Steelheads re-sign Portz

Action photo of Nick Portz of the Idaho Steelheads

BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Steelheads, ECHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, announced that the club has signed forward Nick Portz to a contract for the 2026-27 season.

Portz, 26, re-ups with the Steelheads after picking up 23 points (11g-12a) in 54 games last year for Idaho in his rookie campaign. He was one of four Steelheads rookies to reach double-digit goals last season, highlighted by his first ECHL hat trick against the South Carolina Stingrays on March 25.

Prior to pro hockey, Portz skated in four collegiate seasons between St. Cloud State University and the University of North Dakota. He began his collegiate career at North Dakota, notching 16 points (4g-12a) in 66 games. He then spent two seasons at St. Cloud State, nabbing nine points (6g-3a) in 50 games.

In the junior ranks, Portz appeared in 90 games over three United States Hockey League seasons with the Tri-City Storm and Muskegon Lumberjacks, collecting 75 points (30g-45a) in 90 games from 2019-21. He also appeared in 61 Norh American Hockey League contests over two seasons with the Minnesota Wilderness, registering 43 points (20g-23a) in 61 games.