After losing top forwards Kael Mouillierat and Ian Lowe to AHL call ups the Idaho Steelheads were dealt maybe an even bigger blow as leading scorer and potential ECHL Rookie of the Year Chad Klassen has left the team.
The 26 year old from Warman, Saskatchewan signed to play with Hungary based Sapa Fehervar AV19 Ice Hockey Team. Sapa Fehervar plays in the Erste Bank Eis Hockey Liga, the highest level professional hockey league in Austria.
Klassen joined the Steelheads during the off season as a 25 year old rookie. Although a rookie as a professional Klassen came to Idaho with an impressive amateur resume’. Klassen spent 2001-06 in the Western Hockey League with the Spokane Chiefs and Saskatoon Blades where he put up very impressive numbers with 284 points in 310 games in the highest level junior league in Canada.
Instead of turning pro after his junior career was finished Klassen enrolled in the University of Alberta where he played until the end of the 2010-11 season. After finishing second in the league in scoring during his senior season he signed with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon for the final game of the regular season to make his professional debut. Klassen was put on the post-season roster and recorded 9 points in 11 playoff games.
Klassen’s 13 goals and 22 assist not only led the Steelheads with 25 points but ranked ninth in the ECHL in scoring and first among rookies and made him the frontrunner for ECHL Rookie of the Year.
By joining Sapa Fehervar, Klassen will be reunited with longtime friend and teammate Derek Ryan who is playing his first professional season for the club as well. Klassen and Ryan have played together for seven seasons, both in Spokane and at the University of Alberta. Ryan is currently fourth in the league in scoring and once again partnered with Klassen the pair should be able to boost the fifth place team toward winning the league championship.
With the loss of Klassen, Lowe and Mouillierat the Steelheads will start off 2012 without three of their top four scorers Friday and Saturday night at home against the Ontario Reign. The Steelheads will be wearing special Boise State jerseys that will be auctioned off at the conclusion of the game on Saturday. Tickets may be purchased at the Steelheads website or by calling the Century Link Arena box office at 331-TIXS (331-8497).
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