Adam Rockwood heads to Sheffield Steelers aiming to 'create' silverware success
ADAM ROCKWOOD will be hoping it proves to be third time lucky after finally securing a move to Sheffield Steelers.
The 30-year-old Canadian centre had twice previously spoken to Steelers’ head coach Aaron Fox in the past year about making the switch to the Elite League without anything coming of it.
But a third attempt at getting a deal done has proved successful this summer, helped somewhat by Steelers’ American defenceman Brien Diffley, who played alongside Rockwood at Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the ECHL in 2019-20 before both made the move to different locations in Europe.
The friendship built between the two over the years, coupled with Diffley’s positive words about the Steelers and Rockwood’s own research into a possible move to South Yorkshire, has ensured the two will play alongside each other for a second time in 2026-27.
"I came very close to signing last season and then spoke with the club again during the season,” said Rockwood, who finished last season playing for BIK Karlskoga in Sweden’s second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan.
“But I guess timing is everything and this just felt like the right moment to make the move.
"Everything I've seen and everything I've been told points to Sheffield being an amazing place to play. The facilities are first class, the fans are incredible and, most importantly, I'm joining a team that has the quality to win hockey games.
"Diff is one of my best friends and we've stayed in touch ever since we played together. We spoke a lot throughout my conversations with Foxy and he had nothing but positive things to say about the club and the city.
"Whenever I'm looking at joining a team, one of the first things I look at is how many players want to come back year after year. Seeing so many familiar faces returning tells you everything you need to know about the organisation and the environment they've built here."
Rockwood’s move to the UK brings him his fifth European destination in his hockey career, having first made the move from North American by joining HockeyAllsvenskan’s MODO Hockey.
A short spell in Finland’s Liiga preceded his first taste of Slovakia with HK Nitra in 2021-22 before a return to Sweden with AIK.
He then spent a season with Innsbruck in ICEHL before two further seasons in Slovakia’s top tier split between Dukla Michalovce, Spisska Nova Ves and Presov before finishing the season in Sweden at Karlskoga.
Throughout his career, Rockwood’s numbers suggest he is more of a set-up guy than a natural goalscorer, something he backs with his own words.
"I'm a pass-first centreman,” he added. “I like to be creative, hold onto the puck and try to open up the ice for my line-mates. If I can put team-mates into good scoring positions, then that's what I want to do.
"I'm a good skater, I compete hard every shift and I like to think I play a strong two-way game. Being responsible defensively is just as important to me as producing offensively."
Steelers’ boss Fox believes Rockwood will prove to be a good fit for the team he has put together for the 2026-27 Elite League season - one where the club are looking to win their first piece of silverware since 2024’s treble.
"Adam is a high-end playmaking centre who plays with an edge and executes at a really high level, whether that's in open ice or in tight traffic areas,” said Fox.
"He's produced strong numbers everywhere he's played in Europe and he's a highly competitive player who wants to win. We think he's going to fit into our group really well."