DeLuca, Eberle and Armstrong boost Steelers up top

Photo: Dean Woolley

Aaron Fox's roster for the 2021/22 Sheffield Steelers was giving a huge boost on Wednesday afternoon with the signing of three firm fan favourites.

Forwards Anthony DeLuca, Tabber Eberle and John Armstrong will all stay in orange for the new season, and were part of the 2020 Challenge Cup winning team.

26-year-old DeLuca has dressed in 100 games for the Steelers since 2018, and scored 45 goals and 77 points in the process. "If this lockdown taught us anything, it is that you shouldn’t take things for granted, I think I took Sheffield for granted, the great way we were treated by the organisation and the city, the atmosphere in our own building and just what it meant to be a Steeler in Sheffield. When it wasn’t there I felt something missing and just couldn’t wait to come home" he said.

Eberle has played 143 games for the Steelers since joining in 2018, and has amassed 116 points. “There is a massive buzz being a Steeler and you can’t replace that feeling of skating out onto the arena ice and hearing the crowd cheer you on. The fans make you feel so special and the organisation looks after us so well. It’s the best place for me to play for sure” added the Canadian.

Meanwhile, it will be a fifth season in Sheffield for 'Big' John Armstrong. He has clocked up over 200 appearances for the Steelers and put up 193 points. "There was a period of time when I thought my hockey life was over,” he explained. “I thought, well this is my new life working in the office. In hockey you have highs and lows, the lows aren’t very nice but the highs are incredible. I missed that. Working in the office didn’t give me the same buzz at all.

“I missed hockey, missed Sheffield and being a Steeler. I missed being around the guys, missed scoring."