Sheffield Steelers: Jeff Legue happy for Robert Dowd to eclipse his scoring record

That's because the man threatening to usurp him is Robert Dowd - his long-term team-mate and pal.

Legue, now aged 40, left Sheffield in 2016 after nine successful Arena seasons.

The team he left behind included the likes of Tyler Mosienko, Ben O'Connor, Levi Nelson...and Dowd, seven years his junior.

Dowd is currently on a hot streak, after claiming six points in his last four games.

Overall, he has scored 263 goals in 637 games - which means he has been on a game roster for the equivalent of 26 full days!

Legue posted 266 goals in 550 performances before returning to his native Canada.

“It was only a matter of time before he passed me" said Legue.

"He is a goal-scoring machine, we saw it when he was just a kid.

"He has an eye for goal, he finds space and has that quick release. I’m pleased for him, he is an out-and-out Steeler along with the likes of Jonno (Phillips.)

"He loves the club so for him to keep scoring goals and winning championships is great to see from this side of the pond.”

Dowd will hope to whittle down some of the four he needs at Fife Flyers tonight, in the Challenge Cup.

He said: “I had no idea about being so close to Leggie until last weekend when it was mentioned

“Jeff was an incredible player, a clutch player who came through when the team needed him most. His 266 is a huge number.

“I love scoring goals, I love the rush and the emotion you feel from the crowd, especially at home at the Arena. I had no idea I was at 263. "I’m proud of those goals, there are a few match-winners in there; a few big goals like the play off one against Nottingham back in that incredible come-back in 2017...what a night that was.

“Goals have to mean something and we have been lucky that the goals both Leggy and I have scored have helped bring some championships along, those are the things that really count.

"It’s the dream we are chasing at the moment so if I can score a few more this year, then winning championships will mean a lot more than passing my good friend in the scoring charts.”

Sheffield official Dave Simms believes the achievements of Legue and Dowd should be viewed ahead of old school Steelers Steve Nemeth and Ron Shudra, who are numbers one and two in the club's all-time goals list.

"I would suggest Legue and Dowd are effectively one and two as both Nemeth and Shudra scored lots of their goals in the lower leagues (ED1 and the British Division 1) before we were promoted to the top level" he said.