Idaho Steelheads
The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho, and a member of the ECHL. The Steelheads play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference since the 2016–17 season.
| Idaho Steelheads | |
|---|---|
| City | Boise, Idaho |
| League | ECHL |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Mountain |
| Founded | 1997 (in the WCHL) |
| Home arena | Idaho Central Arena |
| Colors | Navy blue, silver, black, white |
| Owner(s) | Idaho Sports Properties LLC |
| General manager | Steven Anderson |
| Head coach | Everett Sheen |
| Media | KTIK Idaho Statesman |
| Affiliates | Dallas Stars (NHL) Texas Stars (AHL) |
| Website | idahosteelheads |
| Franchise history | |
| 1997–present | Idaho Steelheads |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 3 (2002–03, 2009–10, 2022–23) |
| Division titles | 6 (2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2022–23) |
| Conference titles | 6 (2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2022–23) |
| Kelly Cups | 2 (2003–04, 2006–07) |
| Current season | |
In 1996, the Steelheads were announced as a 1997–98 expansion team by Diamond Sports Management, headed by Cord Pereira, as a member of the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL). The Steelheads and the rest of the WCHL joined the ECHL in 2003. As of the 2022-23 season, the Steelheads are the westernmost ECHL team. During the 2003–04 season and since the 2005–06 season the Steelheads have been an affiliate of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars. The Austin-based Texas Stars have been the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate since the 2009–10 season. Home games are played at the 5,002-seat Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise.
The Steelheads are named for a species of seagoing rainbow trout native to Idaho streams and rivers and popular with local anglers. Despite this, the original primary and alternate logos consisted of a puck bouncing off a hockey mask and the state of Idaho respectively. When the team underwent a rebrand in the 2006–07 season, a trout was included in Idaho's alternate. After the departure of the Victoria Salmon Kings in 2011, the Steelheads made the trout logo their new primary one.