CHICAGO -- Former Colgate defenseman and current Chicago Steel head coach/general manager Steve Poapst has been named United States Hockey League (USHL) Coach of the Year. The award, presented by KwikRink, is given to the Head Coach that has taken his team to their highest playing ability. 

Poapst, who is in his first full season coaching the Steel, second overall, came to Chicago with a resume full of playing experience.  Steve was a hard working, reliable and talented defenseman who played 14 years of professional hockey.  Steve joined the Chicago Blackhawks in 2000-2001 where he spent the next 4 years of his playing career.  In four seasons with the Hawks, Poapst logged 190 games and recorded seven goals and 23 assists. 

Poapst has taken his on ice experience and brought that to the locker room in Chicago, where he has led the Steel to a significant turnaround this season finishing 44 points ahead of where they finished a season ago.  He has also helped Chicago clinch a playoff spot in the Eastern division where they will take on the Indiana Ice. 

"You can't say enough about the coaching job that Steve did in Chicago this year," said Gino Gasparini, USHL league president.  "Everyone knows the challenges that the team faces, playing in such a major metropolitan area.  Steve has brought stability to that coaching position, creating a little stir around the franchise and guided them to a tremendous improvement.  It's exciting for Steve, and the entire Steel organization, to be chosen for this honor."

In his first professional season in 1991-92, the defenseman helped Hampton Roads win the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) championship scoring five points (1g-4a) in 14 postseason games after having 28 points (8g-20a) in 55 regular season games. He returned to Hampton Roads in 1992-93 and had 35 points (10g-25a) in 63 regular season games and one assist in four postseason games.

Poapst played parts of seven seasons in the National Hockey League where he had 36 points (8g-28a) and 173 penalty minutes in 307 regular season games with Chicago, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Washington from 1995-2006. He also played 11 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Chicago and Washington.