Sheffield Steelers ease into Champions Hockey League last 16 and date with Liam Kirk after win over Dynamo Pardubice

History was made at the Utilita Arena on Wednesday night as the Steelers qualified for the knockout phase of the Champions Hockey League for the first time ever. And it was no more than they deserved.

By contrast, visitors Dynamo Pardubice - regular season champions of Czechia’s Extraliga in 2023-24 and CHL quarter-finalists last time around - crashed out, beaten 3-2 after a penalty shoot-out and failing to make the top 16 of the regular season standings.

In the end, it was left to Mitchell Balmas to secure the win on the night, even though results elsewhere earlier in the evening meant the Steelers’ passage had already been secured before the first puck drop.

They are now set to face-off against former favourite Liam Kirk, who went on to become a NHL Draft Pick and who helped his Eisbaren Berlin team through to qualification by scoring in their 8-0 win over Denmark’s SønderjyskE Vojens.

Regardless of what had occurred earlier, the hosts came out and played the same kind of fearless hockey that had already brought them to the brink of qualification, taking on a Pardubice side who came into the game with everything on the line

It was the Steelers who made all the early running, though, Marc-Olivier Vallerand denied from close range in the second minute, before Colton Saucerman forced a sharp save from Roman Will in the visitors’ net.

Mark Simpson also went close, denied by Will’s outstretched left leg and the Steelers could count themselves unlucky not to be ahead when the teams went in at the first break.

But that situation deservedly changed less than five minutes into the second period when Daniel Leavens quickly switched play from right to left to Mikko Juusola, who was hovering mid-circle from where he beat Will low down to his right shoulder for a 1-0 lead at 24.42.

Just after the halfway mark, though, Pardubice were level, good work from Vít Macek down low enabling Daniel Rákos to calmly steer the puck home to the right of Matt Greenfield at 31.16.

It wasn’t long before the Steelers were ahead again and it was a corker when it came, Balmas picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, sped towards the top of the left circle from where he unleashed an unstoppable shot into Will’s top left-hand corner at 35.45.

The visitors got themselves level just 44 seconds after the restart when Tomáš Zohorna broke free down the right and cut inside but it was the Steelers who created the greater pressure and clearer chances in the remainder of the third period.

Despite enjoying considerable late pressure, they somehow couldn’t find a way past Will for a third time, prompting a somewhat lacklustre overtime - save for a Greenfield double-save near the end - which meant a shootout was required.

Vallerand and Juusola both found the net for the Steelers before sudden-death arrived, Matej Paulovič missing for Pardubice before Balmas - who had earlier missed - stepped up for a second time to produce another bit of shootout magic, ensuring the Steelers finished 10th overall and facing a reunion with their former apprentice and his Berlin team-mates.