STORM ANNOUNCE HIRING OF NEW DIRECTOR OF SCOUTING

Press Release

KEARNEY, Neb. – Steve Lowe has been promoted to Director of Scouting for the Tri-City Storm, which was announced Thursday afternoon by General Manager and Head Coach Drew Schoneck.

Lowe, 34, had been added to the Storm scouting staff this past season, and along with Storm Assistant Coach Lenny Hofmann, helped orchestrate the 2011 USHL Futures and Entry Drafts.

“With the success we believe we had in both drafts, I believe it was only a natural progression for Steve to assume the role with his hard work,” said Schoneck, who was a former teammate of Lowe’s with the Fresno Falcons in the ECHL. “He has an outstanding work ethic in this business and brings a lot of knowledge to the table on how to draft young talent that can move this organization in the right direction for years to come.”

After playing five years of professional hockey, Lowe co-founded a youth hockey program in Kalamazoo, Mich. called S2 AAA that was originally named Team NXI, which is no longer in existence. He took over the head coaching role of the midget program that was ranked 120th and in three seasons moved up to 17th in the country. He had seven players drafted to the USHL, three players earn NCAA Division I college scholarships, and one player drafted to the NHL.

“The reason I chose to work for the Storm was Drew Schoneck,” said Lowe, a Kitchener, Ontario native, who still lives in Kalamazoo. “He always puts the best interest of the players first, and I love his passion and drive for the game.”

During his time with the S2 program, he spent four seasons as a scout for the Chicago Steel (USHL) before being promoted for one season to director of player personnel under former Steel Head Coach/GM Steve Poapst, who left following the 2009-10 season to become an assistant coach in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs.

“My goal is to get the best young talent for the coaching staff to develop, and I felt we did that with the past two drafts (2011 Futures and Entry),” Lowe said. “We are moving, 100-percent, in the right direction, as I thought we secured some of the top players in both drafts.”

While with the Steel, Lowe drafted Northeastern University defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who is projected to become a first-round NHL draft pick this month. He also drafted forward Steven Fogarty, who is likely to be taken before the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Draft on June 24-25.

In 1994, he was selected by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League Draft, and a year later was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the ninth round of the NHL Draft. His playing career ended due to a major concussion in January 2004.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)