‘Whatever it takes’: Idaho Steelheads target record-breaking season. 4 home games remain

Everett Sheen and Matt Register were roommates for three seasons while playing hockey for the Ontario Reign.

Sheen has since hung up his skates and is in his third season as head coach of the Idaho Steelheads, and Register now takes his on-ice orders from his former teammate.

The result for those two and the team surrounding them has been one of the most successful seasons in ECHL history — with the potential to be the absolute best.

With eight games remaining in the regular season, the red-hot Steelheads (52-9-3) are chasing more than a half-dozen ECHL records after a 6-0 victory over the Kansas City Mavericks on Wednesday night at Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise. They have won 10 straight, with their last loss coming on March 4 to the Mavericks.

They wrap up their home regular-season schedule with two games against Kansas City (Friday and Saturday) and a pair of games against Utah (Wednesday April 5, Friday April 7). The puck drops at 7:10 p.m. each night.

Here’s a look at records the Steelies have in range:

• Most wins: 56, by the Louisiana IceGators in 2001-02. (Idaho has 52)

• Most home wins: 30, by the Cincinnati Cyclones in 2018-19. (Idaho has 29, with four remaining)

• Most road wins: 26, by multiple teams, most recently the Florida Everblades in 2017-18. (Idaho has 23, with four remaining)

• Most points: 116, by the Louisiana IceGators in 2001-02. (Idaho has 107, with 16 still available)

• Longest home winning streak: 19, by the Newfoundland Growlers in 2019-20. (Idaho has won 16 straight)

• Most shutouts: 12, by the South Carolina Stingrays in 2014-15. (Idaho has 10)

• Fewest goals against: 153, by the South Carolina Stingrays in 2017-18. (Idaho has allowed 136)

• Lowest goals against average: 2.13, by the South Carolina Stingrays in 2017-18. (Idaho is at 2.13)

• Highest plus-minus rating: +59, by Victor Gervais of Hampton Roads in 1992-93. (Register is leading the league at +53)

While they creep closer toward ECHL history, the Steelheads have established themselves as one of the best teams in franchise history, setting Idaho records for wins (previous was 48), fewest regulation losses (9, and previous was 17) and most points (previous was 103). Barring anything crazy, they will set marks for fewest goals allowed (at 136, and previous was 183) and most goals scored (at 267, record is 268).

But nobody on the team is really talking much about the records. It’s more about the quality of camaraderie in the winning locker room.

“Right from the get-go we came together as a group,” said Register, a defenseman who is in his 12th professional season and first with the Steelheads. “We’re a tight-knit group. No matter who you are, everyone is buying in, blocking shots, making plays, scoring goals, kinda doing whatever it takes.”

Register is part of an impressive unit for Idaho. Aside from the aforementioned plus-53 rating, he has 50 points (8 goals, 42 assists), which ties for the league lead among defensemen. Also in that tie is the Steelheads’ Owen Headrick (14 goals, 36 assists), who sits at plus-35. Patrick Kudla has 48 points (8 goals, 40 assists) and a plus-32 rating, and Cody Haiskanen is at a whopping plus-48 while contributing 24 points.

The least amount of games played for any of those four is 52.

“I’ve played on teams that took a while to get there. Halfway through the seasons finally getting some jam and jelling together, but right from the get-go here it’s just been a close group and we’ve enjoyed playing hockey together from Day One, and we’ve just been rolling,” Register said.

This season has been a memorable one for Register, who is from Calgary and has played in both the AHL and ECHL over the past decade. He tallied his 350th pro assist in November, played in his 500th ECHL game in December and tallied his 400th career ECHL point in January. He is one goal shy of 100 in his ECHL career.

“It’s very impressive, especially at his age,” Sheen, 36, said of the 33-year-old Canadian. “I keep telling him that. I’ve known him now for 12 years, and just to see his growth from when I first met him to now, and how mature his game is. He’s always had that offensive side, but for him to defend as hard as he is this year has been awesome to watch.”

The Steelheads lead the league with 4.17 goals per game and 2.13 goals against. They are 41 points clear of Kansas City and Wichita in the Mountain Division, and 12 ahead of the Cincinnati Cyclones for most points in the ECHL.

The balanced offense is led up front by Ryan Dmowski (28 goals, 63 points) and Jordan Kawaguchi (26 goals, 52 points). Adam Scheel has started 32 games in goal, recording 25 wins and a 2.09 goals-against average. Remi Poirier, who is now with the Texas Stars of the AHL, started 23 games, with 19 wins and a 2.07 GAA while with the Steelheads.

“The amount of buy-in that they have every single day, and they’re willing to work for each other,” Sheen said. “They love coming to the rink and being with each other, so it’s just been a lot of fun, and we just want to keep going for the Kelly Cup.”

The Steelheads clinched the Mountain Division title and a spot in the playoffs a long time ago. When the playoffs begin in mid-April, they’ll try to make their biggest postseason splash in over a decade. Idaho won the ECHL Kelly Cup in 2007 and made the finals in 2010, and last reached the third round of the playoffs in 2013.

The Steelheads finished fifth in the Mountain Division last season and didn’t make the playoffs.

“I think early on we realized that we have all the pieces we need,” Scheel said. “We don’t need to go out and find anybody. We’re confident in the group that we have and the group we’ve had all year. I think it says a lot about just how tight we are, how close we are. We’ve been together for a long time.”