Vallerand welcomes back two core team mates to Sheffield Steelers

Sheffield’s hugely popular forward Vallerand is a big believer in the smooth skating defenceman who surged forward so often last season that he ended up the club’s joint top points’s scorer.

Some fans have questioned the offensive mindset of the indisputably-talented blueliner.

But Vallerand has no qualms about him coming back, especially not it is clear the player will be reunited with his more defensive colleague Niklas Nevalainen.

Vallerand said: “I liked Petgrave, he is a really really awesome guy to be honest, I don’t have anything bad to say about him.

“Some fans have a divergent opinion, it’s like a a 50-50: ‘I like him or I don’t.’

“That is because he is very offensive and takes chances but that is hockey these days. You just need a good pairing and I think that Niki was a great guy to play with him.

“Nevalianen really took control of that back end when Gravy was going up forward.

“It works in most teams in the NHL – I wanted to see them back.”

Tactically, Vallerand admitted he “wouldn’t take two Petgraves on the same line!”

“I would have another Niki or someone who back up when he is going forward, it is all about having the right ingredients.”

Vallerand, happy that the defensive line-up is coming together for the upcoming season, has been putting in the hours in the gym to be ready for action himself.

“In the Summer, I train every morning six times a week, sometimes twice a day, and I have the help of Mike Mawer (S&C coach) he said.

“He has been very helpful and we have been doing a solid programme which I have been very happy with.

“I intend to be as fit as I have ever been when I come back, I’ll be in the best shape I can be.”

Vallerand missed out on the Play Offs last season, for Sheffield because of injury.

At the time, publicly, Steelers said they hoped he would be back for the semi-final against Cardiff Devils.

But he revealed: “I was not close at all to getting to the semi-final, according to the doctors over here.

“I had a pretty bad contusion in my wrist.

“It is good now and I will be 100 per cent by the time I get there.”