Everett Sheen Receives John Brophy Award as ECHL Coach of the Year

Everett Sheen Receives John Brophy Award as ECHL Coach of the Year 

Steelheads also named Hockey Operations Department of the Year 

BOISE, ID – The ECHL (@ECHL) announced today that Steelheads Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Everett Sheen is the 2022-23 recipient of the John Brophy Award as the league’s Coach of the Year.  In addition, Idaho has also been named the Hockey Operations Department of the Year. 

The John Brophy Award is the trophy presented annually to the ECHL coach selected to have contributed the most to his team’s success as selected in a vote of ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and media members. The trophy is named for John Brophy, who won a record three ECHL titles with Hampton Roads in 1991, 1992 and 1998, and was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jason Payne of Cincinnati finished second in the voting, followed by Toledo’s Dan Watson, Brenden Kotyk of South Carolina and Maine’s Terrence Wallin.

The winner of the Defenseman of the Year award will be announced on Wednesday.

Sheen led the Steelheads to ECHL single-season records with 58 wins and 119 points en route to the second Brabham Cup title in team history. Idaho also set a new league mark with 32 home wins and the teams’ 11 shutouts tied for second in a single-season all-time. The Steelheads captured the Mountain Division title for the first time since 2015 and the team’s 44-point improvement over the 2021-22 season tied for the eighth-best single-season improvement in ECHL history. 

In his third season as Head Coach, Sheen has accumulated an overall record of (130-63-6-7) collecting his 100th career victory on Jan. 15 and coaching in his 200th game as Head Coach on on Apr. 5. 

He joins Derek Laxdal (2009-10) as the only other Steelhead Head Coach to receive the award. 

In addition, Idaho is the recipient of the League’s Hockey Operations Department of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to the team judged to have the best hockey operations department in the league and is determined by a vote of ECHL coaches. 

The Toledo Walleye finished second in the voting, followed by the Savannah Ghost Pirates, Cincinnati Cyclones and Newfoundland Growlers.

Under the guidance of Sheen and Steelheads Assistant Coach Keenan Kelly, Idaho crossed off many franchise records as well as ECHL records.

In terms of franchise records, the Steelheads set single-season highs in wins (58), home wins (32), road wins (26), points (119), fewest regulation losses (11), most goals scored (290), fewest goals allowed (183), and shutouts (11). 

With regards to ECHL records, Idaho set single-season highs in wins (58), home wins (32), tied for most road wins (26), and most points (119). The Steelheads tied for the lowest single-season goals against average (2.13) and the fewest goals against (153). They were one shutout shy of tying South Carolina (12, 2014-15) for most shutouts in one year.    

Idaho hosts Utah this Wednesday April 19th and Friday April 21st for games one and two of the First Round of the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. Click HERE to secure your seats. Watch all games on FloHockey or listen on the Steelheads flagship station, 95.3 FM KTIK “The Ticket”.