Sheffield Steelers' new boys must share the EIHL club's 'identity and culture'

Coach Aaron Fox wants to drill home the essence and tradition of a club that is never happy unless it is winning trophies.

That sense of achievement hasn't happened enough for the club's liking in recent times.

Other than the Challenge Cup victory in 2020, they haven't lifted silverware since the Play Off championship of 2017 and the main prize, the league title, since 2016.

To rectify that Fox says: "You have to establish your identity at training camp and just get a culture into the new team which will bring confidence and winning hockey from start to finish."

Fox and coaching partner Carter Beston-Will learned a lot from the 2022-23 season, which petered out, for the club, in the latter half.

But Fox also accepts that anything negative has to be exorcised.

"Anything like that in the past, you've got to throw it out of the window, our team mantra has to be clear from day one.

"For instance, we didn't close out games last year, we let teams hang around and get back in it" explained Fox.

An inconsistency in home form will hopefully be a thing of the past, too.

Beston-Will believes the side played a simpler, more effective, game away from the Arena.

"Home form was something we scratched our heads about a little bit" admitted the assistant coach.

"There was a point in the year where we were fourth in wins at home and first in away form.

"That was part of our conversations and message to the team, we don't need to change our game at home.

"Sometimes it's just getting the puck over the red line, making the easy play, getting the puck in their end...I like our speed and our chances of our forwards against the other team's 'D'.

"Put them under pressure and come out with puck, maybe not the prettiest way to play but it was effective.

"But that was not always the case at home and that is something we were looking to correct."

Fox agreed and added: "At home, teams come in and see 7-8,000 fans and opposition players get up for those games, and play their best that night." However he acknowledged Sheffield's own players should rise to the occasion even more so.

"Losing the league by seven points" he recalled, referring to Belfast Giants' winning margin over them, "Well, four home games (wins) would have won the league.

"But as I've said before our form against Belfast was the biggest issue."

That and a second half of the season where the team struggled to put a run of wins together.

"I feel like we didn't lose many games by more than one goal until February or March, then we were in every single hockey game" said Fox.

Sheffield will certainly have to reverse that issue of falling short after New Year - next season they face a tough run-in in April where in the last five games they face title rivals Belfast (twice) Guildford Flames and Cardiff Devils.

Meanwhile former Steelers' netminder Rok Stojanovic has signed for Nottingham Panthers.

He told Panthers TV that he has always liked playing for Sheffield at the Notts rink with its "great fan base and good atmosphere."

And Belfast have confirmed that former Steelers' netminder Jackson Whistle will be returning for the 2023-24 season, predicted by The Star three weeks ago.