I don’t know about you but, for me, this part of the off-season is equal parts blissful and maddening.

Blissful because Boise is absolutely beautiful in the summer.  Especially summers (like this one) where the Big Fella upstairs seems content to keep temperatures under 105.  Looks like a good weekend to go hang out at Mores Creek.

That’s the bliss.

The agony is waiting to get back into the swing of things for hockey.  The ice isn’t in at the arena … and won’t be until mid or late September … and there are no players milling about.  No school visits, no pre-game press kits to put together.  No Bud Light Idaho Steelheads hockey show on KTIK with myself and John Mulhern.  No Barb, the team’s travel coordinator, counting out per diem money for the upcoming road trips.

That’s not to say we’re not hard at work up here.  Season 15 of professional hockey in the Gem State begins on October 14 when the Steelheads travel to West Valley, Utah, to take on the Utah Grizzlies.  Home opener the next night here in downtown Boise.  Promotions to plan, Season Tickets to sell.  Lots to do.

Thankfully, that includes some player signings.  In the past few days, we’ve learned that Chris Hepp will be returning this fall along with rookie forward Eric Rex.  Wonder if Canisius College used Wreckx-n-Effect as his official goal song.  Rump Shaker or New Jack Swing.  Maybe the Land of the Lost theme song or something.  I vow to do the T-Rex dance every time he tallies, which will make Jessica Flynn at Red Sky Public Relations very happy.

Anyway, seven guys have locked down their spots in training camp.  Should be announcing an eighth soon (when it comes to announcements like that, I’m the guy who is *nudge* on the case *wink*), so keep your eyes on IdahoSteelheads.com to read all about it.

It’s fun to see the puzzle pieces start to fall into place.  It’s fun to read about players and daydream about what they might be able to do on the ice once they pull on a Steelheads’ sweater.

But I can assure you this – there will be someone who comes out of nowhere to surprise us this season … unless you do what the media sometimes does and pretty much list everyone on Earth as a candidate to be the next Boise State head coach, just so they can break out the “as we first told you” line when the hire is announced.

(I can make that joke and get away with it since … well … I used to be one of the guilty parties back in my TV days at KIVI-TV)

Think about training camp in 2009.  The Steelheads had the Captain, Marty Flichel.  Mark Derlago had made the move from Bakersfield to Boise.  Ashton Rome had joined the team and AHL-caliber players like Tyler Spurgeon and Mark McCutcheon had signed contracts.  There was also this little rookie out of Cornell that no one knew much about.  Played with some spunk, seemed to be around the puck a lot.

His name was Evan Barlow.

Seventy-five points and an All-Star Game MVP later, we were all well-acquainted with Evan.  A year later, there are a lot of people out there who know him as one of the premier scorers in AA hockey after he has put up almost 160 points in around 120 ECHL games (regular season and playoffs).

Now think about 2010’s training camp.  Derlago was back, Flichel was still here, Matt McKnight was back, playoff hero John-Scott Dickson was headed to town, and fellow All-Star John Swanson returned as well.  We were waiting on immigration papers for Aki Seitsonen so he could also join the squad.

When we discussed the scorers for the team, Kael Mouillierat’s name rarely, if ever, came up.  All-Star, All-Rookie Team, point-a-game guy.  It didn’t take long for him to establish himself as a primary scoring threat for the Steelheads.

So … who will it be this year?  Rex?  Maybe Chad Nehring blows up in his first full professional season after getting a taste of the pro life in Idaho this past spring.  Maybe it’s someone whose name we haven’t even heard yet.

Maybe that’s part of the bliss of this time of year as well.  Everyone is knocking on greatness’s door.  All they need is the opportunity.

Be there to find out who it is … full-season ticket packages start at just $275 per seat.  Partial plans can be had for as little as $279.  Give us a call and sign up now so you can tell your friends that you were there when …