Sheffield Steeldogs ready to embrace NIHL National Cup semi-final pressure against Peterborough Phantoms

Now he is aiming to repeat the experience with Sheffield Steeldogs but, in order to do so, he needs to end his former team’s hopes at the semi-final stage.

If one person knows what makes the Phantoms tick, it will be Koulikov, having spent more than 11 seasons behind the bench there.

During that time, he enjoyed a number of successes, winning the play-off crown in 2013-14 in the English Premier League era, a trick he repeated two years ago in the NIHL National post-season when beating Leeds Knights 4-3 after a shoot-out.

A year earlier, he had beaten the same opponents over two memorable legs to lift the National Cup - the team’s first trophy since the UK second-tier underwent its NIHL National rebrand in 2019.

After being denied retaining their play-off crown in Coventry last April by Milton Keynes Lightning - who romped to a 6-1 victory - Koulikov brought the curtain down on an enjoyable period in Cambridgeshire, enticed to South Yorkshire to take on the challenge of making the the Steeldogs a force to be reckoned with, backed by the might of Elite League neighbours and parent club, Sheffield Steelers.

So far, Koulikov’s presence has had the desired effect, helped in no small part by a major overhaul of the roster.

They sit second in the regular season league standings with a genuine chance of finishing top, but the National Cup represents the team’s first chance to lift silverware.

Waiting in the final already are Leeds, who overturned a one-goal deficit against Swindon Wildcats by winning 3-0 on home ice last Friday.

If the Steeldogs are going to lift the trophy - they finished top of the qualification group and got to pick the Phantoms as their opponents - they are going to have to do it the hard way.

Koulikov wouldn’t want it any other way.

“It’s always a priority to be in the running for every trophy and the first one on the line is the National Cup,” said Koulikov.

“We obviously did a great job in the qualification, finished top of the group and now we’re on the big stage.

“It’s an exciting time for the whole organisation - the players are excited, as are the staff, the fans and we are really looking forward to it.

“At the end of the day, if you don’t rise to this sort of occasion, you shouldn’t be here and everyone on both teams knows that.

“It will be a battle, it will be a war - these kind of games are hard, they are meant to be. You just have to embrace it and get on with it.”

Both teams are packed with potential match-winners, for the Steeldogs there are import forwards Bair Gendunov and Walker Sommer, along with British winger Kyle Watson, who has excelled after being persuaded home after several years in North America on a two-way deal with the Steeldogs and Steelers.

But the Phantoms - coached by former Steelers and GB forward Ashley Tait - have plenty of firepower of their own, most notably a top line many consider to be the league’s best in the shape of imports Cameron Hough and Janne Laakkonen and British winger, Luke Ferrara.

It is a combination that Koulikov put together in 2024-25 and one which Tait has continued to run with this season, Ferrara is the league’s top points-scorer with 65 in 33 games, while Hough has more goals than anyone else with 39.

“You have to contain them, you have to be aware when they are on the ice because they can change the game at any moment,” said Koulikov.

“I obviously worked with them last year and they clearly have very good chemistry.

“All three of them are very dynamic, they work really well as a line and, most importantly, they never give up which is why they are so successful - they have that mentality never to give up until the final buzzer and the game is done.”