Men's Ice Hockey 10/21/2026 9:56:00 AM Calvin Bush

Steel Set to Host Spooktacular Halloweekend

Saturday’s Hat Trick or Treat features pre-game candy and post-game autographs

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — Frights, treats, and two nights of hockey are on tap this weekend as the Chicago Steel get ready for ghost hunting as they welcome the Youngstown Phantoms to USG Arena for a Halloween-themed two-game series Friday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 pm CT and Saturday, Oct. 24 at 6:00 pm CT.

The weekend festivities begin Friday with Friday Night Frights, kicking off a pair of Halloween celebrations. The spooky celebration continues Saturday with Hat Trick or Treat, offering families and hockey fans an opportunity to celebrate an early Halloween at the rink. Before the 6:00 pm puck drop, fans can enjoy pre-game trick or treating in Centennial Hall before settling in for an evening of Steel hockey.

Saturday's game will feature spooky songs throughout the evening, as well as ghostly games including Candy Toss, What's in the Box? (Halloween edition), and a Pumpkin Race, where fans will race to pass a pumpkin and gourd down their row and back.

Following Saturday's matchup, fans are invited to stick around for Full Team Post-Game Autographs, where they can meet Steel players and collect signatures from the entire team. Saturday marks the first of four full-team autograph opportunities scheduled throughout the season.

The Steel (4-2-1-0, 9 pts.) are looking to rebound from a 6-2 road loss against the Madison Capitols on Oct. 17. Cole Bumgarner scored in his first game back in the lineup after missing three games, and Nolan Shorter scored his second goal to mark consecutive games with a tally. The setback came following a home sweep of the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Oct. 9 and 10 that saw the Steel score five goals in consecutive games.

Goaltender Alex Wang made 18 saves before Chase Pastor entered in relief for his first USHL appearance in the third period, stopping all four shots he faced.

Cade Strom added an assist to extend his point streak to four games. He has recorded an assist in three consecutive games and has four points (1G3A) during his streak.

MJ Campbell has also been consistent on the scoresheet after potting a helper on Oct. 17. The 16-year-old forward has recorded a point in consecutive games and three of the last four (1G-2A).

The Phantoms (3-6-0-0, 6 pts.) opened last weekend with a 3-2 shootout victory at Muskegon on Oct. 16 before falling 5-3 on Saturday.

Lukas Zajic opened the scoring Friday with a first-period power-play goal before Matej Mikes gave Youngstown a 2-1 advantage midway through the third. After Muskegon tied the contest late in regulation, Zajic and Jesse Orlowsky converted in the shootout to secure victory for the Phantoms.

Goaltender Owen Lepak stopped 26 of 28 shots in the win and turned aside seven of Muskegon's eight shootout attempts.

Youngstown carried its offensive production into Saturday's matchup but couldn't overcome a three-goal performance from Muskegon forward Zaac Charbonneau in the two-goal loss.

Brody Berard opened the scoring for Youngstown just 16 seconds after Muskegon's first goal in the first period, while Zajic added his second tally of the weekend early in the third period before Muskegon scored two unanswered goals.

Zajic emerged as one of Youngstown's top performers during the weekend series, scoring in consecutive games and adding a shootout goal in Friday's victory. He has appeared in just three games to start the year but has scored a point in each of them. He has four points (2G-2A) to open the season with one power play goal and ten shots on goal.

Youngstown dropped five consecutive games to open the season before breaking the spell with a 2-0 shutout win at Dubuque on Oct. 10. The Phantoms built on their first victory with a seven-goal showing in a 7-2 win over the USA Hockey NTDP on Oct. 13. Jack Hair and Malachi McKinnon led the offensive charge with two goals apiece, while Stephen Cover added a goal and two assists. In total, 15 Youngstown skaters recorded at least one point in the victory, including five players with multi-point performances.

Brayden Thompson has been one of the top defensemen in the league despite a slow start for the Phantoms. The Omaha commit ranks tied for sixth in scoring for USHL defensemen (7 pts.) and is second in assists (7). He also has the second-most power play assists (4) and minor penalties (8) among all league skaters.

Hair has pointed in two of the last three games and is tied for the lead in goals among league defensemen (4). He is tied for 13^th in overall scoring among blueliners.

The Steel are 52-49-9-5 all-time against Youngstown and 25-29-5-2 at home. This weekend's games are the first two of four total games between the two clubs this season. The final two matchups are scheduled for Jan. 8 and 9 in Youngstown. The Steel went 1-4-2-0 in seven games against the Phantoms last season, with the lone victory coming on the road.

Following the Halloweekend, Chicago will travel to Kearney, Nebraska, for two matchups against the Tri-City Storm on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31.

The Steel will return to USG Arena on Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 for a two-game series against the Des Moines Buccaneers. Saturday's matchup will feature fan-favorite Turtle Races courtesy of Big Joe's 2 & 6 Pub.

Single-game, group, and premium seating tickets for the 2026-2027 season are on sale now.

Group experiences and tickets are also on sale and start at just $13.50 per ticket.

For more information, call 855-51-STEEL or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.

Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule:
Friday, October 23 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (7:00 pm CT) | Friday Night Frights
Saturday, October 24 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (6:00 pm CT) | Hat Trick or Treat | Pre-Game Trick or Treat | Full Team Post-Game Autographs
Friday, October 30 at Tri-City Storm (7:05 pm CT)

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