Ex-Sheffielder Kirk DeWaele stressed: "The people of Sheffield will love this guy. When I heard he was thinking of England and that Sheffield was an option I told him to go for it.

"He won't find a better place to be. He is a guy made for those Nottingham games. I might fly over just to see him play in one.

"He works hard, finishes his hits and just leads his team. He won't back down from anyone, his teammates will love him.

"He will be in the middle of everything that happens. I think he will be a great signing for an already strong team."

Gillies was the captain of the Union College team in 2002-03 which saw a young Randy Dagenais make his start in the hockey world.

Gillies recalled: "Danger was a young pup back then but a skilled player who you could see would turn into a professional, I can't wait to join up with him again. Now its his turn to show me around town."

Dagenais was also keen to reacquaint himself with his former college colleague.

"Gills is a stand-up guy who will do anything to win hockey games. He has a fearless, take no prisoners approach to the game and will never back down from anyone," Dagenais declared.

"He is capable of scoring 20 goal or more in this league while still paying attention to his defensive responsibilities.

"He was our captain for two seasons at Union College and his desire to win was contagious. Nathan is a perfect fit for us.

"I am totally confident that he will come in and do the job.

" I'll let his play do the talking, but I won't be surprised if he quickly becomes a fan favourite ... especially after he drops the gloves a couple of times."

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