Sheffield Steelers boss Aaron Fox happy with his lot after flying start to Elite League campaign

While clearly very early on in the campaign - the Steelers have made a habit in recent years of flying out the traps before fading down the home straight - there are more than enough reasons to be cheerful for the Steelers’ head coach.

In the regular season Elite League standings, they sit top, two points clear of Nottingham Panthers, who have a game in hand. The Belfast Giants sit two points further back with three games in hand and - no longer with the distraction of European competition in the Champions Hockey League - can now fully concentrate on retaining their crown.

The Giants have the only remaining unbeaten record in the league, a record they can also boast in the Challenge Cup, in which they have won all six of their group games.

The Steelers - beaten only once in the league this season, at home to Cardiff Devils - also have a 100 per cent record in their Cup group.

But it is the league where the priorities lie for the top teams, with the Steelers gunning for their first championship since 2016, when Paul Thompson was head coach.

Belfast, by comparison, are going for a fourth straight league crown.

Steelers have a clear midweek for the first time in three weeks, with Fox giving his players an extra day off following their 5-0 home win over Fife Flyers on Sunday.

So far, Fox’s team have avoided any serious injury issues, aside from the usual niggles, and while their turn will surely come in that area at some point during the 2023-24 campaign, the Steelers’ chief is enjoying the fruits of his labours over the summer hen he put together his current roster.

It is a roster which includes an extra import – forward Kameron Kielly sat out against Fife – and a back-up import goalie in Anthony Morrone, who gave first-choice Matt Greenfield a deserved night off in Saturday’s 4-1 Cup win at Nottingham.

“It’s hard to look up and down my line-up right now and find any disappointment,” said Fox, whose team return to action at home this Saturday against Nottingham in the Challenge Cup. “It’s been really good.

“We’re deep, we’re playing four lines right now and there’s no match up that I don’t like in our group – we’re starting to come together really nicely.”