General 3/18/2026 9:09:00 AM Calvin Bush

Special Jerseys and Trading Card Giveaway Highlight Steel's Biggest Three-Game Home Weekend of the Season

Chicago hosts final home tripleheader at Fox Valley Ice Arena

GENEVA, ILLINOIS — With just five home games left on the calendar, the Chicago Steel enter their second-to-last home weekend with three consecutive home games including Military Appreciation Night presented by Ozinga on Friday, March 20 with a special jersey auction to benefit Wounded Warrior Project, Referee Appreciation Night on Saturday, March 21 and Part Two of the team's Trading Card Set Giveaway presented by River Front Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Truck Center on Sunday, March 22.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 pm on Friday and 6:05 pm Saturday with both games against Youngstown, and Sunday's game against Green Bay is set to start at 3:05 pm.

The Steel will wear special jerseys on Friday for Military Appreciation Night presented by Ozinga. The sweaters will be auctioned online from Thursday, March 19 at 9 am to Thursday, March 26 at 5 pm, with proceeds to benefit Wounded Warrior Project. The jerseys feature a white camouflage base with subtle tones of beige and grey mixed into the military pattern. The Steel's riveted wordmark is printed across the front of the jersey, and an American flag sits underneath the neck on the back of the sweater.

Both shoulders feature the six branches of the US military, with the Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force on the left and the Army, Navy, and Marines on the right. The numbers and name bars are printed in a bold military stencil font, and the socks mirror the unique white camo texture featured on the jerseys.

Wounded Warrior Project works to improve the lives of veterans through programs aiding in mental health, career counseling, and long-term rehabilitative care.

Instead of the usual focus on the players, Saturday's Referee Appreciation Night shifts the spotlight to the officials who keep the game moving. Throughout the evening, fans will be encouraged to celebrate every icing, offside, or penalty with the same enthusiasm typically reserved for goals. To give the officials a true warm welcome, the traditional introduction of the home team's starters will be set aside so that the referees and linespersons can take center stage and enjoy a moment of great recognition.

It's the second straight season the Steel will host a night revolving around referees after last year's promotion drew great attention from fans and on social media. While the night will involve fanfare for the officials calling the game, it also serves as a tribute to officials of all stripes who make sporting events possible.

The Steel will close out the weekend on Sunday, March 22 at 3:05 pm CT with Part Two of the team's Trading Card Set Giveaway presented by River Front Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Truck Center. Fans can stay after the game to complete their signatures on the card set during Full Team Post-Game Autographs.

The Steel (25-22-6-2, 58 pts.) dropped consecutive games last weekend in a home-and-home series against Muskegon. Timo Kazda tied the game with a power play score early in the March 13 road matchup, but Muskegon potted three unanswered goals, including a shorthanded tally, to end Chicago's brief three-game winning streak in a 4-1 loss. Louis-Felix Charrois faced his toughest test of the season with 48 saves on 52 shots, the most shots he'd faced all year, in his first start since Feb. 14.

Chicago again had the game tied with the Lumberjacks on March 14, but Muskegon scored two third-period goals and fended off a late Steel push to sweep the weekend and hand Chicago a 3-2 defeat. James Scantlebury and Adyn Merrick scored for Chicago, and Charrois made 23 saves.

The losses marked the first time the Steel scored two or fewer goals in consecutive games since Jan. 24. They have failed to score more than three goals in six of their last eight home games and trail Madison by five points for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with seven games remaining.

Kazda extended his point streak to four games after recording an assist on March 14. The Boston College commit has recorded eight points (4G-4A) during his streak and has the second-most goals among USHL rookies (18). He also ranks fourth in rookie scoring with 33 points, tied with Scantlebury, who has the fifth-most goals among rookies (14). Scantlebury has found the scoresheet in four of his last five games and has five points (2G-3A) in that span.

Also scoring points in four of his last five outings is Merrick, who has three goals and two assists during his recent run. After being held scoreless in his first three games with the Steel, Merrick has tallied a point in six of the last eight games and has seven points (4G-3A) in that span. He has had a sub-zero plus-minus rating just once in his 11 games with Chicago.

Chicago's top line of Luke Goukler, Jackson Crowder, and Brady Kudrick was held off the scoresheet for the third consecutive game on March 14, marking the first time this season all three skaters went without a point in three straight outings. Since Feb. 1 (15 games), the three have combined for 51 total points (22G-29A).

The Youngstown Phantoms (39-13-3-2, 83 pts.) swept Dubuque at home last weekend, scoring four goals in each win to move their point streak to four games. Dubuque erased a two-goal deficit with three straight goals on March 13, but Youngstown tied it in the third and secured the extra point in overtime with a 4-3 win. Evan Jardine potted the game-winner and added an assist.

Dubuque outshot the Phantoms 29-25 the following night and got within a goal late, but Tobias Trejbal allowed just one goal as 11 Youngstown skaters recorded a point in a 4-1 win on March 14. The Phantoms tallied two empty net goals in the last 1:49 of regulation to close out the weekend with all four points and inch closer to clinching their first Anderson Cup since 2014-2015.

Youngstown has won eight of its last ten road contests and has limited opponents to three or fewer goals in six of those games while also scoring four or more goals six times.

Jardine extended his point streak to four games on March 14 and has two multi-point games in that stretch. He has seven points (3G-4A) during his streak and has a +6 rating. The Ohio State commit ranks third on the Phantoms in scoring (54P-23G-31A) and has the fourth-most power play points in the USHL (27).

After a stretch that saw him score in 13 of 16 games (19P-11G-8A), Cooper Simpson has been blanked in five consecutive games. Simpson still ranks third in USHL scoring with 67 points (30G-37A) and sits third in goals and tied for fifth in assists. He has the most power play points (36) and assists (24) of any league skater and has the third-most shots on goal (199).

Trejbal started both games last weekend and has won four of his last six starts. He has held opponents to three or fewer goals in seven of the last nine games and has the league's top goals against average (2.16) and the second-most wins (26).

The Steel are 52-47-9-5 all-time against Youngstown and 25-27-5-2 at home. After the Steel won the opening game of the season series on Oct. 31, the Phantoms have won four straight games against Chicago, which included consecutive 3-2 overtime wins in Geneva on Dec. 27 and 28 and a narrow 4-3 win on Jan. 30. Timo Kazda has recorded a point in each of the last three games against Youngstown (2G-2A). This weekend's matchups are the final scheduled games between the two teams this season.

The Green Bay Gamblers (33-17-3-2, 71 pts.) dropped consecutive road games against Cedar Rapids last weekend as their losing streak hit four games. The two teams exchanged the first six goals on March 13 before Green Bay scored two goals in 12 seconds to take a 4-3 lead, but Cedar Rapids tied the game and scored the game-winning goal with one minute left in regulation to down the Gamblers 6-4. The teams combined for 166 penalty minutes, the third-most in a game this season, with Green Bay receiving 90 minutes on 15 infractions in the loss.

Green Bay went shorthanded five times in the rematch the following day and tied the game in the first period, but Cedar Rapids scored twice in the middle frame and added an empty net goal as the Gamblers fell 4-2.

The four-game losing streak tied a season-long skid for the Gamblers, their last coming in the first week of the regular season when they lost their opening four games of the campaign.

Nick Knutson and Gavin Katz have each scored a point in three consecutive games. After going five straight games without a point, Knutson has six points (2G-4A) in the last three outings and is a +4 rating in that span. Katz has an assist in each game during his streak (4A) and has pointed in eight of the last ten games (12P-5G-7A). Katz ranks second on the Gamblers in points (48) and goals (25).

Leo Henriquez started each game for Green Bay and lost both, marking the first time he dropped consecutive starts this season. The five-goal allowance on March 13 tied a season high for the Slovakian goaltender and was just the third time in the last nine starts he allowed more than three goals.

The Steel are 82-78-7-5 all-time against Green Bay and 46-38-2-3 at home. The Steel defeated Green Bay in the first matchup of the season on Oct. 24, but the Gamblers have won each of the last six matchups. The Gamblers came away with a one-sided 7-1 win in Geneva in the last matchup on Feb. 21. Sunday's game is the final scheduled matchup between the two teams.

After their final road trip of the season next weekend, the Steel will return home for the final two games at Fox Valley Ice Arena starting on Friday, April 3, against the USA Hockey NTDP U18 team with a Fox Valley Farewell Tour stop, Steel-a-palooza, with a special Rusty Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Circle K.

Chicago will play its final game at Fox Valley Ice Arena on Saturday, April 4 against the U17 team on Fan Appreciation Night with a Team Poster Giveaway presented by Minuteman Press.

Tickets for all Steel home games are on sale now starting at just $10.

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

Chicago Steel Upcoming Schedule presented by Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush:
Friday, March 20 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (7:05 pm CT) | Military Appreciation Night presented by Ozinga | Special Jersey Auction to benefit Wounded Warrior Project
Saturday, March 21 vs. Youngstown Phantoms (6:05 pm CT) | Referee Appreciation Night
Sunday, March 22 vs. Green Bay Gamblers (3:05 pm CT) | Part 2 of Trading Card Set Giveaway (first 500 fans) presented by River Front Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Truck Center | Full Team Post-Game Autographs

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