'Mutual trust and respect between players and coach' the key to Steelers' success

That was evident across the 2019-20 season which saw Steelers win the Challenge Cup and finish second in a League programme curtailed by the corona pandemic.

Fox has tried hard to find fresh employment for his skaters since the EIHL was suspended.

He remains committed to helping Armstrong and the rest of the Sheffield team in any way.

Fox has spoken with the player about finding another club, but also about returning to Steelers when the EIHL suspension is lifted.

Armstrong played 24 games under the American coach at the financially-troubled EBEL side Medvescak Zagreb (2018-19) before signing for Steelers.

The player was followed to South Yorkshire the following season by Fox himself, who took over the reins from Tom Barrasso.

Armstrong said it cannot have been easy for Fox to coach at the Croatian club, which was heading for financial disaster at the time.

But the experience clearly did him no harm, in the long run.

Speaking in an unpublished interview, recorded before the lockdown, Armstrong said it must have been difficult for Fox to motivate players who were not getting paid in Zagreb.

But as for his debut season at Sheffield, Fox had been "great" according to the centreman, who says the coach built up a rapport with the playing staff.

"He listens to our side of things," said Armstrong. In meetings with players, he would not only tell: "Us what he expects from us but he asks what we think that the team can do to be better and what we think he can do to be better.

"That is something I respect a lot.

"We have got such an older team - I think he knows there is a lot of hockey knowledge in the room and he just wants to be the best coach he can be.

"I think we have big respect for Foxy - he always believes that we can come back (from a goal or two deficit) I think you saw it a lot when we were down goals and we came back.

"He is not a huge screamer, yeller, he is typically positive that he knows we have so much scoring power that we can come back."

In April last year, Fox was awarded a three year deal - an unusually long term for imported coaches in the EIHL.

It will roll over if there is no hockey before August next year.

Armstrong says: "I think it is impressive what he has done so far just in one year."

Cardiff Devils - one of the teams most keen on re-starting EIHL hockey in the New Year - have named Canadian Jarrod Skalde as their new head coach and director of hockey operations.