Fixtures out for Steelers and Stingrays

Ryan Finnerty - who still has to finalise his roster for the 2012-13 campaign - will begin his first season as a non-playing coach against his former club at Sheffield Arena on Saturday, September 8.

All eight of the Steelers’ September league fixtures will, in fact, be against fellow ‘South’ conference teams, with three games against Coventry Blaze, two each against Nottingham Panthers and Cardiff, as well as a home game against reigning regular season champions Belfast Giants on September 23.

It represents a tough start to the season for the Steelers – last season’s runners-up. The first eagerly-anticipated clash with arch-rivals Nottingham will be on Saturday, September 22, with Corey Neilson bringing his side to Sheffield Arena for the first time the following week.

A Challenge Cup meeting with Yorkshire rivals Hull Stingrays will also be staged in the opening month of the season, but the Steelers’ first league game against a ‘Northern’ conference team - of which Hull are part - won’t be until Sunday, October 7 when they welcome Braehead Clan to Ice Sheffield.

In the new conference system, teams will play teams in their own conference eight times - four home and four away - while facing-off against teams from the other conference four times (twice at home and twice away).

Hull, under new owner Bobby McEwan, will kick off their campaign with a Challenge Cup tie at home to holders Nottingham Panthers on September 8.

Sylvain Cloutier’s new-look team will have to wait a further week to start their league campaign when they travel to Dundee Stars on September 16. Edinburgh Capitals provide the first taste of league action at Hull Arena the following Saturday.

The Stingrays will welcome Belfast to East Yorkshire in what will mark their first game against a southern conference team on Sunday, October 7.

“I like the new league format,” said Stingrays’ owner McEwan. “There will be more competitive games and our goal will be to win our conference.

“It is a great way to start the season against the Panthers. They are the Cup holders and a top team and it will be packed here.

“The way the Challenge Cup is set up this season gives us a chance of making the quarter-finals and that is something we will be looking to do.”

On November 10-11, the league is scheduled to take a break for the weekend due to numerous players competing for the Great Britain national team in the Olympic pre-qualification tournament held in Japan.

For the full Sheffield Steelers fixture list go HERE

For details of Hull Stingrays’ 2012-13 fixture list go HERE