To our great fans:
Since 2015, the Chicago Steel have called Fox Valley Ice Arena home.
Over the last ten seasons, we have advanced 191 players to NCAA Division 1 hockey, helped develop 42 NHL draft picks and watched as 29 individuals have fulfilled their lifelong dream of making it to the NHL.
When the Steel moved to Fox Valley Ice Arena in 2015, we could not have imagined the incredible success that we've been fortunate to experience and the number of outstanding players, coaches and staff members that have represented the team over the last decade.
Today, we're excited to announce the next chapter for the Steel.
At the conclusion of the 2025-2026 season, the Steel will move downtown to Fifth Third Arena, the official training home to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Steel will play and practice at the venue's new Championship Arena, part of a 135,000 square foot expansion project expected to be completed in 2026.
For our players and coaches, the move will mean brand new, best-in-class facilities befitting the "dopest non-NHL franchise in hockey". Steel players will train under the same roof as NHL athletes with unparalleled resources available to them.
The Championship Arena at Fifth Third Arena will create an enhanced environment for fans and an equally difficult setting for opposing teams to play. The arena will feature stadium-style seating, a state-of-the-art center-hung video board with additional video ribbons at each end of the ice, and elevated sound and lighting. Expanded dining options, premium hospitality spaces, and the opportunity to soak up Chicago Blackhawks tradition are all centerpieces of the expansion design.
When the Steel moved to Fox Valley Ice Arena ten years ago, we did so knowing that a long-term venue solution would be necessary at some point. As our league has continued to evolve, a club playing in a community rink that it neither owns nor operates is not a sustainable model. It is because of the passion of our fans, particularly our season ticket holders, housing families, gameday staff and off-ice officials, combined with outstanding ownership willing to invest resources into the club and facility, that we've been able to maintain status quo for the past decade.
We recognize that this move will be difficult for many of our loyal fans, however for the Steel to continue to evolve both on and off the ice, this change is necessary.
We are grateful for our relationship with Centrum East-West Ventures (management company for Fox Valley Ice Arena), the Forest Preserve District of Kane County (building owners), Rookies All-American Pub and Grill, Aurora University and the Cyclones Amateur Hockey Association. Even without the Steel, we are confident that Fox Valley Ice Arena will continue to thrive and serve as hub for the Tri-City area and beyond.
This fall, the Steel will begin our final season at Fox Valley Ice Arena. We hope that you'll join us for a season that promises to be exciting and memorable. We will do our part to continue to provide the affordable family entertainment that you've come to expect, and to finish out our run in Geneva on a high note.
For our fans interested in learning more about our new home, we'd encourage you to visit our website, and more information will be available over the coming weeks and months as we prepare for our downtown debut.
We hope to see you this fall in Geneva for one final celebratory season of Steel hockey at Fox Valley Ice Arena.
Sincerely,
Dan Lehv
President
Chicago Steel Hockey Team
