IDAHO STEELHEADS WEEKLY – WEEK 9 – 12/17/25

BOISE, ID – The Idaho Steelheads (@Steelheads), proud ECHL (@ECHL) affiliate of the Dallas Stars (@DallasStars), are back home this week leading into the Christmas break for a three-game set with the Rapid City Rush.

THIS WEEK’S GAMES

Wednesday, Dec. 17 vs. Rapid City | 7:10 p.m. (MST)

Friday, Dec. 19 vs. Rapid City | 7:10 p.m. (MST)

Saturday, Dec. 20 vs. Rapid City | 7:10 p.m. (MST) 

LAST WEEK’S GAMES

Friday, Dec. 12

Idaho 5 – Wichita 4 (SO)

Full Recap 

Box Score

Idaho and Wichita engaged in quite the back-and-forth affair to kick off the three-in-three series. The teams alternated the first six goals of the game, with the Steelheads tying the contest three straight times after Wichita had taken the lead. Finally in the third period the Steelheads took a lead when Jaden Shields scored his first with Idaho at 9:23 of the frame. The lead wouldn’t survive regulation though as Wichita’s Jack Bar tied the game with 48 seconds remaining to send it to overtime. After a frantic OT period failed to produce a winner, the teams embarked on a 10-round shootout that saw the Steelheads come out on top after a Chris Dodero goal and a Ben Kraws stop in the final round for a 5-4 win.

Saturday, Dec. 13

Idaho 2 – Wichita 3 (OT)

Full Recap 

Box Score

Game two of the series also took us beyond regulation, as the two teams continued to play tight hockey. Wichita broke the ice on Saturday, but not until the midway point of the game, when Donavan Houle struck at 9:58 of the second period for Wichita’s teddy bear toss goal. Idaho would tie the game heading into the third after Robbie Holmes fed Angus MacDonell for his fifth goal of the season. The Steelheads grabbed an early third period lead after MacDonell made an incredible behind-the-back pass to Brendan Hoffman for a goal from the right circle, but Wichita’s John Gormley scored his first ECHL goal to tie the game just 1:20 later and help send it to overtime. With the Steelheads on the penalty kill in OT, Wichita grabbed the win with Kyle Crnkovic depositing his ninth goal of the season just 1:05 into the extra frame.

Sunday, Dec. 14

Idaho 3 – Wichita 2

Full Recap 

Box Score 

In Sunday’s rubber match, it was the Steelheads who struck first, taking an early lead on a goal by Brendan Hoffman for his 13^th of the season at 3:21 of the first period. Wichita wouldn’t tie the game until 6:10 of the second period when Peter Bates notched a power play tally, but they would quickly take the lead on another power play goal, with Noah Beck finding the back of the net at 9:32 of the middle stanza. The Steelheads regrouped in the third period and got to work. First, Robbie Holmes struck on a 5-on-3 power play just 34 seconds into the third period, with Francesco Arcuri finding the eventual game-winning goal at 8:50 to lift the Steelheads to a 3-2 triumph and five out of a possible six points over the weekend.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS 

1. Idaho Steelheads (26 GP, 16-7-3-0, 35 pts, 0.673%)

2. Kansas City Mavericks (23 GP, 15-6-1-1, 32 pts, 0.696%)

3. Tahoe Knight Monsters (26 GP, 14-10-1-1, 30 pts, 0.577%)

4. Wichita Thunder (23 GP, 10-9-2-2, 24 pts, 0.522%)

5. Rapid City Rush (24 GP, 11-11-2-0, 24 pts, 0.500%)

6. Allen Americans (22 GP, 10-9-3-0, 23 pts, 0.523%)

7. Utah Grizzlies (24 GP, 10-12-2-0, 22 pts, 0.458%)

8. Tulsa Oilers (22 GP, 9-13-0-0, 18 pts, 0.409%)

SHINING STEELHEADS

• Brendan Hoffman leads the Steelheads with 24 points (13G, 11A). He ranks T-7^th in the ECHL in points and carries a four-game point and goal streak into this week against Rapid City.
• Liam Malmquist notched a hat trick against the Lions on Friday (12/5), the first of his pro career and first for the Steelheads this season. Malmquist has 11 points in his last 10 games and ranks second on the team in points with 18.
• Ben Kraws grabbed two wins over the Wichita Thunder, extending his personal win streak to four games.
• Jade Miller skated in his 200^th game with the Steelheads on 12/6 vs. the Lions and his 300^th ECHL game on 12/14 at the Thunder.

TEAM NOTES

FUN TIMES ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

The Steelheads return home after a successful road trip to Wichita, one in which they collected five out of a possible six points against the Thunder. Each game was decided by one goal, and the lone game the Steelheads lost was in overtime on Saturday. Five points is the most the Steelheads have earned on a three-game road swing this season.

HOFFMAN IS HUMMING

After his six-game point streak was snapped against the Lions earlier this month, forward Brendan Hoffman wasted no time with creating a new streak, now carrying a four-game point streak and a four-game goalscoring streak into this week’s action against Rapid City. Hoffman leads the Steelheads with 24 points (13G, 11A) and has 14 points over his last 11 games.

MORE MILLER MILESTONES

On Saturday, Steelheads forward Jade Miller skated in his 200^th game with Idaho, becoming the 14^th player in franchise history to reach that mark. Miller also skated in his 300^th ECHL game on Sunday against the Wichita Thunder.

THRIVING UNDER PRESSURE

The Steelheads have a record of 11-1-3 in games decided by two goals or fewer this season. Specifically, Idaho is 8-1-3 in one-goal games and 3-0-0 in two goal games. Their eight wins in one-goal contests is tied for the most in the ECHL.

STREAKS ON THE LINE

Idaho aims to continue two key streaks this week against Rapid City. First, the Steelheads will aim to win their eighth straight home game, a streak that seen them grab wins at Idaho Central Arena over the Utah Grizzlies, Allen Americans, and Trois-Rivieres Lions. Next, the Steelheads put their seven-game point streak on the line, having last failed to collect a point on 11/28 against Rapid City in a 6-2 loss.

TRENDS

• The Steelheads have been outshot in each of their last six games. In contrast, Idaho was outshot six times over the first 20 games of the season.
• The Steelheads have collected a point in each of their last seven games (6-0-1).
• Idaho has won its last seven games at home.
• Across their seven-game home winning streak, the Steelheads are outscoring their opponents 29-13. To this point on the streak, Idaho’s power play is clicking at 15.6%, with the penalty kill operating at 84%.
• Idaho has a record of 11-1-3 in games decided by two goals or fewer this season.
• The Steelheads are 9-0-0-0 when Liam Malmquist scores a goal.
• The Steelheads are 12-0-1-0 when scoring a power play goal.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

• #9 Brendan Hoffman is seven games shy of 100 with the Steelheads
• #17 Ty Pelton-Byce is seven games shy of 200 in his ECHL career.
• #3 Nick Canade is seven games away from 200 in his ECHL & Steelheads career.

ACTIVE STATISTICAL LEADERS

Goals: Brendan Hoffman (13)

Assists: Brendan Hoffman (11)

Points: Brendan Hoffman (24)

Plus/Minus: Angus MacDonell (+11)

PIMs: Sam Jardine (38)

PPGs: Robbie Holmes (3) 

GWGs: Francesco Arcuri (3)

Shots: Brendan Hoffman (88) 

Wins: Ben Kraws (4)

GAA: Jake Barczewski (2.65)

SV%: Ben Kraws (.914) 

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