Phillips: This is a competition we want to win

Photo: Dean Woolley

The Sheffield Steelers head into IIHF Continental Cup action this weekend hoping to advance to the final stage The Yorkshire side finished in third place overall in 2010 and 2018, while teams from the Premier Sports Elite League have taken the silver medal in the last two events. 

"The fun and exciting thing is that we're playing three very different kinds of teams, and you have to go out and be at your best because you don't really know what's coming," began Steelers' captain Jonathan Phillips. "Obviously our goal is to get to the final round, and from there the winners get a place in next season's Champions Hockey League so that's a huge incentive for us."

Sheffield head into the tournament leading the EIHL but were blanked 5-0 on their own ice by Cardiff in their last game. "To be honest, we're not overly concerned following that Cardiff game. I think we've played very well this season so far, we're scoring goals, our goals against are low, and we've got ourselves into a good position in the league," he explained. "Obviously that game wasn't ideal, we were awful and didn't deserve to win, but you turn over a new page and go again."

Phillips continued: "Whenever you get the chance to go away as a team mid-season like this, it's always welcomed. It's great for team chemistry, and I'm sure after the past 18 months our fans are looking forward to travel again - we'll be really excited to see them there!"

Local rivals Nottingham won the Continental Cup in 2017 and are still the only British side to do so. Phillips added his first Challenge Cup in 2020, but this trophy is one that still alludes him. "It's very cliché, but you really do go into every competition you play in wanting to win, that's in our blood as professional athletes. We're not going to Denmark for a holiday, this is a tournament we want to be winning, and step one of that is to get through to the final round this weekend" he concluded.