monday, Apr. 4. Coverage of the tournament can be seen through HockeyTV.The Idaho Junior Steelheads is a youth hockey team and a member of the Idaho Amateur Hockey Association and USA Hockey. The team embraces school academics and fosters sportsmanship as both individuals and team members on and off the ice. Junior Steelheads youth hockey has the goal to develop great people as well as players. The Junior Steelheads program gives our community’s most talented and committed young men the exposure and opportunity to develop their skills while representing Idaho. “Competitive travel hockey is a rewarding experience for youths and teaches our kids many valuable life lessons such as discipline, teamwork, leadership, and accountability,” said Jones. “Our mission is to provide and implement a positive learning environment for young players to benefit from participating in a competitive sports program.  We believe in setting and achieving goals, not just scoring them.”The Idaho Steelheads continue their three-game weekend against the Wichita Thunder on Friday, Mar. 24 at 7:10 p.m. inside Idaho Central Arena. 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.