Mid-term Report: Sheffield Steelers

Photo: Dean Woolley

New Sheffield Steelers Head Coach Aaron Fox sees his team top of the table at the midway point of the season.

With a host of summer chances including Fox himself, the Steelers have led the league for most of the early part of the season. While they have played a handful of games more than the sides chasing them the Steelers do have points on the board - and have had a knack of pulling out big results to stay on top when it looked as if they'd be overtaken.

Head Coach Fox sums up the season so far in the video above.

We've also taken the thoughts of BBC Radio Sheffield's Peter Spencer:

"Sheffield Steelers head coach Aaron Fox is halfway through his first season at the club and the early consensus in the press room is that we’re impressed with what we’ve seen from him and his side. When he was appointed in April the brief from Steelers owner Tony Smith was to play an entertaining style of hockey and make Sheffield a competitive club again and he’s certainly done that.

Questions have been asked if a rookie Head Coach, who’s completely new to the Elite League, can win a Championship in their first season. But Sheffield currently sit top of the standings and take a healthy three goal advantage into the second leg of the Challenge Cup Quarter-Final. Many believe the Cardiff Devils still have the advantage, with four games in hand, but as the saying goes it’s always better to have the points on the board.

Last week I asked Aaron about the injury crisis he’s had to manage this season and he said he’d “never known a season like it.” Every team picks up bumps and bruises, with players missing a few games here and there, but it’s the length of some of the injuries that’s been unbelievable. Aaron Johnson has had surgery twice on his hand, playing just twice since the start of September, Jonas Liwing has missed 24 games and now James Bettauer is expected to be out for 8 weeks. Not to mention the lengthy suspensions already served by centre Michael Davies. 

But to their credit, the organisation has done everything to try and keep 14 imports on the ice and keep the team competitive with high-level injury cover arriving in the shape of Marek Trončinský, Mikko Kuukka, Janne Kolehmainen and former Czech international Josef Hrabal. Aaron Fox was also not afraid to make early changes with marquee signing Martin St. Pierre and netminder Pavel Kantor released after just eight and five games respectively.

So, what do Sheffield need to do better in the second half of the season? Well, it’s the same for every other team in the league at the moment – consistency! No team has put a consistent run of games together yet and Sheffield have been a real Jekyll and Hyde team. A classic example being last weekend in Belfast, where they were heavily beaten 6-2 on Friday night, but followed it up with a 4-0 win 24 hours later. I asked Mikko Kuukka how far this Steelers team could go, after he announced his departure on Wednesday. He replied: “I think the Steelers can beat every team in the League, this team has everything. But everybody needs to stick together and give everything every night.” For me it comes down to mentality and leadership if Sheffield can become more consistent and deliver night in, night out then they’ll be right up there, at the end of the season."