Sheffield Steelers: 'You got to love that' - Praise for fans who made journey to Denmark

With five weeks to go before Christmas, and amid the threat of tightening coronavirus restrictions, travelling to and from Denmark isn't within everybody's budget or capabilities.
Sheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean WoolleySheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean Woolley
Sheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean Woolley

But the 100 or so Sheffield fans who made the long trip to Aalborg, Denmark did themselves, their club and their country proud.

And coach Aaron Fox was thankful how they out-sung all the others at the rink and cheered on his team despite the 0-4 defeat to a Belarusian side, HK Gomel, which stopped them from progressing further in the 2021-22 Continental Cup.

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"The number that was there was pretty incredible especially in the current climate of travel and Covid, what can you say about them? They travel everywhere and we appreciate them" said the team boss.

Sheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean WoolleySheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean Woolley
Sheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean Woolley

"They were the loudest people in the building all three nights, you have got to love that. Even against (the home side) Aalborg we out-chanted them for sure."

Skipper Jonathan Phillips echoed those sentiments.

"We were pretty much underneath the fans in the dressing room and we could even hear them singing from there.

"Our Covid bubble meant we could not meet them at close quarters, but we'd like the fans to know how much we appreciated their support, and that of those watching the stream from back home.

Sheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean WoolleySheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean Woolley
Sheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean Woolley
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"It is disappointing the way we went out. But, after all the trips I have been on, I have never been as proud of a group of players as I am now.

"We had so many injuries yet we battled as much as was humanly possible.

"And those fans were there for us right at the end. Amazing people."

The travelling Orange Army was pleased to see veteran Andreas Valdix return to a Sheffield shirt for the competition.

Sheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean WoolleySheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean Woolley
Sheffield Steelers fans who made the trip to Denmark for the Continental Cup matches. Pictures: Dean Woolley
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The 36-year-old Swede left Steelers in 2018 after two seasons but put in some excellent shifts in the three European games.

He lives in Sheffield and has a girlfriend there, according to the club, which might make his availability pleasingly easy, given the fact Brendan Connolly, Marco Vallerand, Tanner Eberle and Robert Dowd have been out injured.

Much will depend on whether Connolly will be back soon, or not. And whether Fox wants to use up one of his Roster Regulations changes, policed by the EIHL.

Dowd, it is understood, is the skater most likely to return for games against Nottingham Panthers, home, and Guildford Flames, away.

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The weekend fixtures will be complicated though by the fact that defenceman Keaton Ellerby will be suspended for both games.

Ellerby was declared guilty of an 'Illegal Check to the Head' on Cardiff Devils' forward Sam Duggan. The former NHL'er was fined as well as being banned for two games.