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NEWS STORY
Steel Names Former NHL
Defenseman Steve Poapst Head Coach
Bensenville, IL (December 22, 2006) --
The Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League
announced today that Steve Poapst has replaced Chris
Imes as head coach, effective immediately. Steel General
Manager Jason Koehler made the announcement.
Poapst is a native of Cornwall, Ontario and a graduate
of Colgate University who spent eight seasons as a
defenseman in the National Hockey League, including four
with the Chicago Blackhawks (2000-2001 to 2003-2004). He
appeared in a total of 307 NHL games and registered
eight goals, 26 assists and 173 penalty minutes with
four different teams. Poapst, who will turn 38 years old
on January 3, retired as a player after appearing in a
combined 62 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins and St.
Louis Blues last season.
The Steel did not have to go far in filling the head
coaching position. The strong ties and strong hockey
network that the Steel hold with the Edge Ice Arena and
their ties with the Chicago Blackhawks proved to be a
key element in this search. These ties and endorsements
proved to be even stronger when the backing of Poapst
came from Blackhawks Senior Vice President Bob Pulford,
Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon and Blackhawks
Head Coach Denis Savard.
This year, Poapst had been serving as coach of the
Chicago Mission 1993 hockey club, one of the top-rated
bantam minor programs in the country (16-1-2). He will
make his USHL coaching debut next Friday -- December
29th -- at 7:30 p.m. when the Steel hosts the Ohio
Junior Blue Jackets at the Edge Ice Arena. No other
current USHL coach played in the NHL.
“We’re a much better program than our current record
(4-17-1) indicates, and we felt that we needed to go in
a different direction for the final 38 games of the
season and into the playoffs,” Koehler said. “We believe
that Steve Poapst will help change the on-ice direction
of this club and improve our focus and attitude. Someone
with Steve’s abilities, and his experiences at the
highest level of professional hockey, will no doubt
benefit our players here in Chicago a great deal.”
Jon Waibel, who was the Steel’s assistant coach under
Imes, will continue to serve in that capacity under
Poapst.
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