FOR some ice hockey fans, body-checks are almost an art-form.
A thundering hit on an opponent – especially if the poor victim's head is down at the moment of impact - can rock both him and jar team-mates' spirits at the same time.
A body-check can change the momentum of a game and get fans off their seats.
Now Sheffield Steelers' winger Jason Hewitt has served the Elite League notice that he will be throwing some mighty hits himself this season.
A video sequence captures the moment Hewitt hit a Bietigheim opponent like a freight train last Saturday.
Click on the green button to see the video footageOn the receiving end was 20-year-old German Pascal Schoofs, who had to be helped off the ice; thankfully he made a full recovery barring two missing teeth.
Steelers' coach Dave Matsos said it was a clean hit and illustrated the commitment, power and timing of a player he expects to become a force, possibly on a line with Jonathan Phillips and Ryan Finnerty.
"He is going to be relied on this year, this is a big season for him. He is going to be put in a role with two established players. There is a lot of credibility behind (linemates) Jono and Finner.
"Add Hewy to that mix – he is going to play the body and get his conditioning level up – he is going to be right there and playing to that standard."
Meanwhile, another gritty Steeler Ryan Finnerty believes the pre-season games will stand the side in good stead for the league curtain-raiser against Edinburgh.
"Like in any job if you take three months off they don't come back at once.
"You have a shift where your skating is great and your hands don't work, next time out your hands are fine but the skating is off, this is what pre-season is all about and these games are important if we are to go for the league. Last Sunday especially we showed the fans that we won't take a beating and that we will be aggressive.
"Against Hull this weekend it won't be any different. They have signed a bigger and stronger team. We'll have to show them they won't intimidate us, if they play up we will beat them on the power play."
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FeaturesMore business newsMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsThe full article contains 455 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
