The Idaho Steelheads begin the 2025-26 campaign on the road with a battle against the Tahoe Knight Monsters at 8:00 p.m. MT from Tahoe Blue Event Center.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Watch: FloHockey
Listen: KTIK 95.3 AM

NOTES

The Steelheads return just eight regulars from the 2024-25 season, revamping their roster after missing out on the postseason last year. Among the newcomers are 12 rookies and three veterans, with seven players on the opening night roster being on AHL or NHL contracts.

Mitch Wahl and Charlie Dodero each return to the Steelheads for another stint in Idaho. Wahl played one season in Idaho in 2013-14, while Dodero has logged two previous stints with Idaho, first playing for the team from 2013-15, then once again from 2016-19.

Charlie also joins a familiar face in this go-around with Idaho in his brother Chris, as the pair team up for the first time in their professional careers.

As far as those returning for Idaho, key players include Nick Canade, who was named team captain ahead of his fourth season with the team, last season's leading scorer Ty Pelton-Byce (61 points), and last season's leading goal-scorer Brendan Hoffman (25 goals). Also back for another season is Jade Miller, who was named an alternate captain. Veteran defenseman Sam Jardine was also named an alternate captain for the Steelheads.

2024-25 SEASON SERIES

The Knight Monsters won the 12-game season series with the Steelheads last season with a record of 7-5. The Steelheads went 3-4 at Tahoe Blue Event Center and 2-3 at Idaho Central Arena. Chris Dodero scored his first ECHL goal with Tahoe against the Steelheads on Nov. 27 and went on to register a hat-trick in the game, a 7-3 Tahoe win.

OPPOSITION UPDATE

Tahoe finished the 2024-25 regular season in third place in the Mountain Division with a record of 41-25-4-2 and 88 points. They finished four points ahead of the Steelheads, who finished fifth and missed the postseason. The Knight Monsters swept the Wichita Thunder in the Mountain Division Semifinals but were ousted from the Kelly Cup Playoffs in the next round after being swept by the Kansas City Mavericks.

The Knight Monsters’ leading goal scorer from last season, Simon Pinard (33 goals) is now with the South Carolina Stingrays. Tahoe does, however, welcome back its overall scoring leader in Sloan Stanick. Stanick racked up 79 points in his rookie campaign, earning him the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy as the ECHL Rookie of the Year. The Knight Monsters also bring back goaltender Jordan Papirny, who grabbed 16 wins in 28 games last season and posted a 2.50 goals-against average with a .920 save percentage.

MILESTONE WATCH

- Everett Sheen is two wins shy of tying Derek Laxdal (217) for second-most wins by a head coach in franchise history and most by a head coach in the ECHL era.
- Everett Sheen is 12 games shy of having the most games coached in Steelheads history.
- #9 Brendan Hoffmann is seven games shy of 200 career ECHL games. 
- #13 Francesco Arcuri is six games shy of 100 career ECHL games. 
- #26 Jade Miller is three points shy of 100 career ECHL points. 
- #7 Mitch Wahl is three goals shy of 200 for his professional career.
- #10 Sam Jardine is six points shy of 100 career ECHL points.
- #6 Jeff Baum is seven games shy of 200 career professional games.
- #81 Charlie Dodero is 10 points shy of 100 career ECHL points.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS 

1. Idaho Steelheads (0-0-0-0, 0 pts)
2. Allen Americans (0-0-0-0, 0 pts)
3. Kansas City Mavericks (0-0-0-0, 0 pts)
4. Rapid City Rush (0-0-0-0, 0 pts)
5. Tahoe Knight Monsters (0-0-0-0, 0 pts)
6. Tulsa Oilers (0-0-0-0, 0 pts)
7. Utah Grizzlies (0-0-0-0, 0 pts)
8. Wichita Thunder (0-0-0-0, 0 pts)