Sheffield Steelers' new head boy in the league leading class of 2023-4

His two goals and four assists in back-to-back wins over Glasgow Clan last weekend put him ahead of the pack as Sheffield's top points scorer.

It is the first time this season that the achievement has come his way.

But it has been coming for some time - the middle of December to be precise.

In his last 20 games over that period, Balmas has collected some 30 points, an awesome return for the 25-year-old from Cape Breton Island, Canada.

He now has a total of 52 points in 44 games (18 goals and 34 assists) that's a single point ahead of prolific first-liner Patrick Watling.

It must be a satisfying time for Balmas, who hasn't been a top scorer in a team since his time with Saint Mary's University in 2021-22.

Maritime Hockey, a web platform that focuses on players from eastern Canada, says Balmas "continues to dominate in the EIHL" - and certainly his stock will be rising right now in north America and Europe.

The same goes for other first-year Steelers, whose part in their blistering, league-leading campaign won't have been lost on big clubs in Europe.

While Balmas, Watling, Marco Vallerand and Daniel Ciampini lead the Sheffield points table, Robert Dowd remains the senior goalscorer.

It will be interesting to see if he holds on to that, in his absence this weekend.

Dowd will be playing for Great Britain in the Olympic Qualifiers in Cardiff, while Vallerand and Watling only need three goals in domestic EIHL games against Manchester Storm and Coventry Blaze to catch up with his 22 goals in both competitions.

Steelers, without Dowd as well as GB team mates Sam Jones, Brandon Whistle and Cole Shudra, will be hoping to maintain their 14 point lead at the top of the elite division.

Dowd is on a high after has been named GB skipper by head coach Peter Russell, taking over from Jonathan Phillips.

Liam Kirk and Mark Richardson are Alternate Captains.

Meanwhile, Steelers, as the first overall seeds in the competition, will host Guildford Flames in the Challenge Cup Final.

Flames beat Glasgow Clan 6-3 on Wednesday to book their place in the showdown game, a week after the Steelers won through against Coventry Blaze.

This will be the first all-English Challenge Cup Final since the Steelers faced Nottingham in 2012-13.

Steelers have only won one Challenge Cup in the EIHL era, in 2020; while the Flames were beaten on their only appearance in the Final a year earlier.