How fans and former players showed their support for Sheffield Steeldogs

On the back of a fast-growing online #letdogsplay campaign to back their participation in the 2023-24 season of the NIHL National league – something they have been a member of since its inception in 2019 – around 700 hockey fans turned up at Ice Sheffield to watch the Steeldogs take to the ice for the first time since losing the semi-final of the 2022-23 play-offs to Raiders IHC in Coventry back in mid-April.

Normally, such an event would attract just a handful of people, but this time, fans were in greater attendance after their ire had been stoked when other NIHL National team owners reportedly blocked an attempt by owners Ali Cree and Roger Williams to sell the club to Tony Smith, who owns neighbouring Elite League outfit Shefield Steelers.

Former Steeldogs players Cole Shudra, Liam Kirk and Robert Dowd joined the training session to show their support for their old team, while fans from rival teams including Hull Seahawks and Leeds Knights also made the journey, along with some Steelers’ supporters.

As it stands, a final decision on the Steeldogs’ status is still to be made, but it is hoped a statement will appear before the end of the week – hopefully to the satisfaction of Cree, Williams, as well as their players and their fans.

"It's great that fans have organised this so quickly and come out in such great numbers,” said Williams. “It’s amazing to have fans from Hull and from Leeds who have travelled to show their support along with so many Steelers and Dogs fans.

"It means a lot to us as owners as well as showing the coaches and players how much this club means to them and the wider hockey community."

The training session provided an opportunity for the club to make a number of announcements that it had held off doing for a number of weeks because of the seeming impasse over their future.

As has long been expected, former Steelers’ forward and one-time Hull Pirates’ player-coach Jason Hewitt was officially announced as the man to succeed Greg Wood behind the bench, taking over as player-coach for next season.

Player signings have been a rarity for the team, too, recently, but they were able to announce their biggest of the summer so far when it was confirmed that Hewitt would be reunited with his former Steelers’ team-mate and close friend, Jonathan Phillips.

The 40-year-old former Great Britain and Steelers captain announced his retirement only last season, but it was always likely he would continue to play in some capacity in 2023-24.

The fact he will team up with his former colleague again – should everything go through as hoped by all at Ice Sheffield - then it should make for an exciting combination in the second tier moving forward.

Further positives came in the shape of forwards James Spurr and Charlie Thompson being announced as returning, along with experienced D-pair Lee Haywood and Tim Smith. Former Milton Keynes Lightning netminder Dan Crowe will also be on board for the new campaign.