A night of banter and pride for Sheffield Steeler Jason Hewitt

Some of the biggest characters in recent Steelers history will be out on the iceSheffield pad to support the “British Bulldog.”

Neil Clark, a left winger for two Sheffield seasons before retiring in 2012, has flown from Vancouver for the event. In a playful snipe at Hewitt, he said the testimonial was a great thing for Hewitt...”it’s a huge achievement, especially with his limited skill level, to play this long in the league.” Clark, now aged 34, ices alongside with the likes of Colt King, Lee Esders, Steve Birnstill and former assistant coach Neil Abel.

The former player said it was difficult compare the team he played for - which included the likes of Joey Talbot, Ashley Tait, Kevin Bolibruck and perennial Steelers’ transfer target Ervins Mustukovs - with the present day outfit.

But he said watching last Saturday’s win over Cardiff Devils brought back good memories.

“It was good to see Hewy score again and the boys bought a win for the fans. It was a good experience.”

As for the performance of young goalie Brad Day, Clark said: “I can only imagine coming in half way through a game like that and basically shut them down, so that’s great.”

Present day survivors from Clark’s first year include Hewitt, Jeff Legue, Rob Dowd, Rod Sarich and Jono Phillips.

Hewitt has been with Steelers 11 years.