Quad City Storm Ready to Drop the Puck on New Season

The Quad City Storm are back on the ice, opening their new season Saturday night at Vibrant Arena against Peoria.

Year two under head coach Shayne Toporowski promises to build on last season’s foundation, with intensity at training camp reaching new heights. Veterans like captain Tommy Tsiscos and Leif Mattson are leading the way, helping new faces such as goalie Zane Steeves settle in quickly.

Steeves, who has played in the league before, shared his excitement about joining the Storm:
“I’ve played in the league before and always said this was my favorite place to play on the road. I thought it was just a great atmosphere and so much fun to play here. The fans are so loud, so passionate, and I’m excited to play on the good guys’ side now. That’ll be fun.”

Tsiscos added that having a core group of returning players sets the stage for a strong season.
“We have a lot of the guys we finished last season with who are good young players, and I think the players we had at the end of the season last year were the best team we had. This year should be a lot more consistent with our roster. Our team can play at a higher pace, which will be a little harder for the other teams to play against.”

Coach is emphasizing speed and cohesion this season.
“We’re a better skating team than we were in the past. I want to really start out with positivity within our group and be a team with a tough mentality. I don’t know if we’ll have a team heavyweight per se, but if things do go down, we’re going to be a five-man unit.”

With a mix of veteran leadership and fresh energy, the Storm are looking to make an impact right from the first drop of the puck.

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