Dundee Stars v Sheffield Steelers: Deveaux shown the door as Steelers look to shoot down Stars yet again

YOU'RE UP: Teenage defenceman Cole Shudra is likely to see plenty of ice time at Dundee Stars on Wednesday night, says head coach Paul Thompson. Picture: Dean Woolley.

Thanks to the new 'club call' system introduced by Elite League bosses this season - whereby the top seeds get to choose who their opponent will be in the last eight - No 1 seeds the Steelers chose to face Dundee Stars, an understandable decision given the Tayside strugglers are a team they have enjoyed a 100 per cent success over so far this season.

In what will be the last regular season meeting of the season between the two sides the Steelers will aim to build on Sunday's bounce back 3-1 win against Coventry Blaze by replicating the 5-2 road victory they enjoyed at Dundee on October 15.

And while they can expect a chillier than normal reception given yesterday's decision to pick the Stars as their Cup quarter-final opponent, the Steelers will also have to contend with being two bodies down from the roster which competed at the weekend.

Zack Fitzgerald is still waiting to discover whether he has suffered a fractured jaw after losing several teeth when taking a puck to the face against the Blaze on Sunday, while head coach Paul Thompson yesterday jettisoned former NHL forward Andre Deveaux, after less than five weeks at the club.

It means there are now opportunities for 'spare' import forward Brady Ramsay to make himself a regular starter, with teenage defenceman Cole Shudra set for a regular shift tonight.

"When you pick a team in this way, it riles them up a little bit and we're heading up to theirs 24 hours after we made our choice," said Thompson. "We certainly won't be taking them lightly either on Wednesday or in the quarter-final. But you've got to go with who you've done well against statistically and that's why we went the way we did.

"Regardless of what the scorelines have been previously, this is a different night altogether. They beat Cardiff a couple of weeks ago up there and we've got to make sure we don't go the same way."

WHO ME? Andre Deveaux's short spell with Sheffield Steelers has been brought to an end by head coach, Paul Thompson. Picture: Dean Woolley.

On the departure of Deveaux, who made a total of 11 appearances for the Steelers in which he registered three goals and four assists, Thompson said: "Sometimes you get a fit and sometimes you don't - it's really nothing against Andre.

"It just didn't fit and I spoke to Andre about it, he's a great guy and I wished him all the best. He has been superb with me the whole way through. Obviously it's not a nice thing to hear and nobody likes to be told that they are moving on, but it's the business we're in."

Thompson said he was in no rush to replace Deveaux given his priority now lies at shoring up his back line given Joonas Ronnberg's departure last month and the indefinite loss of Fitzgerald.

He added: "We're working very hard to bringing bodies in. I don't know whether there will be somebody in before the weekend, I hope so. We're not looking to replace Andre at this point, we're looking for a defenceman.

"We've got a big, tough week coming up, starting in Dundee and we're pretty light on the back end and that is a worry right now."

Challenge Cup Quarter-final draw: Sheffield Steelers vs Dundee Stars, Milton Keynes Lightning vs Nottingham Panthers, Belfast Giants vs Fife Flyers, Cardiff Devils vs Guildford Flames.