The 27-year-old Canadian has nothing like to points-tally on his CV compared to the man he is replacing.

But coach Dave Matsos says he has been waiting for three years to bring in the industrious, grinding forward.

Gillies has a 17 game experience in the American League with Binghamton and Bridgeport but his last three seasons have been mainly with Charlotte Checkers in the East Coast League.

Last year he played for both Charlotte and Phoenix, staking a modest seven goals in 44 games. He averaged around two penalty minutes a game.

Matsos said: "I have been trying to sign this guy since I became the Steelers coach three summers ago. I looked at many different options, the out and out tough guy, the super skilled forward. But every time I kept coming back to Nathan, a guy who will give us grit, energy and who will make an offensive contribution

"Nathan has played and captained Randy Dagenais at Union College and also played with former Steeler Kirk DeWaele in Charlotte. Both also gave glowing references. I believe that Nathan will be a fearless player, he is a guy who will fight anyone and can play on any line."

At home in Cambridge, Ontario. Gillies said: "I needed a new challenge, I am someone who gives his all in everything he does and I needed something new to focus my attentions on. I thought about Europe and spoke with guys like Kirk. The message I got back was Sheffield, Sheffield, Sheffield. Then out of the blue who called me, the Sheffield coach, I suppose it was meant to be.

"I know Sheffield has done its homework on me, and likewise I have done mine on both the club and the coach. I'm excited and can't wait to arrive. I know many of the guys on the team, I have played with some and against many others. Matty has told me that I will be coming to play on a team hell bent on winning a championship and that sounds great to me"

Gilles is a former team-mate of Ian Manzano, who was released at the end of last season.

*Manchester Phoenix's latest signing is a buffalo rancher!

Defenceman Josh Garbutt, 23, lives in Yorkton Saskatchewan, and when he's not playing hockey, he's out on the range looking after over a thousand head of buffalo. "It's tough work as buffalo take some handling, you sure don't wanna get on the wrong side of them at all," he says.

Standing 5ft 11ins and nudging the scales to the 205lb mark, the left-shot blueliner started out as a forward, but has switched successfully to playing defence. "I like to break up opponents rushes and get things moving with a good pass. I enjoy joining the rush and move the puck quickly so you could call me an offensive defenceman. I know my role though and enjoy playing a physical game in our end to get things going."


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