Aaron Fox confident Sheffield Steelers will quickly follow his lead

The 43-year-old is piecing together a new-look Steelers’ roster for the 2019-20 campaign as he looks to find the formula that will challenge dominant rivals Belfast Giants and Cardiff Devils and end the South Yorkshire club’s wait for a first piece of silverware since 2017.

Fox spent five-and-half seasons as sporting director for Croatia’s Medvescak Zagreb, including four seasons in the KHL.

The last 12 months or so of Fox’s time in Zagreb saw him combine coaching duties before his departure in December last year.

He will be combining both areas again in Sheffield and, while he has less experience behind the bench than in a GM role recruiting players, Fox is confident his team will adapt to his coaching style.

“I’m a communicator, that is what I’ve always been,” said Fox.

“I think that’s the way coaching is going these days. Every player is different, every guy needs to be pushed in different directions and motivated in different ways. I think yellers and screamers have kind of fallen by the wayside now.

“Players are going to make mistakes, I’m going to make mistakes but, at the end of the day, it’s my work ethic and I know for a fact that the guys will want to play for me.”

One player Fox will be without next season is defenceman Mark Matheson, who has switched to arch-rivals Nottingham Panthers as player-assistant coach, the same role he had during the second of his two years in Sheffield.

Matheson will join up with former Steelers’ team-mate Tim Wallace, the 34-year-old forward having been appointed as the Panthers’ head coach last month.