Steel Host Biggest Promotional Weekend of Season During Home Tripleheader
March 5, 2025 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
GENEVA, ILLINOIS - The Steel will host a huge slate of games this weekend during their lone home tripleheader of the season including Referee Appreciation Night on Friday, March 7 at 7:05 pm, followed by one of the most entertaining nights of the season, Wiener Dog Races presented by PetSuites on Saturday, March 8 at 6:05 pm.
Chicago will round out the busy weekend with Daddy/Daughter Day with a special appearance from Snow White on Sunday, March 9 at 3:05 pm. Sunday is also a Lou Malnati's Family Pack game, where fans can get four tickets, hot dogs, chips, sodas or waters, chuck-a-pucks, and two Lou Malnati's personal pizza coupons for just $60.
Friday's Referee Appreciation Night is a way to pay tribute to the men and women in stripes and give them an opportunity to hear the crowd cheer for them for a change. Fans will be encouraged to loudly applaud every icing, offside and penalty, and instead of introducing the home team starting lineup to great fanfare, on Friday it will be the referees and linesmen receiving the VIP treatment. USHL Director of Officials, John Grandt will perform a ceremonial puck drop and the Steel will recognize eight referees from the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame.
Saturday is the team's 7th Annual Wiener Dog Races presented by PetSuites.
The preliminary heat of the Wiener Dog Races will take place on the ice during the first intermission of the game and is expected to feature 13 wiener dogs all race to center ice in a chaotic scramble you won't want to miss. The top four finishers will advance to race in the final during the second intermission. Prizes will be provided by Petsuites.
Last year's top dog was Wrigley, who will attempt to defend his title.
Snow White will appear at Sunday's game courtesy of Fairytale Entertainment, taking photos with fans during an afternoon game for the whole family.
The Steel will take on the defending Clark Cup Champion Fargo Force on Friday and Saturday with Dubuque in town for Sunday's game.
The Steel (15-28-4-1, 35 pts.) dropped a pair of games last weekend during a home-and-home series against Dubuque. Cam Briere scored two goals for the Steel in an 8-3 loss on Feb. 28. Dubuque completed the weekend sweep the following night on March 1 in Dubuque with a 7-2 final.
Steel forward Adam Valentini secured a point in both games last weekend and has tallied a point in three of the last four games. The rookie forward is second on the team in points (30), which ranks tied for fifth among USHL rookies. He also ranks tied for fifth among league rookies in goals (14) and shots (96).
Second-year forward Ben Yurchuk also found the scoresheet in each game last weekend and leads the Steel in points (33) and assists (24). He has the most power play assists on the Steel (8) and has recorded four assists in the last four games.
Following a three-game stretch before the new year that saw them secure three wins and score 22 goals in that span, the Steel have dropped seven of their last eight home games despite limiting opponents to three or fewer goals in four of those games. Fargo has not scored more than three goals in a road game since Jan. 23.
The Fargo Force (24-20-3-2, 53 pts.) won a record 50 games last season and are on pace to contend for another league title this season. They currently reside in a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference following a pair of losses to Lincoln at home last week. Fargo allowed Lincoln to go 3-for-6 on the power play during a 7-2 loss on Feb. 28 before earning a standings point in a 6-5 overtime loss on March 1. The Force scored three goals in the third period including the tying goal with their net empty with 1:20 left to force overtime.
Forward Merril Steenari leads the Force in points (32) and goals (22), which is nine more than the next-highest goal scorer for the Force. He has recorded 129 shots on goal which leads the team. He has scored a point in three of the last five games with five points (3G-2A) in that span.
First-year defenseman Sam Laurila has been a strong asset on the blue line for Fargo and has been one of the league's top defensemen this season. He has recorded 31 points this season which ranks fifth among USHL defensemen, and his 24 assists are the fourth-most in the league in that same category. He tallied a point in each game last weekend which ended a ten-game point skid.
The Force recently acquired forward Jonah Aegerter from Omaha, who was one of the Lancers top scorers. Aegerter posted 21 points in 46 games with Omaha this season and recorded two assists in his second game with Fargo.
The Steel are 16-11-2-1 all-time against Fargo and 8-4-1-1 at home. The Steel and Force met twice in Fargo last season that featured a pair of shutouts for the Force, 8-0 and 6-0 on Nov. 24 and 25. This weekend's games are the only scheduled matchups between the two teams this season.
The Dubuque Fighting Saints (33-14-0-2, 68 pts.) swept Chicago last weekend and scored 15 goals total. Jonathan Morello had a four-point night that included three assists on Feb. 28. Gavin Cornforth posted a three-point game with two goals and an assist. A different Dubuque skater scored each of its seven goals in the team's 7-2 win on March 1, with three skaters recording multi-point games.
Cornforth has not gone more than two games without scoring a point since November 2024. The Boston College commit has scored in eight of his last ten games and has six goals and six assists totaling 12 points in that span. He leads Dubuque in all scoring categories with 42 points on 20 goals and 22 assists.
Morello has found a groove at the backend of the season with a point in four of his last five games. In that stretch, he has three goals and five assists for eight points and is a +5 rating with two power play goals. His four-point game against Chicago last weekend was a career high for points in a single game.
Josh Giuliani enters the weekend with a five-game point and assist streak. The assist streak is the longest active in the league. Additionally, he has posted an assist in five consecutive road games. During his current streak, Giuliani has scored three goals and has five assists and is a +6 rating. He has scored on 25.4% of his shots, which leads all Dubuque skaters.
The Steel are 36-29-4-0 all-time against Dubuque and 23-14-0-0 at home. Sunday is the final scheduled matchup between the two teams during the regular season.
This weekend begins a five-game homestand for the Steel which will conclude next weekend, March 14 and March 15.
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, March 7 vs. Fargo Force | 7:05 pm CT | Referee Appreciation Night
Saturday, March 8 vs. Fargo Force | 6:05 pm CT | Wiener Dog Races presented by PetSuites
Sunday, March 9 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints | 3:05 pm CT | Daddy/Daughter Day with Special Guest Snow White | Lou Malnati's Family Pack Game
United States Hockey League Stories from March 5, 2025
- Phantoms Dominate in 5-2 Win over Madison - Youngstown Phantoms
- Stars Play Final Three-Game Weekend of Regular Season - Lincoln Stars
- Steel Host Biggest Promotional Weekend of Season During Home Tripleheader - Chicago Steel
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