Players must return to ice soon to protect future standard, Sheffield Steelers owner says

That's the view of Sheffield Steelers' owner and EIHL chairman Tony Smith, who has one eye fixed on avoiding a drop in the quality which saw his own club attract 6,610 fans on average in their last campaign, one which was shortened by the coronavirus pandemic.

Smith remains optimistic that the five English clubs, and possibly others, will be able to return to some sort of playing format, no later than February.

He wants that expected, three-month session to be a product good enough to attract a bumper number of web streaming views to support the £4m offered in a strings-attached, return-to-play agreement with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

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But Smith also wants the rosters at those EIHL clubs involved to get a skilled, competitive edge back under their belts to ensure the start of the 2021-22 season will be an even more attractive proposition for the public.

"Players cannot be off the ice for 18 months and be expected to put a show on when we start again," he told the Associated Press (AP).

"It could set the sport back a few years, so we need to get our players playing. Even if it's only for 12 weeks, we need to give them something."

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Former Steelers' forward Luke Ferrara is currently keeping fit playing in Poland for Cracovia Krakow and a spell at Bordeaux, France.

He says it is vital all British players get some game-time before Great Britain's national side takes part in the World Championships, should they go ahead in May in Belarus and Latvia.

"We cannot go into the World Championships playing against Russia, Sweden, the Czech Republic if we have half a team not playing for over a year," the Coventry Blaze asset told AP.

"That is the main reason I've been bouncing around teams and trying to just play wherever I can.

"There's a line or two of our national team just not able to play.

"They're probably hoping for the UK league to start back up again."

*Smith says the £4m won't be used to soak up some of the losses that clubs incurred when play stopped through Covid 19.

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