Sheffield Steelers coach Aaron Fox prepared to play waiting game over summer recruitment

So far, the Steelers have announced 10 players this summer, with Fox revealing more players have been signed with a handful of spots still open.

The Steelers’ head coach believes his team have got younger compared to last season, but says he is having to be patient with filling the remaining spots as players look for work in higher-level leagues around Europe.

“It’s still a waiting game, it’s still a process,” said Fox, not long returned from a three-week holiday back home in North America. “Last year, after September, the well was bled dry, there were not very many players available. I felt like throughout the summer that there were a good core of guys available.

“This year you still have those guys who aren’t looking to come to the UK yet, they are still looking to play in Austria or Germany or Czech Repulbic - places like that where they are still waiting to get one of the last few jobs that are available.

“And so for us, we’ll be a little bit patient with the last few signings and make sure we get it right and find the right guys.

“It was July when we signed Daine Todd last year and it was a similar situation where he was looking for things outside of the UK and once he became available we were able to get a deal done for us.

Yesterday saw the complete EIHL schedule released for next season, with Fox expecting another step forward in terms of the overall quality of the UK’s top tier.

“It’s got better as a whole over the last four or five years and next week there will hopefully be a good group of talent that comes in and continues that trend,” said Fox.