After a very successful opening season as USA Hockey’s youngest Tier-3 Junior league, the RMJHL is expanding.  Next season more players will have the opportunity to experience elite hockey in the heart of the Rocky Mountains with the addition of Steamboat Springs.  Troy Mick, a highly respected junior hockey operator, is leading the new RMJHL franchise as the President and managing partner.  Mick currently serves as the President and General Manager of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League.  He and his team have the City of Steamboat and the Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey Association’s full support.  “We are very excited to bring junior hockey to Steamboat Springs this coming fall as proud members of the RMJHL” stated Mick.  “With a passionate fan base for high school hockey, community support, and high-quality facilities, Steamboat Springs provides the perfect fit to become a top-quality organization in the RMJHL.”

Steamboat Springs is located in the upper valley of the Yampa River, along US Highway 40 just west of the Continental Divide, 100 miles from Breckenridge, and 150 miles from Aspen and Denver. It is the most populous city in Routt County, and is an internationally known winter ski resort destination. Steamboat Ski Resort is on Mount Werner in the Park Range just east of the town.  “They are a perfect fit inside our existing footprint and the early support from both the community and town council has been overwhelming” explained RMJHL Commissioner Mike Gempeler. “With natural ski-town rivalries already established with Breckenridge and Aspen, the game day atmosphere with be through the roof and there will be no better place to play junior hockey.”  The new team will play out of beautiful Howelsen Arena, an Olympic sized rink with the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 loud fans. 

Steamboat Springs formally welcomed the new owners at a press conference held by Mick on May 3. Misko Antisin, a veteran coach who recently served as the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Assistant Coach, was announced as the new Steamboat GM/Head Coach. “This is a tremendous day for the RMJHL" stated RMJHL President Shaun Hathaway.  “Troy Mick’s group strengthens our league’s credibility and raises the bar for all our member teams.  We are thrilled to expand to Steamboat, and look forward to working with Troy and his staff as we strive to become the strongest and most geographically responsible Tier-III league in the nation.” The new team will look to their new fans to decide the team’s name and logo.