How Sheffield Steelers can lift the Elite League title at a canter after their stand-out start to the season

As Big Ben chimed the start of a New Year, and without wanting to tempt fate, the evidence is there to suggest the South Yorkshire club can win their first league championship since 2015-2016.

The side that won that title featured some formidable characters and players.

The defence at that time had Zack Fitzgerald dishing out the punishment, Ben O’Connor quarter-backing from deep, and Rod Sarich making his silky smooth contribution toward the twilight of his career.

Offensively a player called Robert Dowd was calling the shots, alongside similarly energetic attackers Levi Nelson, Guillaume Desbiens and Colton Fretter, plus the dynamic skills of Mathieu Roy, Jeff Legue and Tyler Mosienko.

Steelers ended up winning the league two points ahead of Cardiff Devils, with Glasgow Clan and Belfast Giants in third and fourth.

The Orange Army hasn’t enjoyed that same league title winning feeling since – but all the evidence would suggest that is about to change.

All the metrics are good. Steeles have:

• The best goaltender in the league in king-of-the-shutouts Matthew Greenfield;
• First year players like Colton Saucerman, Kevin Tansey, Mitchell Balmas and Mikko Juusola all hit the ground running;
• Returning players like Brett Neumann, Daniel Ciampini, Marco Vallerand, Scott Allen and Niklas Nevalainen all seem to be thriving;
• The team is not reliant on one or two players to score – virtually everybody gets in on the act;
• Overall they score more and concede less than their rivals;
• The Arena crowds continue to bring in the revenue that supports what is said to be a league-leading outlay of cash to bring in players like Dominic Cormier, Patrick Watling and Josh Nicholls;
• And, crucially, the squad has seemingly come to terms, mentally, with the shocking events of October 28 when Nottingham Panthers’ Adam Johnson was fatally hurt during a game at the Arena.

Before New Year Day’s evening trip to Manchester Storm, they had lost only three of 21 games and had maintained their modern-day advantage of Devils in second spot, as they did back in 2016.

Can they hold on to top spot for the second half of the season?

In The Star’s view they can do more than that – they can win the title at a canter.

Their confidence is riding high and a win at Cardiff on Wednesday would give them even more belief.

Steelers will see Wednesday’s game as huge – but there again, they are categorising all their fixtures in this manner.

All the new imports have bought into the singular importance of league matches, rather than play offs, as they are more used to.

The dressing room will be aware, too, that Belfast will do better than they have in the remaining months.

No game will be a given two-points, despite their all-conquering record so far.

However, barring a rash of injuries, it seems safe to predict, at long last, that 2024 will be the Year of the Steelers.