Idaho Steelheads

[rock music] What a weekend in front of you, huh? Goat heads tonight open up their history out at the Rio Rancho Events Center, dropping the puck for the first time.

They play the Idaho Steelheads.

New Mexico United's on the road, second to the last game of their regular season as they try to get the number one seed overall in the Western Conference.

Lobo football on the road, they will be at Hawaii chasing a conference championship, 8:30 over on News Radio KKOB, 7:30 pregame on Saturday.

And history is about to be made in New Mexico as professional hockey returns to the state for the first time in 17 years.

The New Mexico Goat Heads are set to open their inaugural season tomorrow, hosting the Idaho Steelheads at the Rio Rancho Event Center.

The ECHL expansion team has 72 regular season games ahead, with first-year head coach Zach Stortini leading a roster featuring a mix of young players and veterans with AHL experience.

The Goat Heads are also affiliated with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and the AHL's Colorado Eagles and have acquired six players from the Eagles last month.

And they have an affiliation with Stanley Cup champs Colorado Avalanche.

And they will begin play this weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, out at the Rio Rancho Event Center versus the Idaho Steelheads.

So the Goatheads versus the Steelheads.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I played, uh, you know, I was fortunate enough to play for a long time, played, uh, 14 seasons.

Um, mostly in the East coast hockey league, a little bit in the American hockey league and then over in Europe a little bit, but, uh, finished my career, uh, with the Idaho steelheads actually, um, made the transition last year, uh, into coaching, played a few games at the start of the season for the Allen Americans last year, and then took over as the assistant coach with them.

So, uh, got my foot in the door last year on the coaching side.

Yeah

... by Mike Leg, a guy that I ended up playing with, with Idaho Steelheads.

And I'll tell you, he did that-

Oh, is that right?

Apparently my brother-in-law, a UNLV alum, is a full convert.

I think he was at Boise's first couple of home games there, and, uh, was told by my sources on the inside that to endear himself to the Boise faithful as the voice of the Idaho Steelheads, that he may become a Boise State super fan, but probably thankful that UNLV doesn't have to go through Boise State en route to winning the Mountain West, something that they weren't able to accomplish, uh, i- in multiple attempts.

But yes, I would like to-

Big game this week for Bet The Board faithful.

Yeah.

Especially since it's a big one because it's the Steelheads and the Night Monsters, isn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

So minor league teams might get to be a little more violent than a Spud Kings game.

And it was really, it was convenient to get off work.

My first job when I was the voice of the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL, you'd get off work at 5 o'clock and, like, games would be coming on.

You could watch the games.

My buddy and I would go to a sports bar, whatever, watch the games.