David Simms on Steelers: It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Try the Steelers schedule: Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, and then hop on the bus to Glasgow on Sunday – and that’s not just at Christmas. That’s from August until mid April.

This holiday period is no different for the Steelers.

After Saturday and Sunday’s back to back games with Glasgow (Saturday in Sheffield and Sunday in Scotland) the boys will then play on the 26th (home to Manchester), then 28th (away in Manchester), 31st (away in Nottingham) and New Year’s Day (at home to Nottingham).

The Steelers will then get three whole days off before another home game against Guildford and then another bus trip the night after to Glasgow.

When we were in the CHL we played 81 games in an eight month period. Cardiff will do so this year with all of their international games.

That’s why Steelers owner Tony Smith’s decision last week to allow head coach Aaron Fox to bring in injury replacements in firstly Janne Kolehmainen and then Josef Hrabal could be a game changer over the Christmas period.

With so many games in such a short period of time having a squad that can be competitive is a big advantage. Take Fife last week as a prime example. They played their hearts out, did everything they could but they had four fewer skaters than we did and by playing four lines we exploited their numbers as the game went on.

Steelers lost Big John Armstrong in that Fife game, hopefully John won’t be out for too long. Maybe, just maybe, back for Boxing Day. Messrs Johnson, Bettauer and Lewing are still many weeks away. Fife didn’t replace their injured stars and thus are now paying the price. Smith and Fox have rolled the dice so we shouldn’t be in the same situation over the holiday period.

The Boxing Day fixture has become synonymous with the Steelers. Families gather and decide to spend their special day with us. Kids who watched the Steelers with their parents and now have either fled to university or are working in far flung places come back home at Christmas, they revert to type, and they remember great days with the Steelers in their past and want a reminder. Boxing Day is such a special Steelers day.

For the last three years 9,000-plus a game have turned up to witness these great events, lights down, music plays and the warriors enter onto the ice. Boxing Day with the Steelers is about the sport, is about winning, but, it’s also about the show, the razzmatazz and the entertainment – that’s something that the Steelers do better than anyone else.

This year Boxing Day will be spent in the company of the Manchester Storm, the Steelers’ feistiest rival, coached by our former head coach Ryan Finnerty. Sheffield and Manchester, Yorkshire and Lancashire, that’s what sporting rivalry is all about. Christmas bragging rights.

New Year’s Day will see Nottingham Panthers come into the Arena, what a way to start the year. Steelers, Manchester Storm and the Nottingham Panthers, folks your Christmas and New Year is all sorted and you’re very welcome, it’s the least we can do. Family fun, great entertainment, a winning side and proper rivalries. Happy Christmas Sheffield, we spoil you.