Aaron Fox hails positive influence of Sheffield Steelers Jonathan Phillips

As far as the Steelers' head coach is concerned, it isn't just about what his on-ice lieutenant brings to the team in the heat of battle, it is as much about the qualities he brings to the club off the ice.

Coming into the Steelers organisation as head coach last Spring, Fox liaised with Phillips regularly to get a feel for the kind of team he would be inheriting and their relationship has gone from strength to strength.

But, while Phillips may not be the kind of loud, brash leader often associated with winning teams, Fox knows he the 37-year-old winger possesses the requisite leadership qualities to continue in the 'C' role for the Steelers for at least another year.

"With Jonno, for me it is about what he brings on off the ice," said Fox after it was confirmed on Tuesday morning that he would be back to play alongside fellow Brits Davey Phillips and Robert Dowd for the 2020-21 Elite League season.

"He’s the captain for a reason. He puts the time in, the work in. The passion is there, there is just not much more you could ask for out of a guy.

"For me, his fitness levels are at an elite level, he doesn’t lose many footraces on the ice, he doesn’t lose many workouts in the gym against anybody, no matter what age they are.

"He’s not the most vocal leader, he’s more the kind who shows others what he can do and then those others try and emulate that. Everyone leads differently and that is his way of leading. I’m just really happy to have him back."

Under Fox, Phillips proved he was not too old to add other roles to his skill-set, often having to jump lines in order to get ice time, something Fox admitted he found difficult to find for the GB international at times during his first season in charge.

"I put him up and down the line-up last year - there were times he was playing on our first line, there were nights where he was playing on our fourth line and a whole bunch in between," added Fox.

"He’s the first guy over the boards on the penalty kill for me, sometimes we played him at centre and we did a lot of work on his face-offs throughout the year and he improved that side of his game.

"He’s just one of those guys in my line-up who I absolutely know what I’m getting from, someone I know I’ll get 120 per cent from him every night, he can play a heavy, hard, fast game for me and he’s reliable which is what you need from a player."

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