'No pressure' as Sam Tremblay returns to try and help Sheffield Steelers find that winning feeling again
But don’t expect that to be an issue for Canadian forward Sam Tremblay.
The 29-year-old is back in South Yorkshire for a second year, having started his time there last September as part of the Sheffield Steeldogs roster before finishing it with near-neighbours the Steelers.
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Hide AdHis late addition shortly before the February transfer deadline couldn’t quite help the Steelers keep hold of any of their trophies from the previous year’s treble-winning campaign, but it proved he belonged at the top level of the UK game.


That much had already been proven after impressing during the 2023-24 season at Manchester Storm, his move to Ice Sheffield coming about in part because of his need to be closer to Loughborough University where he is studying for a Phd in Manufacturing, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, fittingly related to hockey sticks and sponsored by hockey equipment manufacturer, CCM.
But while he is clearly thinking about life outside or after playing hockey, his immediate focus is firmly fixed on helping the Steelers return to winning ways in 2025-26 - a challenge he is clearly relishing.
“Coming back, winning is what we’re trying to do,” Tremblay told The Yorkshire Post from his Pittsburgh home. “It’s very exciting for me to come back into a team that has that winning mentality, where the ultimate goal is to win all the time.
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Hide Ad“And I don’t see it as pressure, every game I see as something I need to win, I want to win it. I know other guys might feel differently about pressure, the pressure of winning and stuff like that but, I’ve always thrived in such situations. I enjoy it and so don’t really shy away from it.


“Every fanbase wants their team to win, it’s not like they don’t want it any less in Manchester or anywhere else.
“The expectation in Sheffield is probably greater, but I don’t see that as a negative, it doesn’t give me more nerves or anything like that.
“I see it as passion and a positive and that shows when you’re on the ice and you get the support from people.”
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Hide AdTremblay impressed when added to the Steelers’ Champions Hockey League roster before Christmas and once again when added on a full-time basis.
In all, Tremblay posted nine goals and 10 assists in 28 appearances across all competitions for the Steelers, more than enough for head coach Aaron Fox to offer him a further one-year deal.
Before his switch to the Steelers, he led the way in scoring for the Steeldogs’, recording 30 goals and 40 assists in just 45 appearances.
“Trembs is a tone setter and just a guy who plays hard every night and leads by example with how consistently good and responsible his game is,” said Fox.
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Hide Ad"He plays a bit of an old-school game of finishing hits and being hard to play against. Sam is a relentless 200-foot player that good teams need and we were definitely a better hockey team when he was in the lineup for us last year.”