Farewell Number 76 - A Thank You To Levi Nelson

Friday evening saw some sad breaking news for Sheffield Steelers fans when Canadian winger Levi Nelson announced his retirement from the sport. A popular player with the Steelers supporters, his absence will be felt when the new Steelers team takes to the ice in the middle of August.

A former Boston Bruins NHL draft pick from 2006, when he was selected in the 6th round (158th overall), Levi arrived in Sheffield in the summer of 2015 as one of Paul Thompson's new signing when he took over as Head Coach. Some people doubted Thompson's judgement at bringing him in as the player had suffered an injury curtailed campaign the season before when he could only ice in 19 games for the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL and wondered if the winger could cut it in the hard and physical world of the Elite League.

Thompson obviously thought he could and felt the Canadian could replicate his form of 2013-14 when he captured a league and cup double with Ritten Renon; and picked up 64 points in just 56 games. The judgement was proved to be an accurate one as he helped the Steelers to a second successive Monteith Bowl, scoring almost a point a game. He also developed a great understanding with fellow winger and the GB internationalist in Robert Dowd with their crash, bang, wallop style of play which gave no team peace and quiet. Fans were loving it if they were wearing orange, whilst other teams fans were in awe at Nelson's destructive skills which often turned their team's defences to rubble.

After such a great dèbut season, could the Steelers retain his services for a second season? The fans were overjoyed just days after the play-off final weekend as Levi signed a new two-year deal with the Club. Whilst the silky Swede Markus Nilsson didn't return to reunite probably the best second line in the league, Thompson replacing him with the experienced Andreas Valdix, "The Bash Brothers" were reunited to cause more mayhem in 2016-17. Steelers failed in their bid to capture the Elite League's first ever three-peat but hit form at just about the right time in the play-off with equally popular French-Canadian Guillaume Desbiens playing a starring role but Nelson was to become the hero in a game which has already become known as probably one of the best games ever.

With Steelers and Cardiff, who were chasing a Grand Slam, locked at 5-5 after regulation time: few would have expected to see what would happen next. One period of 20 minute overtime failed to separate the sides, and we looked certainties to go into a third session as the game ticked past the 94 minute mark. Nelson picked up a pass on the right wing then cut inside before unleashing a superb wrist shot that went over the shoulder of GB internationalist Ben Bowns for his second of the game and seal a play-off triumph for the Steelers. Later on it was revealed that Nelson had played in overtime with the aid of injections and since January with delayed surgery on knee ligaments. Nelson's cult hero status went to a new level altogether.

Nelson iced for a third and final season in 2017-18 but couldn't help the Steelers to retain their play-off title yet posted some more than credible numbers. All in all, Levi played in 206 games for the Steelers and chipped in with 177 points of which 79 were goals. Not bad an effort. As I said at the beginning, his presence will be felt in the new season's roster as he was such a very popular player with fans and team-mates alike. if you're an opposing fan, you can breathe a little bit easier now.

Good luck with the future Levi, once a Steeler - always one.

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Around the EIHL: Edition 6

Welcome again to "Around the EIHL", edition number six this week. As usual we're bringing you the latest signings and departures from all eleven Elite League. All transfers listed are up to and including yesterday, 10 June 2018.

Read on...

We start this as always with the Belfast Giants, and since last week's update there's been no further additions or departures there. However, they'll be working as hard as everyone else to find the right players to don the teal in 2018-19. Next up Braehead Clan, and they've found their starting netminder as Joel Rumpel arrives from the Utah Grizzlies. Wonder if the Purple Army will burst out into a rendition of "Let's Get Ready to Rumpel!" as part of their repertoire of songs next season? Think about it. One arrival at league champions Cardiff Devils, and it's a re-signing as utility man and GB internationalist Josh Batch commits himself to an eighth season in South Wales.

Still no new additions at Coventry Blaze since 16 May, but they've got to be pleased so far who they have on board at the moment. Two re-signings at Dundee Stars, as local boys Kris Inglis and Ben Edmonds are added to Omar Pacha's roster for the season ahead; taking the number signed so far to eleven. Finally though a signing at Fife Flyers, and what a re-signing it is as Evan Bloodoff returns for a second season in Kirkcaldy. A re-signing too at Guildford Flames as Jez Lundin signs a new two-year deal which will on conclusion take him to eleven seasons with the Surrey side.

A new face at Manchester Storm as Ryan Finnerty brings in American Rob Linsmayer from Ligue Magnus side Gap de Rapaces. A new face too for Milton Keynes Lightning as forward David Norris arrives from Arizona State University. Three in and one out at the Nottingham Panthers. Highly rated youngsters Joseph Hazeldine, Josh Tetlow and Jordan Kelsall return for a second campaign whilst defenceman Daniel Spang leaves the Lace City for DEL2 side Löwen Frankfurt. We finish with the Sheffield Steelers of course and it's one in, one out there. Joining is defenceman Josh McFadden who arrives from the University of Guelph whilst there is a major departure in winger Levi Nelson (more on him in another article) who has decided to hang up the skates.

Join us next week for more transfer updates...

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The Elite League Years: 2004-05

Welcome to our look back at the previous Elite League seasons as we chronicle the previous years ahead of the 2018-19 season. This time we look back at 2004-05.

The Elite League, despite the disputes, was back for a second season in 2004. Sheffield Steelers had won the first one thanks to an amazing winning run that saw them finish as champions by a convincing margin at the end. Could they make it back to back titles?

There was one noticeable absentee from that inaugural season, the Manchester Phoenix had failed to agree terms with their landlords for ice time at the, as it was then known, Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena so the Elite League started with just seven member clubs. To fill a few gaps in the fixture list, there was a Crossover Cup which saw the EIHL sides take part in games against teams in the lesser BNL. This didn't count towards the Grand Slam though. With the NHL in lockout, a number of EIHL clubs bolstered their rosters with NHL players: remarkably Belfast, Cardiff and Sheffield didn't feel the need to do so for their own reasons.

Alas Steelers couldn't repeat their exploits of 2003-04, and they had a bad season by their standards finishing 5th out of 7 in the overall rankings. Only London and Basingstoke finished below them. The league trophy was fought out between Belfast and Coventry, with Blaze taking the eventual title by six points from the Northern Irish side. Blaze's successful campaign was inspired by their own dynamic duo; Adam Calder and Dan Carlson plus stellar goaltending from netminder Jody Lehman. Calder and Carlson led the league in points and goals scoring, whilst at the other end of the ice Lehman let in less than two goals a game on average to back stop the Blaze to glory.

The Challenge Cup saw the top two from each qualifying group make the semi-finals. These final four saw the finalists of last season's Challenge Cup be joined by Cardiff again and the impressive Blaze. Coventry edged past the Panthers 5-4 on aggregate in their semi-final; a 2-1 first leg win in the Sky Dome proving decisive as the teams shared a 3-3 tie in the NIC. In the other semi-final, it was a repeat of the semi-final of last season but this time it was the Devils who proved victorious. After a 2-2 draw in Sheffield, Devils won the second 3-1 in Cardiff to book their place in the two-legged Final. Alas that was good as it got for them as Coventry crushed them 6-1 in the first leg at the Sky Dome. Just for good measure, they won the second leg too - winning that by the odd goal in nine to record a 11-5 aggregate triumph.

Like the initial season, the top six made the group stages for the end of season play-offs with the top two in each qualifying for finals weekend. Because of the odd number of teams in the league, Basingstoke were the unfortunate ones to miss out completely. In Group A, Coventry and Nottingham prevailed whilst Cardiff and Sheffield qualified from Group B. In the first semi-final, the Blaze shutout the Steelers 3-0 whilst the Panthers made their second successive play-off final after seeing off the Devils 3-1. Defenceman Neal Martin gave the Blaze the lead but Nick Boynton (one of three NHL players Panthers iced during the lockout) levelled almost immediately. The game ultimately went to overtime, and it was former Panthers winger Ashley Tait who had the last laugh on the team that didn't want him with a winner 115 seconds before the end of the extra period. Grand Slam for the Blaze, the first in Elite League history.

The Panthers represented the league in the Continental Cup, and entered in the second round stage. They were desperately unlucky not to progress, finishing level on points with the Milan Vipers. However, the Vipers progressed to the next stage on goal difference: having a difference of +11 to Paul Adey's Panthers +3. If only they had beaten the Vipers in matchday one... 

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NHL Life: Edition 4

Welcome to the fourth edition of NHL Life, your look at the "Show" across the pond.

He's done it, he's finally done it! After years of trying, Alexander Ovechkin has finally got what he has been craving for: that being his first Stanley Cup ring. The Washington Capitals are the winners of the 2018 Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1, and ending the possibility of a fairytale story.

However, Vegas made the better of the starts in the Final series by winning a goal fest of an opener 6-4. The teams traded goals like it was the Chuckle Brothers playing hockey, before Vegas' Czech forward Tomas Nosek edged them ahead midway through the third period. Nosek then sealed the deal with an empty net strike three seconds before the final buzzer to give his side the perfect start. Was the dream still on?

A closer game happened in game two, Washington levelling the series with a 3-2 win. However, they owed a massive debt of thanks to netminder Braden Holtby who produced a stellar performance in the third period of this game. With the game delicately poised at 3-2 going into that final period, Vegas dominated that but found Holtby a brick wall as he denied every single one of the 15 shots the Golden Knights aimed at him.

As is the format of the Stanley Cup, the teams now headed up to Washington for the next two games. Game three of the series and it was a nervous opener, with the teams having only just 12 shots between them in that opening period. No surprise it ended scoreless. Yet the talismanic Ovechkin broke the tie early in the middle twenty, a lead that was then doubled midway through. Nosek's third goal in the Finals series made it a one goal game but with just over 6 minutes left in this game, a Vegas mistake was seized on and Devante Smith-Pelly scored the Caps' third and seal the game.

Game four, could the Golden Knights ride back into contention or would the Capitals push them towards elimination? It certainly looked bleak for Vegas as the Caps roared into a 4-0 lead by the end of the second period but two goals without reply had the visitors back in contention. However, the Caps found another gear to score two unanswered strikes of their own to win the game 6-2 and leave them one game away from glory.

Was game five to be the conclusion? The first period was scoreless just like game three but the deadlock was broken at 26:24 by the Capitals, yet the period ended with the Golden Knights in the ascendancy: taking a 3-2 lead with one period left to play. Two goals in two and a half minutes midway through this final period however turned the game on its head and pushed the Capitals into the lead. Try as they might the Golden Knights couldn't get back on parity and after 44 seasons of trying, the Washington Capitals crowned Stanley Cup winners for the first time.

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SIGNING NEWS: Steelers add McFadden

Another signing article as one of the big four adds to their blue line corps.

This morning the Sheffield Steelers added a new face to their team plans for 2018-19 when they added Canadian defenceman Josh McFadden to the blue line.

McFadden, despite being only 27, has lots of experience in his career despite being only in his late 20's. He joins the Steelers after spending the last two seasons at the University of Guelph where he was studying after taking a year out of hockey in 2015-16. He therefore gives the impression of a very intelligent hockey player.

McFadden was signed by the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL once he had completed his junior hockey and made 32 appearances for them over three seasons. He does possess extensive experience in the ECHL with 120 games at that level and has scored 15 goals and 46 points overall for the Cincinatti Cyclones during that spell. This indicates he is a very creative player and with statistics like this then he should be good for a good number of points in Steelers colours.

Then came his year out of hockey, before heading home to Guelph (same hometown as former Steelers netminder Frank Doyle) to spend those years at university and play hockey alongside his studies. In those two seasons, Josh had 44 points (13 goals) in just 54 games. This is equally impressive too. He stands 6'1 tall and is a good size at 201lbs so will be noticeable when on the ice. Now his studies are done, it's time for Josh to get back to playing professional hockey and we look forward to seeing him play.

Welcome to Sheffield Josh.

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