Well that was quick: Hope remains that super-fast Sheffield Steeler may actually stay in 'horribly hard' EIHL

A club executive said this week that the speedy winger had bid a final farewell to them, following the Play Off defeat at the hands of Cardiff Devils.

He'd loved his time in Sheffield but was seemingly on his way.

Today, though, Látal was quick to put that into context, stressing that he had not made a final decision on where he will spend what might be his last season as a professional athlete.

The Czech skater has NOT been offered a new contract by coach Aaron Fox.

Látal said: "I didn't get an offer. Both of us are taking our time about making a decision.

"I saw him (Tuesday) and we said we would keep in touch."

Referring to his earlier conversation with the senior club official, he explained: "I said I might be saying goodbye. It was disappointing for me not to win any trophies.

"But it will be a family decision.

"I am going on vacation to Turkey and will think about things after that.

"I still want to play one last year. My body is in very good condition and I am still a machine!"

Látal said he had a difficult start to the EIHL season because he had been ill and injured in the summer.

He hadn't had anything like the time he'd have liked to prepare for a league he describes as "horribly hard."

Látal said: "Here you have to focus on every (League) game, it is different to every other league in the world. It is tough mentally.

"I expected to win some trophies this year but if you lose to teams you should not lose to, like Fife (Flyers) and Manchester (Storm,) you don't win trophies.

"It is sort of OK to lose to teams like Belfast (Giants) Cardiff (Devils) and Guildford (Flames) - they are very good teams, like us.

"But when you lose to others it can hurt confidence and beat you down.

"If we had won the Challenge Cup we would have felt way better. Losing (to Fife, in February) really didn't help at all. You struggle after that."

Látal thought Sheffield had played well in the Cardiff game, last Saturday, both sides having chances to win, the Welsh getting the vital goal in overtime.

"But whether it is through my agent or personally, we (him and Steelers) will keep in touch."

Meanwhile, changes have begun to happen elsewhere.

Nottingham Panthers have appointed Jonathan Paredes as head coach; the 42-year-old replacing Corey Neilson behind the bench at the Motorpoint Arena.

“Jonathan is one of the hottest coaches in demand at the moment and we are very excited to have secured his signature,” explained Panthers CEO Omar Pacha.

“I interviewed many coaches for this position, including some more experienced guys with extensive resumes, and Jonathan was the standout candidate and my number one choice.

“What stood out was not only how highly-regarded Jonathan is by his former players, but how well they thought he was adapt to the Elite League.”