USHL Chicago Steel

Boy Band Night with Full Team Autographs this Weekend

January 3, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release


GENEVA, ILLINOIS - The Steel will ring in the New Year on home ice in style with a pair of home games this weekend including Boy Band Night on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 6:05 pm CT with Full Team Post-Game Autographs following the game.

The Steel will open the weekend against the Sioux Falls Stampede on Friday, Jan. 5 at 7:05 pm CT and the following night, Saturday, Jan. 6 at 6:05 pm CT is Boy Band Night. Fans can partake in "Battle of the Boy Bands" and "Name that Tune" during intermissions, as well as "Synched Up," where a contestant will compete against a Steel player in naming as many boy bands as possible, and "Guess Who?" during media timeouts.

The Steel (9-17-1-1) split a weekend series with the Madison Capitols last weekend after an exciting 4-3 win on Dec. 29. Chicago dropped a hard-fought game the following night, 5-4, but came narrowly close to sending the game to overtime after getting within a goal with less than a minute to play.

Steel defenseman Chris Able had a big weekend on the scoresheet, scoring a goal in both games plus an assist on Dec. 30. Saturday's game was the second multipoint game for Able since making his season debut on Nov. 11.

The consecutive games with goals were the first two goals for Able this season and matched his goal total of two in his first two seasons with the Steel in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Rookie defenseman Chris Reiniger also had a weekend worth noting, as he scored his first career USHL goal on Dec. 29. The milestone goal comes on the heels of the Princeton commit getting his first career point in the league on Dec. 3.

Another first-year skater, Joey DelGreco, has consistently found the scoresheet lately. DelGreco has registered a point in seven of the last nine games, with three goals and eight assists in that span.

The weekend series against Madison marked another pair of one-goal games the Steel have played in including six of the last nine contests.

The Sioux Falls Stampede (15-13-1-1) won two of their three games after the recent USHL holiday break, scoring at least five goals in each victory. The Stampede defeated their crosstown rivals, Sioux City Musketeers, 6-3 on Dec. 29, followed by a 5-2 win over Cedar Rapids on Dec. 30. The Des Moines Buccaneers handed the Stampede a 6-2 loss on New Year's Eve.

Sioux Falls forward JJ Wiebusch has led the charge for the Stampede this season. The Merrimack College commit has 31 points, third in the USHL, with 15 goals and 16 assists. In the last 12 games, Wiebusch has five multi-point games and 14 points.

Quinnipiac commit Chris Pelosi has gone step for step with Wiebusch, scoring 26 points with 13 goals in 25 games. The second-year forward has 11 points in the last six games.

The Stampede have benefited from a strong first season from rookie forward John McNelis, who ranks fourth in the league among rookies with 18 points. In 30 games, McNelis has nine goals and nine assists, with two game-winning goals.

The Steel are 20-25-0-5 all-time against the Stampede. The last time the two clubs squared off was at the USHL Fall Classic on Sept. 21, 2021 when the Steel won 6-1. Current Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli scored a goal and an assist in the game, as did current Quinnipiac forward Sam Lipkin and Boston College defenseman Lukas Gustafsson.

The last time Sioux Falls visited Fox Valley Ice Arena was May 17, 2019, when the Stampede defeated the Steel 5-1 in Game 3 of the Clark Cup Final to earn a 3-0 series victory and the club's third Clark Cup Championship.

Single-game tickets are on sale now, starting at just $10. 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 team's new 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, January 5 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede (7:05 pm CT)

Saturday, January 6 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede (6:05 pm CT) | Boy Band Night | Full Team Post-Game Autographs

Tuesday, January 9 at Green Bay Gamblers (7:05 pm CT)

Check out the Chicago Steel Statistics



United States Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2024


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