Sheffield Steelers: we weren’t good enough as a team or individuals, admits import Josh Pitt

The 26-year-old centreman was top points' scorer for the team for most of the year before being overtaken by Evan McGrath.

He netted 51 points from 68 games and only homegrown Robert Dowd found the net more often.

But only one existing import, whose contract had run out, has been re-signed, so far. 

And Pitt is now actively looking for a new employer.

The 26-year-old right shot from the Thousand Islands region of Canada is now starting to weigh up his options, elsewhere.

"I haven’t talked with the team since the new coach (Aaron Fox) was named,” said Pitt.

"I have a few guys that are seeing what’s out there right now, I am talking to an agent. It's a little different than last year when I was already signed in Sheffield!

"Now, I’m open to everything, I just want to get in the best situation for myself."

The former Kalamazoo Wings’ forward said his overall reflections were that the trophy-less season in South Yorkshire was "a disappointment. I came to a team with a history of winning and competing for championships and that didn’t happen this year.

"Everyone had felt, coming in, that we had a good team that would compete for trophies, but I guess we just weren’t good enough as a team and as individuals to do that this year.”

He said the two huge home defeats to Glasgow Clan (6-0 and 6-1) were his worst memories of a season which saw them end up in seventh-place and fail to make the final play off weekend.

His favourite moment "would probably be getting a hat trick in Milton Keynes" - that was in only his third game for Steelers.

Pitt went on to collect a hat-trick of assists in two other games and after a barren spell, chalked up an assist in the last three games.