Youngstown SteelHounds

Pro hockey team
text_color = #B7410E
bg_color = #000080
team = Youngstown SteelHounds

logosize = 150px
city = Youngstown, Ohio
league = Central Hockey League 2005-2008
conference = CHL Northern Conference 2005-2008
division = CHL Northeast Division 2005-2008
founded = 2005
arena = Chevrolet Centre
colors = Navy Blue, Steel Gray, Rust
owner = Herb Washington
coach = None
GM = None
media = ESPN Radio 1240 AM
affiliates = Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
name1 = Youngstown SteelHounds
dates1 = 2005 to Present
reg_season_titles = None
division_titles = None
conf_titles = None
chl_championships = None

The Youngstown SteelHounds are a professional ice hockey team that participated in the CHL from the 2005-2006 season through the 2007-2008 season. The team is affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The team plays its home games at the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, Ohio.The SteelHounds are owned by Herb Washington. The General Manager is Joe Gregory, and the head coach is Kevin Kaminski.

Franchise History

The SteelHounds take their name from the U.S. steel industry.The franchise joined the CHL in 2005 as an expansion team for the 2005-2006 season. The team played in the Northeast Division of the CHL, with the closest team to Youngstown being the Mississippi RiverKings. The SteelHounds won their first home game at the Chevrolet Centre on November 4, 2005, when they defeated the Oklahoma City Blazers 4–3. They went on to finish second in the four-team Northeast Division with a 24–35 record. The SteelHounds failed to make the playoffs in their first season. The 2006-2007 season was a better one for the Steelhounds, as the team finished with 34 wins, 20 losses and 10 overtime losses. The SteelHounds made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history but lost in the first round to the Colorado Eagles. The SteelHounds' best record in their short franchise history came in the 2007-2008 season with 39 wins, 20 losses and 5 overtime losses. The team finished second in the Northeast Division and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year, but lost again to the Colorado Eagles. After being kicked out of the CHL after the 2007-08 season, management considered joining the ECHL or the IHL. Rumors are that the team will not play in either of the leagues this coming season and will go dormant.

Youngstown out of the CHL

As of June 2nd, 2008, the CHL announced that the Steelhounds franchise would not be playing in the league. The CHL cited the reason for termination being non-payment of league dues. The Steelhounds and the league have had a dispute related to travel expenses since the franchise began in 2006 [ [http://www.steelhounds.com/news/newspagedisplay.asp?ID=699 Youngstown SteelHounds Hockey, Central Hockey League, Youngstown, Ohio ] ] . The Steelhounds are looking to join the IHL or ECHL for the 2008-09 or 2009-10 season. Both leagues have teams located in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions, making them a better fit for the Steelhounds than the CHL (most of whose teams are in the Southern Plains and Southwest regions of the United States) [ [http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/jun/04/8217hounds-scramble-to-find-a-league/ ’Hounds scramble to find a league - Vindy.com News - Local Sports - Youngstown, Warren, Columbiana, Ohio ] ] . The team's ownership had had talks with the IHL, and in previous seasons the Steelhounds have had exhibition games against ECHL teams [ [http://www.steelhounds.com/news/newspagedisplay.asp?ID=511 Youngstown SteelHounds Hockey, Central Hockey League, Youngstown, Ohio ] ] .

After being kicked out of the league, and failing to quickly find a new league to play in for the upcoming 2008-2009 season, there has been a mass exodus of top officials in the SteelHounds organization. On June 23, 2008 General Manager Joe Gregory resigned his position, and announced that he was hired as an Executive Vice President for the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL [ [http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/jun/24/gregory-moves-up-the-ladder-to-norfolk/ Gregory moves up the ladder to Norfolk - Vindy.com News - Local Sports - Youngstown, Warren, Columbiana, Ohio ] ] . Then, Kevin 'Killer' Kaminski resigned his position as head coach on July 1st, 2008. Then on July 2nd, 2008 the rival Mississippi RiverKings announced him as their new head coach, signed to an unheard of 3-year contract. [ [http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/jul/03/ssrqhounds8217-kaminski-will-coach-riverkings/ SSRqHounds’ Kaminski will coach RiverKings - Vindy.com News - Local Sports - Youngstown, Warren, Columbiana, Ohio ] ]

Team Record

Head Coaching Records

Players

Current Roster

Team Captains

References

External links

* [http://www.steelhounds.com SteelHounds' official website]
* [http://www.centralhockeyleague.com Central Hockey League's Official Website]
* [http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/scoreboard.html?leagueid=12 Pointstreak: CHL Scoring Website]