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The Chicago Steel are a hockey team that plays in the United States Hockey League, having joined the league in 2000. The Steel have played their home games at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Illinois, since 2015; previously, the team played at Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, Illinois, from 2000 to 2015.
| Chicago Steel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Geneva, Illinois |
| League | USHL |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Home arena | Fox Valley Ice Arena (capacity: 3,500) |
| Colors | Black, red, gray |
| Owner(s) | Wirtz Corporation |
| General manager | Mike Garman[1] |
| Head coach | Mike Garman |
| Website | chicagosteelhockeyteam |
| Franchise history | |
| 1996–2000 | Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks |
| 2000–present | Chicago Steel |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 2 Anderson Cups (2019–20, 2020–21) |
| Playoff championships | 2 Clark Cups (2017, 2021) |
The Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks, founded in 1996,[2] moved to Bensenville, Illinois, and became the Chicago Steel in 2000. In May 2015, the majority ownership of the Steel was purchased by Larry Robbins while then current owners Bruce Liimatainen and Mike Greenberg remained involved as minority owners. The announcement for the change of ownership was accompanied by a change of leadership as Ryan Bennett and Dan Muse were hired as the new general manager and head coach, respectively.[3]
On May 22, 2017, the Steel defeated the Sioux City Musketeers 2–1 in overtime of game five, finishing a 3-games-to-2 series win to claim the franchise's first Clark Cup. Head coach Dan Muse would then be hired by the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators as an assistant coach and Mark Abalan would take over as head coach of the Steel.[4] On January 2, 2018, Abalan was let go and Ryan Cruthers was named interim head coach and assistant general manager of the Steel.[5] During the 2018 Clark Cup playoffs, the interim tag was removed and Cruthers was named the permanent head coach,[6] however, Cruthers would leave the team in May 2018 when the Steel hired Ryan Hardy as general manager.[7] Greg Moore was then hired as the head coach for the 2018–19 season after previously serving as an assistant with Team USA.[8] In 2019, Moore left to become head coach of the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League and Brock Sheahan was promoted to head coach.[9] The Steel then won the regular season championship, the Anderson Cup, in the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 season.[10] The Steel won a second-straight Anderson Cup in the shortened 2020–21 season[11] and subsequently won their second Clark Cup as playoff champions.[citation needed]
On August 1, 2023 Larry Robbins sold the team to the Wirtz Corporation, who also own the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks franchise.[12]
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