The Idaho Steelheads have announced that they have re-signed 24-year-old defenseman Nicholas Canade for the 2024-25 ECHL season.
Junior Career
Nicholas Canade started his junior career in the 2017-18 season with the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL. In his three OHL seasons, Canade played in 177 games, where he had 29 goals and added 47 assists for 76 points. He had 198 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -9. Canade played in the postseason in two of his three OHL seasons. He played in ten games where he did not register any points, had six penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -5. Canade was the assistant captain of the Steelheads in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
Overseas Career
After completing his junior career, he played in Finland for Koovee U20 and Koovee in the 2020-21 season. Between the two teams, Canade played in nine games, where he had one goal and one assist for two points. He had 64 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +1.
Canade then stayed in Finland in the 2021-22 season, where he played for Sports U20 and RoKi. He played in a total of 54 games, where he had four goals and 16 assists for 20 points. He had 69 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -11. Canade played in 12 playoff games with RoKi, scoring two goals and five assists for seven points. He had 45 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -4.
North American Professional Career
Nicholas Canade came back to North America in the 2022-23 season, becoming a Steelhead again after joining the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL. Canade has played in 108 games with the Steelheads where he has ten goals and 23 assists for 33 points. He had 168 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +12. Canade has also played in 18 playoff games with the Steelheads, where he has one goal and five assists for six points. He has 38 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of -1.
In the 2023-24 season, Canade played in 62 games where he had six goals and 12 assists for 18 points. He had 109 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of +8.
Canade has not been the most significant point producer for the Idaho Steelheads on the scoresheet, but he gets a lot of the third, or invisible, assists that do not show up on the scoresheet. He stands at 5’9″, putting him on the shorter side, but he has a lot of speed that allows him to skate circles around some guys and prevent opposing teams from getting a breakaway or odd-man rush. His speed also allows him to spring himself or a teammate on a breakaway. Even though he is a defenseman, Canade is not afraid to crash the net and can pull off some really nice moves in front of the net to help his team score. Canade should be a great player for the Steelheads in the 2024-25 season. The 2024-25 season will be Canade’s third season with the Steelheads.
