10th Annual Teddy Bear Toss this Friday
February 26, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - The Steel will host one of the greatest traditions in junior hockey this weekend with the team's 10th Annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by Geneva Family Dental on Friday, February 28 at 7:05 pm against the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Chicago will head to Dubuque to take on the Fighting Saints the following night on Saturday, March 1 at 7:05 pm CT.
Fans are encouraged to bring new or unused teddy bears on Friday to toss on the ice after the first Steel goal. All teddy bears will be donated to charity. Over the last nine seasons, Steel fans have tossed over 3,000 teddy bears onto the ice as part of the team's annual tradition.
Stuffed animals from this year's game will be donated to several local charities including the Geneva Police Department, Marklund Hyde Center in Geneva, and Autumn Leaves Memory Care Center of St. Charles.
In last season's Teddy Bear Toss game on March 9, 2024, current Steel forward Ben Yurchuk scored Chicago's first goal to send teddy bears flying onto the ice.
The Steel (15-26-4-1, 35 pts.) secured two points last weekend in a trio of games. Chicago was held in check during a 4-1 loss at Waterloo on Feb. 21 before returning home and earning a 5-2 win over the USA Hockey NTDP on Feb. 22. Adam Valentini tallied two goals for Chicago and both Hudson Gorski and Tobias Ohman recorded two assists in the win. The Steel hosted Green Bay the following day and had a 3-2 lead at one point but surrendered four unanswered goals to fall 6-3.
Steel forward Kolin Sisson enters the weekend with a three-game goal streak. The assistant captain leads the Steel in goals (18) as well as shots (98) and shooting percentage (18.4%). He has scored the second-most power play goals for Chicago (4), just one behind first-year forward Teddy Mutryn.
Hudson Gorski appeared in his 100th USHL game on Feb. 22 and posted two assists in the Steel win. The Cornell commit registered an assist on Feb. 23 to cap off a three-point weekend. In his second season with the Steel, Gorski has matched his goal total from last season and has posted six more assists with 15 games remaining. His 42 shots are the second-most among Steel defensemen, and he is one of only two blue liners to score a power play goal, Callum Croskery being the other.
Reid Conn has been prominent on the scoresheet in February, having tallied a point in all but three games so far this month. He posted a goal and an assist last weekend and has scored a goal in three of the last six games. He leads Steel defensemen in points (19), goals (7), and shots (61).
The Dubuque Fighting Saints (31-14-0-2, 64 pts.) lead the Eastern Conference and are on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot. They dropped a pair of games at the USA Hockey NTDP U18 team last weekend. The Fighting Saints trailed 3-1 on Feb. 21 and kept the game close, getting within one after an early power play goal in the third before falling 4-3. The following night was a back-and-forth affair, with each team trading goals before an NTDP power play goal with 1:23 left in regulation took the game to overtime and an eventual shootout. Both teams scored in the second round before the NTDP won it in the seventh round to secure a 4-3 win. It's only the fourth time this season Dubuque has lost consecutive games, and they have not lost more than two games in a row this season.
Dubuque's goaltending tandem of Liam Beerman and Jan Spunar have contributed to much of the team's success this year. Beerman ranks second among USHL netminders in save percentage (.914 %) and 12th in goals against average (2.73). In 16 appearances this season, Beerman has lost just once (11-1-0-2), with the single regulation loss coming back on October 5.
Spunar ranks second in saves (862), fourth in wins (19) and minutes played (1,820), and fifth in save percentage (.911 %). His 2.77 goals against average is 13th.
Forward Lukas Van Vliet ranks third in scoring for Dubuque with 32 points and has found the scoresheet in seven of his last eight games. During his hot stretch, the Vegas Golden Knights (2024) prospect has scored three goals and six assists. He has recorded 123 shots this season, the second-most for Dubuque, and has the most power play assists on the team (11).
Josh Giuliani tallied a goal and an assist in each game last weekend to extend his point streak to three games. During his streak, he has two goals and three assists. The second-year forward has scored a point in five of the last six games and has 30 points (17G-13A) in 38 games.
The Steel are 36-27-4-0 all-time against Dubuque, 23-13-0-0 at home and 13-14-4-0 on the road. The Steel and Fighting Saints have met just once this season, a matchup in Dubuque on Oct. 4 that resulted in a 5-2 loss for Chicago. Giuliani scored twice for Dubuque which tallied 47 shots on goal. Kolin Sisson and Adam Valentini scored the Steel goals. This weekend's games are the second and third of four scheduled games between the two this season. The final matchup will be in Geneva on Sunday, March 9 at 3:05 pm.
For a limited time, fans can purchase the Irish Night Special for Irish Night presented by Illinois Aviation Academy on Friday, March 14 at 7:05 pm. The bundle includes two tickets to the game plus two Chicago Steel Beer Steins for just $45.
All Steel tickets are digital, and fans are encouraged to purchase online in advance at ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
Group tickets and experiences, suites and other premium areas, including the Coors Light Chill Zone and Ice Side Tables, are also on sale now.
For more information, call 855-51-STEEL.
Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, February 28 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints | 7:05 pm CT | Teddy Bear Toss presented by Geneva Family Dental
Saturday, March 1 at Dubuque Fighting Saints | 7:05 pm CT
Friday, March 7 vs. Fargo Force | 7:05 pm CT | Referee Appreciation Night
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