Sheffield Steelers


The Sheffield Steelers are a professional ice hockey team located in Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Utilita Arena. They are currently a member of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The club's main sponsor is TriggerHub.

History

Ice hockey was played in amateur form in Sheffield, but the sport began its return to an era of arenas and stadium size crowds with the opening of the Sheffield Arena in 1991 and the creation of the Sheffield Steelers — the ice hockey team that was to occupy the new arena. The Sheffield Arena was built as part of the city's facilities for the staging of the World Student Games, and is a sizeable stadium originally seating 8,500 and located close to the city centre. Ronnie Wood and David Gardener-Brown were at the helm as the Marketing Director at the club and set about promoting ice hockey to a city with two long established football culbs, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. Wood had a specific target, seeking to attract children and families to the city's new sporting Arena. They also began taking players to local football matches and together with mascots in an attempt to attract football fans. The Steelers' announcer David Simms gave certain players nicknames in the 1991–92 season to help the crowd associate with the players such as 'Rocket' Ron Shudra, 'Stormin' Steve Nemeth and 'Magic' Mark Mackie. This tradition has continued with more modern players like 'the Golden child' Robert Dowd.
The Steelers were named in honour of Sheffield's industrial past, much like the American football team of the same name based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the sharing of nicknames is merely a coincidence. The American football team predates Sheffield's team by 58 years. Sheffield and Pittsburgh are considered sister cities.
The Steelers have continued to fill the capacity of the Arena nearly every season since, including over 9,000 vs Nottingham on Boxing Day 2021. Sheffield began breaking several British ice hockey attendance records, and in March 1996 added an extra 1,200 seats to the Arena to meet the growing demand. The Manchester v Sheffield game in 1997 had a UK record 17,245.
On Sunday 3 December 2006, the Steelers played in their 1000th ever game. The game was against the Basingstoke Bison at the Hallam FM Arena, for which special orange jerseys had been made for the match. The Steelers lost the game 3–2 and the jerseys were all auctioned off at the game.

2000–present

In the 2000–01 campaign the Steelers completed a Grand Slam, becoming only the second club to win the Autumn Cup, League, Challenge Cup and Playoff Titles in the same season. They retained the Play-off title the following season, the first team to achieve this in the Superleague era, beating Manchester Storm on penalties in the Play-Off final, held at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham in front of a full house.
David Matsos was appointed as coach for the 2006–07 season. He led the Steelers to a fourth-place finish in the league and a place in the Challenge Cup Finals.
In 2007 team Owner Bob Phillips and his wife sold their other Elite League club the Cardiff Devils in order to concentrate on building the Steelers. The club won that season's Elite League Playoff Championship after beating the Coventry Blaze 2–0 in the final with goals from Jonathan Phillips and Dan Tessier. The Steelers were knocked out of the following season's Knockout Cup and Challenge Cup early, but finished first in a league campaign that saw them lose just three times in regulation. They made this a double by beating Nottingham Panthers 2–0 in the Play-Off final. The Steelers season ended in the Quarter Finals of the Play-offs after being knocked out by the Cardiff Devils.
The 2010–11 season was preceded by a "walk-out" of Steelers management and office staff, after a vote of no confidence in Owner Bob Phillips. Phillips put the club up for sale, and in December 2010 Paul Ragan, the CEO and owner of the Cardiff Devils, finalised acquiring the rights to the Sheffield Steelers. The Steelers were at the top of the league for the majority of the season, battling it out with the Cardiff Devils, and won the league after back-to-back victories against the Braehead Clan. The Steelers were tied on points with Cardiff but won the league having more regulation time wins. After several rounds of negotiations, Simon decided not to renew his contract, and Ryan Finnerty was installed as player/coach after. During that season Sheffield Steelers became the first EIHL team to win a medal in Europe after their appearance in the Continental Cup superfinal.
Tony Smith took over as sole owner in August 2011 after buying out Paul Ragan. The Steelers won the 2013–14 Play-Off final 3–2 against Belfast Giants.
From 2014 onwards any time that the Sheffield Steelers win a home game the player dubbed Man of the Match does a fast lap around the ice with a pre-planned celebration at the end of their fast lap. This tradition was then called "the Eddy" named after the player who originated this tradition Cullen Eddy. Some sources say that this was originally a prank devised by players at the time Mark Thomas and Jason Hewitt who skated over to Eddy and told him that it was a 20 year tradition at the club to do a fast lap around the perimeter of the ice. The prank paid off and after that the Steelers incorporated this in their match night celebrations
At the end of season 2014–15 they beat the Cardiff Devils to clinch the Elite League title with 74 points. On 20 April 2015, they parted company with coach Gerad Adams. They soon brought in Paul Thompson, former GB coach, as head coach and general manager. At the end of season 2015–16 they became only the second club in the history of ice hockey to become back to back champions when they defeated the Fife Flyers on the final day of the season to take the title.
Paul Thompson left the Sheffield Steelers on 1 October 2018, citing personal reasons. He was replaced as head coach by Tom Barrasso. On 16 April 2019 the club announced that Aaron Fox had been appointed as head coach and general manager of the club.
On 8 March 2020, the Steelers won the 2019–20 Challenge Cup beating Cardiff Devils 4–3 – their first Challenge Cup title for 17 years.
On 28 October 2023, during a game against the Sheffield Steelers at Utilita Arena, Adam Johnson of the Nottingham Panthers sustained a fatal injury. The injury occurred when Johnson's neck came into contact with the skate of Steelers player Matt Petgrave. The game was halted immediately, and medical personnel from both teams, as well as medically trained spectators, rushed to assist. Players from both teams gathered around Johnson during the emergency response efforts. South Yorkshire Police conducted an investigation into the incident. On April 29, 2025 the Crown Prosecution Service announced that there was no reasonable chance of a conviction, so no criminal charges would be brought in relation to Johnson's death and the case closed.
On 13 March 2024, the Sheffield Steelers brought an end to their four year trophy drought by winning the Challenge Cup at home against the Guildford Flames 3–1, their second Challenge Cup title in the Elite League era. On 24 March 2024, the Sheffield Steelers would clinch the Elite League title for the first time since the 2015–16 EIHL season qualifying them for the 2024–25 Champions Hockey League season.

Head coach and captain history

Captains

Head coaches

Current squad

Squad for 2025–26 Elite League season
The Steelers have retired the numbers of six players. Ronnie Wood's number 7 and Tim Cranston's number 4 have been retired. Tony Hand's number 16 and Ken Priestlay's number 9 were retired on 21 January 2003 at a challenge match against the Dundee Stars, with Ron Shudra's number 26 retired in summer 2009. Tommy Plommer's number 11 has also been retired.
Eight people who have been associated with the Steelers have been inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. Alex Dampier, who coached the Steelers from January 1993 to the end of the 1997–98 season, was inducted in 1995 and Mike Blaisdell, who coached and occasionally iced for the Steelers between 1999 and 2004, was inducted in 2004. On the player front, Chris Kelland was inducted in 2002, Rick Brebant in 2004, Paul Adey in 2006, Scott Neil in 2007, and most recently, legendary players Tim Cranston and 'Rocket' Ron Shudra in December 2010.
The Steelers started their own Hall of Fame in 2005 in which honoured members are voted for by the fans. There are two Hall of Fames: The Players Hall of Fame and the Backroom Staff Hall of Fame. Ken Priestlay, Tommy Plommer, Scott Allison and Tim Cranston were inducted to the Players Hall of Fame in 2005 and Ron Shudra and Mike Blaisdell were inducted in 2006. David Simms, responsible for press and media at the club, and Andy Akers, Equipment Manager, were inducted to the Backroom Staff Hall of Fame in 2006 and Mike O'Connor, general manager, was inducted in 2007.

Honours and awards

League Championships
Play Off Championships
Autumn Cups
  • 1995–96, 2000–01
Challenge Cups
20–20 Hockeyfest Tournament
  • 2009–10
Player of the Year Trophy
Coach of the Year Trophy
The Ice Hockey Annual Trophy
First Team All-Star
Second Team All-Star
The Steelers have won the Grand Slam of all available trophies three times in their history. In the 1995–96 season they won the Benson & Hedges Cup, the league championship and the playoffs. In the 2000–01 season they won the Benson & Hedges Cup, the Challenge Cup, the league championship and the playoffs. In the 2023–24 season they won the Challenge Cup, the league championship and the playoffs. The players who played for the Steelers those seasons were:

1995–96 team

Goaltenders
Defenders
Forwards
Goaltenders
Defenders
Forwards
Goaltenders
  • Matthew Greenfield
  • Daniel Crowe
  • Anthony Morrone
  • Angus Laing
Defenders
  • Kevin Tansey
  • Zach Vinnell
  • Matt Petgrave
  • Colton Saucerman
  • Sam Cooper
  • Sam Jones
  • Niklas Nevalainen
  • Dominic Cormier
  • Brien Diffley
Forwards
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
SeasonLeagueGPWLTOTLPtsGFGAFinal League Position
1991–92English League Division 13227410553781632nd
1992–93British League Division 13222640483001862nd
1993–94British League Premier Division4428124055†3131983rd†
1994–95British League Premier Division4435540743341831st
1995–96British League Premier Division3627450592681221st
1996–97Ice Hockey Superleague44271142601681272nd
1997–98Ice Hockey Superleague44201833501691636th
1998–99Ice Hockey Superleague42171942401351416th
1999–00Ice Hockey Superleague42241422521881552nd
2000–01Ice Hockey Superleague4835904104‡1621151st
2001–02Ice Hockey Superleague481818120481381443rd
2002–03Ice Hockey Superleague3218851421621151st††
2003–04Elite Ice Hockey League5644831922141061st
2004–05Elite Ice Hockey League50251753581181105th
2005–06Elite Ice Hockey League42151962381051356th
2006–07Elite Ice Hockey League543016–8681631543rd
2007–08Elite Ice Hockey League543814–2781901292nd
2008–09Elite Ice Hockey League54416–7892011151st
2009–10Elite Ice Hockey League562426–6541941965th
2010–11Elite Ice Hockey League544310–1872651321st
2011–12Elite Ice Hockey League544111–2842091302nd
2012–13Elite Ice Hockey League523514–3731841333rd
2013–14Elite Ice Hockey League523117–4661721412nd
2014–15Elite Ice Hockey League523513–4741931341st
2015–16Elite Ice Hockey League523414–4721901611st
2016–17Elite Ice Hockey League523514–3731961363rd
2017–18Elite Ice Hockey League563419–3712171403rd
2018–19Elite Ice Hockey League603026–4641832037th
2019–20Elite Ice Hockey League493117–1632111542nd†††
2020–21Elite Ice Hockey LeagueCancelledCancelledCancelledCancelledCancelledN/AN/AN/AN/A††††
2021–22Elite Ice Hockey League543710–7812021382nd
2022–23Elite Ice Hockey League543613–5771901293rd
2023–24Elite Ice Hockey League54458–1912281131st
2024–25Elite Ice Hockey League543714–3772171372nd

Club records

League titles

  • British Premier Division Titles: 2
  • Superleague Titles: 2
  • Elite League Titles: 6

    Cup titles

  • Yorkshire Cup: 2
  • Benson & Hedges Cup: 2
  • Challenge Cup: 6
  • Knockout Cup: 1
  • 20/20 Hockeyfest: 1
  • Charity Shield: 1

    Play-off titles

  • British Championship: 11

    Team records

  • Most points in a season: 104 --- 3 pts for a win 92 --- 2 pts for a win
  • Most wins in a season: 45
  • Most regulation losses in a season: 26
  • Most overtime losses in a season: 8
  • Most ties in a season: 12 --- ties ceased after the 2005/06 Season
  • Most goals scored in regular season: 378
  • Most goals conceded in regular season: 203
  • Fewest goals scored in regular season: 86 Note 32-game season.
  • Fewest goals conceded in regular season: 57 Note 32-game season.
  • Highest league position: 1st
  • Lowest league position: 7th
  • Most goals scored in a single game : 30
  • Most goals conceded in a single game : 14
  • Biggest winning margin at home : 26 goals
  • Biggest winning margin on the road : 25 goals
  • Biggest losing margin at home : 6 goals
  • Biggest losing margin on the Road : 11 goals
  • No. of Teams shutout : 97
  • Most shutouts in a season : 11
  • Team shutout most : Nottingham Panthers
  • No. of times shutout : 70
  • Most times shutout in a season : 8
  • Team most shutout against : Nottingham Panthers
  • Longest winning streak : 13 games
  • Longest losing streak : 7 games
  • Longest unbeaten streak : 53 games
  • Highest attendance : 10,136
  • Highest attendance : 17,245

    Individual records

  • Most Games Played: Jonathan Phillips
  • Most Goals Scored : Robert Dowd
  • Most Assists : Ron Shudra
  • Most Points Scored : Ron Shudra
  • Most Penalty Minutes : Jason Hewitt
  • Most Goals Scored in a Regular Season: Steve Nemeth
  • Most Assists in a Regular Season: Mark Mackie
  • Most Points Scored in a Regular Season: Steve Nemeth
  • Most Penalty Minutes in a Regular Season: Andrew Sharpe
  • Most Goals Scored in a Play-Off Championship: Steve Nemeth
  • Most Assists in a Play-Off Championship: Steve Nemeth
  • Most Points Scored in a Play-Off Championship: Steve Nemeth
  • Most Penalty Minutes in a Play-Off Championship: Timo Willman

    Goaltender records

  • Most Games Played : Jody Lehman
  • Most Minutes Played : Jody Lehman
  • Most Wins : Jody Lehman
  • Most Losses : Jody Lehman
  • Most Shutouts in a Season : Ervins Mustukovs
  • Most Shutouts : Jody Lehman
  • Best Goals Against Average : Christian Bronsard
  • Best Save Percentage : Christian Bronsard