The club proprietor fears that in "two or three years" Matsos will be made an offer he cannot refuse, either in Europe or back home in his native north America.

Phillips declares that he is a big believer in Matsos - even though, the Canadian coach was amongst the entire staff that was served notice of employment severance last season during a poor spell on ice.

"Matty cut his teeth by working with Dave Whistle and we have watched him develop into a very fine coach" says Phillips.

"He has such respect in the locker-room and from a personal point of view I have learned things from him too. He is always so calm and level-headed, while I am an up and down guy," said the Welshman.

"Matty had the opportunity to go to Belfast Giants this season but has stayed loyal to us, which is great and I hope we can keep him interested in us and hang on to him for another two or three years.

"But there is always the chance someone else will take him, maybe a big name in north America.

"His weakness when he came to Sheffield was a lack of contacts in the game, but his list has now grown and he has grown himself in stature and experience."

Asked why he included Matsos on the list of staff served with their notice last season, Phillips said: "We were playing below-par then and if it had turned out I'd had to sell the club then everybody could have been cleared out.

"A new owner might not have wanted any of them. My own head was on the chopping block too, at that time.

"That's why the notices went out across the board.

"But after winning the Play-offs there is a mood of considerable optimism."

*Tomorrow: how ice hockey can help save lives.
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