SEASON 2019-2020
At a fan forum the new head coach was unveiled as Aaron Fox. He arrives in South Yorkshire having spent the last six years at Medvescak Zagreb, the first four seasons seeing him operate as Sporting Director while they played in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) before the Croatian club returned to the EBEL where he added coaching duties before resigning in December last year after the club hit financial troubles.
NEW BOSS Aaron Fox has wasted no time in starting to piece together his Sheffield Steelers roster for the 2019-20 season. At the same fans’ forum where it was revealed that Fox would be the South Yorkshire club’s new head coach and general manager after agreeing a three-year deal, supporters were also updated with news of new signings and those players that are remaining in place for next campaign. As expected, the British core – most of which will be heading to Slovakia to contest for next month’s World Championships – will remain at Sheffield Arena. Rob Dowd, Davey Phillips and Kieran Brown have all signed new, two-year deals, with captain Jonathan Phillips putting pen-to-paper on a new one-year contract. Fox has also moved quickly to snap up his first new face for the Steelers roster, with the signing of former Coventry Blaze forward Marc-Olivier Vallerand, while also being impressed enough with fellow winger Anthony DeLuca to bring him back after impressing when scoring 17 goals after arriving in November last year. Vallerand joins from EHC Lustenau of the Alps League where he scored 32 goals and 62 points in just 35 games last season, but Steelers fans may remember him from his time with the Blaze during the 2017-18 campaign when he plundered 34 goals and 65 points in 48 games. “Marco is a high-end goal-scoring winger,” said Fox. “He plays with so much pace and flair".
MAY
Steelers summer rebuilding continues with confirmation from head coach and GM Aaron Fox that he has signed experienced and influential defenseman Jonas Liwing to an initial one year contract. Liwing boasts 313 SHL games with an additional 426 games in the Allsvenskan spanning over a 17 year professional career. The 36 year old skilled defenseman also played 100 league and play off games in the German DEL as well as having spells in France and Austria.
JUNE
Steelers GM and Head Coach Aaron Fox has confirmed that the Steelers have signed high scoring centre Brendan Connolly from the Glasgow Clan. Connolly top scored for the Clan last season with 31 goals (and 65 points) in just 58 games, the year before when with Belfast he led the Giants with 73 points (27 goals). Connolly confirmed that “Sheffield was always on my radar” after agreeing terms with Fox and credited the Steelers boss with making the move happen “the way Aaron told me of his plans for the team excited me” he said “he explained my role and what he expected, I liked that he saw me as an influential player” The thought of playing with Marco Vallerand was something that interested Connolly “when I saw Marco had signed in Sheffield I thought, that’s a good signing for them. Of course, it was a pull to come here, we have had chemistry before and there is no reason why we won’t again”
Steelers added 32-year-old American Michael Davies to the roster ahead of the 2019-20 Elite League season. Davies is an experienced, skilled forward who has spent the last 5 seasons in Europe after an excellent North American career. Having played 222 AHL games, predominately in Chicago, Davies moved to the German DEL with Dusseldorfer for the 2014-15 season. The following year saw him move to Hamburg before signing a two-year contract with Augsburger between 2017-19
The Sheffield Steelers have signed their first Russian import player as Aaron Fox today confirmed that Nikolai Lemtyugov had put pen to paper on a contract with the club. Lemtyugov was drafted in the 7th round of the 2005 NHL draft by St Louis. He remained in Russia for the two seasons that followed before joining AHL side Peoria Riovermen when in an 18 month spell he scored 27 goals, 56 points in 96 games. In the 10 years that followed Nikolai played 388 KHL games for numerous sides including a 4 year spell at Avangard Omsk.
JULY
Steelers used the first of the university deals to attract defenceman James Bettauer from the DEL. Bettauer is the sixth new-to-the-club overseas born player and fits in to the coach's need for versatility - he has played forward in the past. He has played in the top German league since 2012, at four different clubs. Overall, in 351 DEL and Play Off games, Bettauer recorded 41 goals, 69 assists (110 pts) with 232 penalty minutes. That experience and eye for an offensive rush should be invaluable as he joins the EIHL for the first time.
The Sheffield Steelers are delighted to confirm that Martin St Pierre has joined the club. The 35-year-old centre has played 587 AHL games, 241 in the KHL and made 39 appearances in the NHL, his experience has also taken him to the top leagues in Finland, Austria and Switzerland. St-Pierre joins the Steelers from Kunlun Red Star in the KHL where he played 27 games last season.
AUGUST
A new partnership between Steelers and Steeldogs was publicly unveiled by both Sheffield ice hockey teams today. Coaches Aaron Fox and Ben Morgan – mutually keen on a stronger tie between the clubs – have agreed a formal agreement which should give younger Steelers players the best chance of progression because of extra ice time. The first element of the new bond will see Steelers' apprentices Jordan Griffin and Alex Graham on two-way contract with the ice Sheffield outfit. They will play for Steeldogs for most of the season, unless they are needed as injury cover for the Elite League side. On a weekly basis, Steelers will also make other skaters like Cole Shudra and Kieran Brown available to Steeldogs dependent on Arena squad roster competition. Fox will keep an eye on them and also be involved in the Steeldogs 'Prospect Trials' next week, scouting future talent, working alongside Morgan and assistant coach Greg Wood. Steeldogs' co-owner Ali Cree commented: "Since day one when we took on the ownership of Steeldogs, it’s been a priority to reconnect with Steelers management and at the other end of the scale Sheffield Academy and neighbouring junior teams, to provide pathways for young talent. “Our aim is to provide the best hockey pathway within the UK from junior right through to senior, elite hockey. “This is a monumental step to build something to help hockey develop in Sheffield and wider across the UK."
Sheffield Steelers completed their roster with an import netminding duo from the Czech republic. Pavel Kantor (27) and Tomas Duba (38) will backstop the Steelers this coming season and will arrive in Sheffield for the commencement of the clubs training camp on Monday. “Pavel is a big athletic goalie coming off a solid year split between two Teams in Czech Extra-Liga which I consider to be a top League in Europe. He moves extremely well for his size, is square on pucks, and really battles. He plays a new-age style and looked really good on film. He is excited for the opportunity to come in and help us win games” coach Aaron Fox declared. “Tomas is a veteran goalie who has played in all the top leagues in Europe and has put up high-end numbers in each stop. He is extremely professional and everywhere he has been his coaches have loved him. He plays a very technical game, reads the play extremely well and should give us a chance to win every night he’s in there”.
SEPTEMBER
Sheffield Steelers have this evening confirmed that Martin St. Pierre has left the club, and a new Swedish forward has joined - Lucas Sandström. "We brought Martin in on a short-term deal with both sides having options to continue the contract at this time. After discussing it, both sides mutually agreed it would be better to go in different directions," said Head Coach Aaron Fox. "We have decided to replace him with a gritty, high-energy two way forward in Lucas Sandström who will be joining the team immediately. He has a nice scoring touch and should bring some much needed two-way play and energy to our group." Sandström joining the Steelers marks his first venture outside of his homeland, where he's clocked up 506 games in the country's second tier.
OCTOBER
Head coach Aaron Fox has moved quickly to sign injury cover for Aaron Johnson and Jonas Liwing by bringing in 31-year-old Czech defensemen, Marek Tronciňský. With 93 KHL and 575 Czech Extraliga games behind him, Tronciňský arrives in Sheffield with a wealth of experience. In 2017-18 Tronciňský had the most assists and points by any defenceman in the Czech top division.
Thirty-three-year-old Finnish defenceman, Mikko Kuukka, will be joining the Sheffield Steelers to add injury cover over the busy period ahead for the club. Aaron Brocklehurst, Aaron Johnson and Jonas Liwing have all been missing in recent weeks. Mikko is a big steady stay at home d-man” said head coach Aaron Fox. “He skates very well for a big guy and plays a heavy game. He has been a guy known for playing against other teams top players in a shutdown role and keeps the game simple and is a real team guy. He will bring a defense first mentality to our group and is excellent in PK/box play. “With the amount of games coming up over the next five weeks and long term injuries to AJ and Jonas still a long ways out, we felt it was important to be proactive and make sure we are in a position to have success, especially if we lost anyone else”. Kuukka was born in Hameenkyro, Finland, but it was in Red Deer Alberta that he played his major junior hockey in the WHL. Kuukka made his Liiga debut in 2005 with IIves, he would go on to play 695 league and play off games in Finland’s top division.
DECEMBER
Steelers have signed Finnish forward Janne Kolehmainen and will move versatile Eric Meland back to defence as they try to cope with their blue line injury problems. Kolehmainen, a six-foot-three, 33-year-old power-forward has played 831 Liiga league and play off games and 36 in the CHL. The one-time Finland U20 skater played against Sheffield in the CHL for JYP and is a former team-mate of Mikko Kuukka. Coach Aaron Fox said: “With the news of a long term injury to James Bettauer we have decided to add Janne to our group.
Steelers head coach Aaron Fox has confirmed that the club has signed defenseman Josef Hrabal. Hrabal will arrive in Sheffield on Friday and the club hopes to have the international transfer paperwork completed ahead of Saturday’s home game against Fife Flyers. Earlier tonight the Steelers announced that Mikko Kuukka would be leaving the club after his trial period and heading back to the Finnish Liiga “It was a difficult decision to return home to Finland, I have been so pleased to play in Sheffield and was surprised how good and profession the team was. I wish everyone here the best” said Mikko Aaron Fox confirmed the roster situation “We always knew that Mikko would be a short term signing, in fact I think we were lucky to keep him as long as we did. He really enjoyed his time here and I think it was a tougher decision for him than he thought it was going to be. “We leave on good terms and you never know if our paths will cross again.
JANUARY
Alex Dampier was the coach the last time Sheffield Steelers attracted three consecutive home gates of 8,000-plus. That was way back in the mists of 1995. But flash forward to tonight, at the same Sheffield Arena, and Steelers added 9,118 more bums on seats to previous, packed festive period games against Manchester Storm and Nottingham Panthers. Today's Steeler team really rolled back the years, too. They carved out an emphatic 6-2 victory, despite injuries to Ben O'Connor and Marco Vallerand, who both joined the longer-stay patients like Robert Dowd, Andrew Johnson and James Bettauer on the sidelines. And before the final hooter Curtis Warburton made his debut as a substitute goalie for Duba. A great night made all the sweeter by Cardiff Devils losing to Manchester Storm, leaving Steelers five points clear at the top of the table.
FEBRUARY
Import Eric Meland volunteered to leave the EIHL club at a point when it looked like the injury situation was beginning to resolve itself, with Aaron Johnson and James Bettauer on their way back. Steelers have 16 overseas-born players at their club, excluding Meland. The League restricts the number of import players allowed to dress for a game to a limit of 14. When Meland, a 30-year-old American, served notice he was returning home for future career reasons, the club announced he could be recalled in an emergency, stating on their website: "Steelers were pleased to hear that Eric would be keeping in shape and should the club require injury cover through the stretch, had agreed to come back to Sheffield and remain on the club’s roster."
MARCH
SHEFFIELD STEELERS ended 17 years of Challenge Cup hurt when they finally got their hands on the trophy with a dramatic 4-3 win over Cardiff Devils. Two goals from Michael Davies, along with strikes from Marc-Olivier Vallerand and Brendan Connolly ensured Aaron Fox’s team at least one piece of silverware this season after beating the Devils inside their own Viola Arena. It was sweet revenge for the Steelers, both for two final defeats at the hands of the Devils in recent years, as well as going some way to making up for the 7-3 defeat they suffered at the same venue when the two teams met in a crucial Elite League encounter on Friday night. See the game video here
But then, only a week later, came the news that the Elite league was to be cancelled forthwith due to the outbreak of Coronavirus sweeping the world. So Steelers ended the season with the only trophy on offer that year.