What's gone wrong since Sheffield Steelers bought out Steeldogs?

It's a hockey-mad city, with amazing facilities and support.

And at the top, professional level, there appears to be no shortage of investment.

Last Summer, the EIHL club Steelers bought out their NIHL neighbours Steeldogs saying they wanted to improve the process of bringing players like Liam Kirk and the late Alex Graham through.

Owner Tony Smith explained at the time: "Our way is to try and get a bit more control over our feeder farm team. We want their team to be competitive but use them to help kids make the grade."

There have been a few bumps in the road since Steelers made that acquisition, however.

The purchase happened pretty late on in August and Steeldogs, as a club, was never going to be re-structured and upgraded in a matter of weeks or even months.

A highly promising start to their NIHL campaign has ebbed away, though, begging the question: What's gone sour in the club's recent history?

Well, Jordan Buesa had left for Glasgow Clan/Leeds Knights and Lee Bonner made his way to rivals Hull Seahawks.

More recently, player coach Jason Hewitt stepped down, 11-year d-man Tim Smith announced his retirement after 22 games this season, and team-mate Jack Brammer has gone public with criticism of the relatively-new management.

Dogs possess talented youngsters in the form of Tate Shudra, 19, and Ben Cutts, 17, who are intent on following the pathway that Steelers had laid out.

The Dogs have some golden oldies like Hewitt, top scorer Jonathan Phillips and goalie Dmitri Zimozdra, too.

But the iceSheffield side was rocked to the core by some eye-watering beatings over the New Year, including 9-3 to Leeds Knights and 10-1 to Milton Keynes Lightning.

They are currently eighth in the 11-team league and have scored fewer goals than the others.

In the back office, the club is being run with a more business-like leadership than before and some fans haven't warmed to how that has translated to the overall experience. Many didn't like the change of jersey to embrace the Steelers' brand.

Brammer, 20, chimes with some of the negative vibes, in what appears to be his online resignation note.

He says his ice time was limited and remains upset that his contract effectively bars him from going elsewhere.

He explained: "I will cherish the memories I’ve made with the Steeldogs for the rest of my life, but I’ve had to make the impossible decision to move on for my own development and to fall back in love with the sport which will mean moving down a league.

"Unfortunately that’s being stopped by the club at the moment.

"There is a big payout clause involved that isn’t affordable for any team in that league (Divison 1) and (management) won’t come to mutual agreement and is affecting my development by not getting back on the ice."

In his post to fans, he adds: "There are certain factors recently that have limited my ice time and therefore my development.

"I wish you nothing but success in the future and hopefully the boys will bring you more trophies."

Brammer's situation seems a symptom of the malaise blighting the squad.

One fan told The Star: "I really don't understand what the problem is with the team, it hasn't changed that much, so it's difficult to know what is going on right now.

"We all wanted a bright new future when Steelers took us over, we might still get it, but it seems we might have to wait a bit longer for that."

The 4000 and Counting podcast went further.

It said the team was "unrecognisable" from earlier this campaign and speculated that defenceman Smith would not have retired had the previous Dogs ownership been in place.

Video host Nicky Watts alleged that "core values" had been "hacked into."

He also drew attention to the fact that Hewitt's replacement coach Stevie Weeks had been in charge of Sheffield Scimitars last season, when they lost almost all of their games.

Some fans have been considering some form of protest, mainly targeting a perceived lack of communication from the ownership.

On Facebook, Graham Hamilton showed his support for Brammer: "Top lad ...you deserve better."

Melanie Coley posted: "Good luck Jack let's hope THEY grow a pair and sort it out for you so you can continue to play the sport you love."

Mitchell Bage said: "Players have left and there has still been nothing from the management. It is embarrassing. No one can say it's not embarrassing because it is. It's simply not good enough."

Lucy Tyler added that Dogs: "have always been a family team" but went on to suggest that things had changed.

"I’m not shocked by any revelations that have and will continue to appear."

Long-term fan Paul Cooper talked of "losing the identity of the Steeldogs and probably most of the players we know and love.

"The club owners now are going in a different direction, it’s their option to do what they want with the club. Time will tell which direction they choose.

"For us that have been around for a while it’s hard because let’s be honest no one likes change, but it happens."Dogs have a chance to start redeeming themselves, on the ice at least, against third-place Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday.