Boise, Idaho – Idaho Steelheads Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Neil Graham announced that the club and forward Steven McParland have agreed to terms on an ECHL contract for the 2018-19 season.
The Steelheads are the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars and the American Hockey Legaue's Texas Stars.
McParland, 27, prepares for his third professional season. The Schreiber, Ontario native led the Steelheads with 31 goals during his first campaign in Boise, and ranked third on the team with 57 points in 68 games. McParland also added five points (3g-2a) in 11 playoff games.
He was just the 11th Steelhead in the ECHL era to score 30 goals in a season, netting 18 goals at CenturyLink Arena. McParland also led the Steelheads with a +23 rating, nine power-play goals, and three shorthanded goals. He ranked seventh in the ECHL in power play goals and tied for sixth in shorthanded tallies.
McParland also earned a professional tryout agreement with the Texas Stars during the year, appearing in one AHL game in March. With the Steelheads, McParland had three separate points streaks of five games or more.
McParland has appeared in 131 ECHL games across two-plus seasons with Idaho, South Carolina and Elmira, totaling 108 points (51g-57a) and a +28 rating. He represented the Stingrays at the 2017 ECHL All-Star Classic during his rookie season. McParland has also skated in seven AHL games with Texas, Chicago and the Binghamton Senators, earning an assist.
Prior to turning pro, McParland played four seasons at Providence College, collecting 44 points (14g-30a) in 129 games and winning a National Championship in 2015.