Sheffield Steelers' new overseas players need crash course in Yorkshire dialect

Try to get used to the slang – and the South Yorkshire dialect- as quickly as possible!

The energetic Steelers’ forward is back for a second year and is this week meeting fresh members of the 2023-24 team, all of whom have never previously sampled the delights of South Yorkshire.

Asked what advice he would give to players keen to integrate, Neumann, a 24-year-old Canadian said: “If they come in not knowing what to expect, I’d say just enjoy it, you are going to love it!

“New players are going to love the lifestyle and love the people and city.

“I’d say talk to as many people as you can, and focus on hockey because it is a very passionate city, they love the hockey. It is a lot of fun.”

The local language is slightly more difficult to comprehend for some imports.

“The Sheffield accent is different!” said Neumann.

“Before I came in I wouldn’t have been able to differentiate a Sheffield accent from other parts of English accent, but you soon realise there are different accents all over England

“The other thing I’d say is it won’t take too long to pick up on the slang.

“You will get used to it, but the one for me was people asking me: ‘You alright?’

“The first time I heard that I wondered if they thought there was something wrong with me? I sort of replied ‘Yeah I’m ok, what’s going on?’

“But this year I’ll know what people are saying!”

Neumann is looking forward to seeing Marco Vallerand at his best in this EIHL campaign.

Vallerand arrived half way through last season and only played 20 games, missing the end of the play offs.

“He’s had success in the past, he is clearly a big goalscorer, has a really strong shot, is hard on the puck and I definitely saw good things in him.

“I’ve seen what he has done in his career, he has continually put up numbers.

“I have no worries about him coming in and having a big year, he’ll be good for the team.”

As for the standard of the EIHL, Neumann said: “It’s a growing league, it is getting better very fast, and there are a lot of good players. I only see it continuing to get better.”

Meanwhile, it is not clear yet where Maltby’s Liam Kirk will be playing his hockey this season.

Steelers’ legend Tony Hand MBE believes the NHL draftee may be off to Europe, again.

Asked on a podcast who he thought the best British player of all time was, the first name that came to mind was Kirk.

“He is a great hockey person and a good person,” he said.

Hand said from what he had heard the South Yorkshireman was going to the Czech Republic or Slovakia.

The player, who is under contract to the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL, has played for Tucson Roadrunners and Atlanta Gladiators before being relocated to Finnish club, Mikkelin Jukurit, where he scored 19 points in 25 games.

The normally reliable elite prospects website suggests he will play at Arizona affiliates Tucson in the AHL, although he only played a single game there last season.

A Coyotes’ spokesman told The Star: “We will know more after training camp in late September.”