Glasgow Clan v Sheffield Steelers - Aaron Fox's hunch over Mitchell Balmas proving well-founded

Back in late August, it appeared as if the Sheffield Steelers’ head coach was settled on the personnel he was assembling to try and land the much-coveted Elite League title that has proved elusive since Paul Thompson delivered it back in 2016.

During Fox’s four years at the helm, he has come close, two second-place finishes – including the Covid-shortened 2019-20 campaign – before last season’s third-place finish behind and Guildford Flames and three-time champions Belfast Giants.

On each occasion, a promising position for the Steelers has fallen by the wayside and while nobody is wishing to tempt fate, the current campaign – so far – feels a touch different.

One of the chief reasons behind that has been the form of Balmas, who after a brief lull in his points production has exploded into life, leading the Steelers’ scoring over the last eight games with 16 points, six of them goals.

But the 25-year-old is just one part of a forward line also comprising Marc-Olivier Vallerand and captain Robert Dowd that has helped drive the Steelers 10 points clear at the top of the Elite League standings ahead of tonight’s trip to Scotland to take on the Glasgow Clan.

Balmas was a key figure in Wednesday night’s impressive 5-1 win at second-placed Cardiff Devils, helping set up the Steelers’ first two goals for Vallerand before slotting home the third himself.

It was close to being so different, however, with Fox having given up on landing Balmas when it appeared his future lay in the AHL, where he iced for Iowa Wild 34 times last season.

But as soon as Fox learned Balmas was available again, he moved quickly, even if it meant he would run with an extra import.

It’s a move that has paid off handsomely so far, for both club and player.

“Mitch is a guy I worked pretty hard on all summer long and I didn’t think it was going to come to fruition at one point,” said Fox. “Then the agent reached back out kind of at the last minute and we wanted to find a way to make sure we could get him in because I felt all along that he would be a premium player for our league.

“He’s come in and definitely been very dynamic. A top-six guy for us, great on the power play, makes plays, a team-first guy and just a very unselfish player.

“Him, Dowdy and Vally are running hot right now, I think Balms has got 13 in the last six, Valley has got 13 in his last eight, Dowdy’s up too and leading our team in goals right now.

“So we’ve got a pretty good one-two punch at the moment and we’re getting scoring and contributions from all over.”

Steelers head to Scotland on a nine-game winning streak. They have lost just three league games all season, all by the odd goal on home ice and one in overtime.

One of those losses was at the hands of the Clan, currently sat in fifth spot and who welcome the Steelers having won 4-3 after a shoot-out at Dundee Stars on Wednesday night.

The two meet again on Saturday night at the Utilita Arena (face-off 7pm) where only a few hundred tickets remain available.