2005
MAY: Steelers pulled off the signing coup of the close season so far. In a league now hugely influenced by the quality of British performers, Sheffield poached Jonathan Phillips from Cardiff Devils.
Months of speculation ended only weeks prior to the new season when Norton lea sold the club to Bob Phillips.
Coach Paul Heavey was retained but faced an uphill struggle to build a team in such short a time.
AUGUST: Steelers top summer transfer target Dan Tessier signed for Steelers today. Goaltender Jody Lehman and Rod Sarich re-sign for second season.
The Star Sheffield Steelers got the news they most wanted to hear, mercurial centreman Mike Peron has recommitted for another season
SEPTEMBER:
After opening the league season at home with a defeat to Coventry Blaze Steelers got back to winning ways at the end of the month with a 6-2 win at the hands of Manchester at the HOS.
NOVEMBER:
Steelers, after an average start, stunned everyone by announcing the departure of Paul Heavey, due to a contractural dispute. He was replaced by Dennis Maxwell as player coach and Dave whistle as Manager. But by December their were rumours of discontent in the dressing room.
JANUARY:Dave Whistle and Dennis Maxwell will lose their jobs if they fail to turn round the Steelers season owner Bob Phillips declared. The management pair will be dismissed at the end of the 2005-06 season unless they can change the woeful sequence of Elite League results and make a decent push for the Play-offs. Jason Hewitt, formerly of the now defunct London, made his debut.
FEBRUARY: Dennis Maxwell's short lived career at The Star Sheffield Steelers has ended, he flies home to America on Thursday. The parting of the ways was inevitable after the Canadian criticised Steelers owner Bob Phillips in The Star last Saturday for demoting him from his unofficial role as player coach.
MARCH:
With Whistle in sole charge they seemed to gain a new lease of life and although it came late in the season they secured the knockout Cup with a 2-1 aggregate win over Coventry.
APRIL:
Full of confidence they took on the Cardiff Devils in the play off semis and won 2-1 after a shootout.
But the dream came to an end the day after as they were beaten 2-1 in a hard fought final against Newcastle.
2006
AUGUST:
Following the resignation of Whistle, rookie coach Dave Matsos was appointed with, not surprisingly, mixed response. But he soon stamped his authority on the side recruiting almost an entirely new squad.Steelers top summer transfer target Dan Tessier signed for Steelers today.
He recruited Scott Ricci from Nottingham and then Steelers top summer transfer target Dan Tessier signed for Steelers.
Goaltender Jody Lehman and Rod Sarich re-sign for second season and Shaun Sutter and Shawn Maltby came in alongside Tessier. Brett Cloutier was brought as an enforcer to protect them as well as Phil Hill, who joined Jonathan Philips from Cardiff.
JANUARY
Things had begun to go wrong for Matsos after only two wins in thirteen but he proved he was the right man for the job as Ryan Finnerty signs for Steelers, joining them from Italy replacing fan favourite Brett Clouthier who is released.
MARCH
Steelers were today completing the signing of 40 year old centre Vezio Sacratini.
They reached the final of the challenge cup, the only really notable achievment of that year, only to be beaten soundly by Coventry Blaze.
Bizarrely the season was viewed as somewhat of a success as they finished the league season a point in front of rivals Nottingham Panthers.
Steelers owner Bob Phillip has sold his other ice hockey club Cardiff Devils, it was revealed today. He said, "It really was a tough decision but with the need to focus on building the Sheffield Steelers brand. I can no longer spend any more time assisting Cardiff Devils going forward, but the club will be in extremely safe hands with the new owners."
This was the second time in three seasons that the Steelers had ended up with no silverware.