O’Connor to play for Steeldogs after Steelers release

Ben O’Connor will team up with former Steeler team-mates Cole Shudra and Alex Graham, in the second-tier division.

O'Connor was not re-signed by Steelers at the end of last season, an omission which came as something of a shock at the time.

It led to some resentment on the player's part - only eight players in the history of the club have played more times for Steelers than O'Connor and he challenged the club's interpretation of how his potential contract extension deal had collapsed.

The Great Britain defenceman admitted he'd missed a deadline to re-sign last March by two days, though.

He said of Steelers at the time: "They are my home team. The one I grew up watching my old man (Mike O'Connor) play for - it was a dream of mine to play for them and I ticked that box."

Now he has moved on quickly to another local team which enables him and his wife to continue to live and work in the area.

Many hockey fans think the NIHL has a better chance than the EIHL of being able to stage a season ...the NIHL has fewer fans and social-distancing would be easier to organise.

Initially, O'Connor had told The Star there had been interest shown in his services "both at home and abroad."

But as a family man, and working in the financial sector off the ice, staying in Sheffield clearly suits him best.

The Steeldogs' capture is the biggest bonus for the iceSheffield club since Jeff Legue played 20 games there in 2014.

If their NIHL season does get underway, O'Connor's addition to the roster will doubtless attract Steeler fans to Dogs' games.

And, it isn't completely impossible that Steelers Robert Dowd, Davey Phillips and Jonathan Phillips will also play at iceSheffield, whether it is for Dogs or

Jason Hewitt's opposition side Hull Pirates, who have designs on all three.

Dowd was sorry to see O'Connor leave the Arena.

He said recently: "It is disappointing obviously for him to leave but that's the horrible thing about the business.

"When best friends leave it's not nice but it is one of those things you can't dwell on too much - it happens every bloody year, doesn't it?

"When people move on it hurts, me and Benny are very close. But I wish him the best."