Steel To Pay Tribute To Referees As Part Of Big Promotional Weekend

Referees seldom hear cheers or get pats on the back. The Chicago Steel plan to change that this weekend.

As part of an action-packed weekend filled with promotions during their only home tripleheader this season, the Steel will host Referee Appreciation Night on Friday when they face the defending Clark Cup Champion Fargo Force at 7:05 Pm CT.

The club will pay tribute to the men and women in stripes by giving them a chance to hear cheers from the crowd for a change. Fans will be encouraged to applaud every icing, offside and penalty.

Instead of introducing the home team starting lineup to great fanfare, the referees and linesmen will be the ones receiving the VIP treatment.

John Grandt, the USHL’s director of officials, will perform a ceremonial puck drop. The Steel will also recognize eight referees from the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame.

On Saturday, the team will host its seventh annual Wiener Dog Races presented by PetSuites. The preliminary heat of the races will be held on the ice during the first intermission of that night’s game against the Force and will feature 13 wiener dogs, who will all race to center ice in a chaotic scramble.

The top four finishers will advance to the finals, held during the second intermission. Prizes will be provided by PetSuites.

Sunday will have a fairy tale feel as Snow White will make an appearance. Fans will have an opportunity to take photos during the afternoon contest against the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Chicago (15-28-4-1, 35 points), will try to bounce back from dropping a pair of games during last weekend’s home-and-home series against Dubuque. Cam Briere scored two goals for the Steel in an 8-3 loss on Friday. The Fighting Saints completed the sweep with a 7-2 victory the following night.

Following a three-game stretch before the new year that saw them secure three wins and score 22 goals in that span, the Steel have dropped seven of their last eight home games despite holding opponents to three or fewer goals in four of those games. Perhaps the tide will turn against the Force, who have not scored more than three goals in a road game since Jan. 23. This weekend’s games are the only scheduled meetings between the two teams this season.