Ryan Tait finds his way at Sheffield Steelers ahead of latest reunion with Guildford Flames
RYAN TAIT admits to mixed emotions when it comes to playing former club Guildford Flames - ahead of a third meeting with them this season.
The Steelers host the Flames for the first time in the 2026-27 Motorpoint Elite League as part of a two-game weekend in the Challenge Cup group phase.
The Steelers first take on another of their Group A rivals on Saturday night in Nottingham Panthers - who they replaced at the top of the standings with a 4-3 victory at Manchester Storm last Sunday in which Tait scored a 59th-minute game-winner.
But while all focus will be on the long-standing rivalry between the Steelers and the Panthers down in the East Midlands, 30-year-old Tait may be forgiven for having one eye on facing off against the team he excelled for over three seasons from 2022-25, scoring 79 goals and 116 assists in 204 appearances.
“It's mixed emotions,” admitted California-born Tait. “I think last year was a little bit more mixed emotions, because I’d spent three years there.
“I know a lot of good people down there and their organisation treated me very well. But I do want to win those games obviously and they're playing really good hockey right now, like we gotta be.
“We're obviously going to be fired up for Saturday, it's our biggest rivals, it's the derby, we know that, but also Sunday, we need to get some payback on them, and they're a good hockey team so we gotta be ready to come out, and play hard, and execute.”
That ‘payback’ Tait speaks of is in relation to the Steelers suffering a 7-4 defeat at Guildford in league action back on September 23. Ten days earlier, the Steelers headed home from the Flames’ Spectrum pad having won 5-4 after a shoot-out in the first Cup meeting between the two this season.
Steelers’ head coach Aaron Fox has hailed the way Tait has begun the current campaign, posting six goals and three assists in 11 league and cup appearances - continuing the good form he showed towards the end of the 2025-26 season.
Tait is also pleased with his contributions so far.
“I think anytime you go to a new team, you have to adjust, and I definitely went through an adjustment period,” added Tait. “But now, knowing the system, knowing how we wanna play, and using my strengths within that system, I think I've found my way.
“And also, I'm surrounded by good players here, from top to bottom and this year especially, I'm forming some good chemistry with my centerman, Adam Rockwood, and just building off of that.
“Yeah, the end of the year last year was nice, and I think that gave me confidence for this year, too, knowing I can execute at a high level.”