Dark message to rival player who boarded Sheffield Steelers' star

Sheffield coach Aaron Fox said the hit had appeared perilous and his player "got crumpled up pretty good."

He said: "It was dangerous for sure I am just happy that he got up.

"But he is a warrior and a high-character player and wanted to get back out after the next shift and rewarded us with a big overtime goal. He is different gravy."

While the forward himself recovered and was in a forgiving mood after Saturday's 3-2 Arena victory, on the club's EHL opening day, his enforcer team-mate Kevin Tansey wasn't.

The referee had chucked Blake Thompson out of the game at 55:40, for boarding, but Tansey still made sure a threatening message got through to Coventry's 30-year-old Canadian defenceman as he trudged off the pad.

"I got out there on the ice and chased that (number) 44 off the ice I just wanted him to know that we will remember who he is."

Former Cardiff Devils' skater Thompson won't have long to wait to find out if Tansey will carry through with the implied warning- the teams meet again on October 8.

The hazardous hit was one of the few negatives to a four-point weekend for Steelers, who won 3-1 at Guildford Flames on Sunday.

That second game started awkwardly for Tansey's troops.

Matt Alvaro put the Surrey side ahead on the PP, but two minutes later Josh Nicholls despatched his first for Sheffield, through Eamon McAdam's pads.

Guildford, smarting from a 4-2 beating at Cardiff Devils the previous night, couldn't improve on their output in a second period which featured a fight between Colton Saucerman and Kyle Locke.

Chances were coming to both sides, but things turned Sheffield's way when Logan Fredericks was called for tripping and Robert Dowd got the first of his 30-goal target for the season.

Captain Dowd then added an insurance goal to wrap up maximum weekend points.

Guildford boss Paul Dixon used the phrase "Sheffield put the hammer down on us" - and that will be music to Fox's ears.

Twenty-four hours earlier, there was high praise from 6,800 Steelers' fans for three new players who all blessed their EIHL debut for the club with goals against Coventry Blaze.

Saucerman got the club's Power Play off to a good start, while Mitchell Balmas and Patrick Watling scored - the latter in overtime.

Coventry worked relentlessly for their overtime point, though, and were 2-1 in the lead for 16 minutes, Kim Tallberg and J.D. Dudek finding a way past Matt Greenfield.

Overall, coach Fox was delighted with four points, the first evidence that his Summer recruitment could turn out to be a successful one.