‘Mixed emotions’: Idaho Steelheads keep one coach in the fold, lose another to rival
The Idaho Steelheads on Tuesday announced a two-year contract extension with coach Everett Sheen, but a day later the Boise-based ECHL hockey club lost one of its all-time greats to a rival team.
Scott Burt was named head coach for the Rapid City Rush on Wednesday. Burt was an assistant coach for the Steelheads in 2019-20 but is best known for his tenure in Boise as a forward from 2000 to 2007, including Kelly Cup wins in 2004 and 2007.
Burt’s No. 12 jersey is displayed at Idaho Central Arena. He is one of only four Steelheads to have their number retired, along with Marty Flichel (16), Cal Ingraham (22) and Jeremy Mylymok (4).
“I think it was a long time coming for my coaching career,” Burt said in a news release. “It comes with mixed emotions for sure. I have great ties here in Idaho, but it’s an opportunity for me to move on to something I’ve been working toward and planning on. I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Burt, who is a native of Mackenzie, British Columbia, previously spent six seasons as an assistant with the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL, and he was named an assistant coach for Team Blue at the Canadian U-17 Development Camp.
The upcoming 2021-22 season won’t be the first time Burt has made a trip to Boise with a rival team. He was an assistant coach for the Alaska Aces for back-to-back seasons from 2011-13, and during his playing career he had stints with the Aces and Utah Grizzlies.
“Burtie is going to be a great head coach,” Sheen said. “He has a tremendous work ethic, he is incredibly smart hockey-wise, and he is very loyal, which will take him far. He took a huge leap of faith coming to work as an assistant for a young first-year coach, and it paid off for everyone. I learned so much from him while working together, and that will help me as I progress in my career.
“I’ll miss the friendship that we built over the past two years, but I know that he will put a great team on the ice in Rapid City that will play the game incredibly detailed and structured.”
Burt played 403 games in a Steelheads uniform, totaling 111 goals and 139 assists, with 730 penalty minutes.
“I am no stranger to moving to a rival team,” Burt said. “Everybody knows in this game there is a lot of change, especially at this level. For me, it’s a great start. I have so many friends and family (in Boise). It’s a great atmosphere here, and I was so thankful that they gave me the opportunity to come back as a coach. Now, I’ll come back as a coach on the other bench. This is just another step in the right direction for me and my career.”
In his first season at the helm in 2019-20, Sheen guided the Steelheads to a 36-18-7 record — before the season was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Steelheads won 11 of their final 13 games and were on pace to extend their record playoff streak to 23 straight seasons.
“We’re happy to have Everett back again for another two seasons,” said Eric Trapp, president of Idaho Sports Properties. “I think we were all disappointed that we couldn’t see how far the team could have gone in 2019-20, but Everett had a great first season and lived up to the challenge that was ahead of him. He’s proven to be an effective leader in the locker room and a team player during the last year, and we’re confident that Everett can continue what he started during his first year.”
The Steelheads are scheduled to open the 2021-22 season on their home ice on Friday, Oct. 22, against the Utah Grizzlies. For information about single-game or season tickets, call 208-383-0080 or visit IdahoSteelheads.com.
