IDAHO STEEHEADS HOCKEY

BY JOHN MASTALIR edbrucevegas@yahoo.com

I have said for 7 years the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas is the best arena in the world for hocky....last night the Orleans Arena feel to second place !

Had the pleasue of covering the ECHL Idaho-Utah game at Qwest Arena in Boise...Qwest now sits atop my list of the best places to see hockey....AND...for all the right reasons. Qwest doesn't have a poker room casino 100 yards from the ice like in Las Vegas but they everything else and more.

First of all I love the game of hockey...especially at the ECHL where everyone tries and no body goes on strike !

Wednesday in downtown Boise (lovely city) Idaho 1 Utah 0 my penultimate game score.
Excellent game...quick...well played...well officiated...well managed and on time ! Terrible loud profane rap music they play in Las Vegas...not quite so bad here..THANK YOU.

The arena....boy this is worth a visit in itself...vintage 1992...looks new. Worlds greatest sight lines...four stories of vertical seating...like you are right down on the ice...not a bad seat in the house. Somebody was really thinking when they built this...players exit between perioods right out of their benches to the locker rooms with out entering the ice.

Steelheads ...maybe the premire team in the ECHL...have a Kelly cup banner in the rafters and lots of division title banners....their team has always been a challenge for my home team in Las Vegas and they have excellent management and coaching in trying to fight the economic times like all of us. 2900 on this weeknight !

The game itself of course the main thing and here like in Las Vegas the guys chase the puck and bust their ass doing it...ECHL is hockeys third league behind the AHL and NHL......a second sister to no one with this franchise. The Steelheads have a play by play man who does tv..radio and net all at once...met him in Las Vegas (masters from Syracuse like BOB COSTAS) and I see in him a young broadcaster with zest...not unlike myself 45 years ago...wish him well...the team has a great employee here. Steelheads well covered in the local paper and TV...one station led sports with the game story...altho they missed all the goals in the game ! ! ! !

Only two fans yelled "and they still suck" when Utah players returned to the ice after serving their penaltys....still two too many but a lot less than in Las Vegas.
Idaho did stars of the game, chuck a puck and a special between periods promotion honor for the new Steelheads all time scoring leader.

Arena is right downtown $3 parking...NOTHING BUT CLASS CLASS CLASS HERE

A+ 101 entertainment grade on this event.