Phillips back in Orange to fans’ delight as Sheffield Steelers storm past Manchester for 10th time this season

On Saturday night, he was loaned back by his NIHL Steeldogs side to represent the club he had previously iced 1,040 times for.

The winger received a hero’s reception from the Orange Army, although fans of next-to-bottom Steeldogs weren’t quite as pleased, as their team lost 6-3 at Hull Seahawks.

Phillips and another Steeldog – Sam Cooper – played eight minutes of Saturday’s EIHL game, as Steelers and their goalie Matt Greenfield shut out Storm 3-0.

The championship-favourites had penned Storm into their own zone for large parts of the game.

Steelers, with four skaters on Great Britain duty, were a man shy when it came to numbers on the bench, but it was the numbers on the scoreboard that really mattered.

Patrick Watling and stand-in captain Kevin Tansey gave Sheffield a 2-0 first period lead and a power play Daniel Ciampini game made it comfortable at 26:06.

Three-line Steelers could conserve their energy for tonight’s test at Coventry Blaze.

Phillips said Saturday had been a wonderful night and warm reception from the Arena fans. And a the end of the season, he will be able to fondly recall the cameo moments he contributed to what could be a multiple-title-winning outfit.

Meanwhile Steelers Robert Dowd, Sam Jones, Brandon Whistle and Cole Shudra all scored as Great Britain dismantled Serbia 11-0, in Cardiff.

The full-scoring contributors were: Dowd, hat-trick, Perlini 2, Critchlow, Shudra, Whistle, Jones, Halbert, and Neilson.

Tonight (Sun, 7pm) GB play Romania, the winners progressing to Final Qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.