Cranston boost for Steelers’ birthday party

Cranston, now 48 and living back home in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will join the likes of Ron Shudra, Tommy Plommer, Mike Blaisdell and Wayne Cowley in a ‘legends’ game against the Cardiff Devils on Saturday, August 27.

During a five-year spell with the club between 1993-98, Canadian-born Cranston played 445 games and scored 178 goals. He was an integral part of the team that won the 1996 grand slam and is regarded by many Steelers’ fans from that time as the heartbeat of a team seen as the most successful in the club’s history.

“When the club came to me with this idea I just couldn’t refuse,” said Cranston, who “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for that club.

“I had an incredible five years there and loved every minute. I had a special bond with the fans. They took to me, they liked how I played and they could see how much I and the other guys on that team cared for them and the Steelers jersey.

“The club has had some highs and lows since we all left, so anything we can do as former players to raise the profile and get people back interested in the Steelers we will do. The players of that era really cared and we haven’t lost that.”

Other names from the Steelers’ past, who will take part in a special exhibition match against a team of Cardiff Devils’ legends at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena, will be announced over the coming weeks.

As well as the legends game in the afternoon, the current Steelers’ team, who won the regular season championship last season, will play a ‘friendly’ against the Cardiff Devils, who they pipped to the title in March.

The game, even though being billed as a friendly, has been given extra spice due to the fact former Devils captain Ryan Finnerty - himself a former Steelers’ favourite - is now player-coach of the South Yorkshire club after returning from an 18-month spell in South Wales to succeed fellow rookie-coach Ben Simon, who quit the club after just one season.

Another element guaranteed to add to the rivalry on the day is that Devils owner Paul Ragan is also co-owner of the Steelers, although he recently decided to concentrate his attention on the South Wales club after Rink Corp - the operating company for both clubs - recently went into voluntary liquidation.

Before the exhibition games, on-ice action will begin earlier in the day on the Arena ice when a number of youth teams show their skills in a series of matches.

Tickets, priced between £5.00-22.50, can be purchased from the Motorpoint (Sheffield) Arena Box Office: 0114 256 5656.