Sheffield Steelers signify Champions Hockey League intentions with stunning win over Sweden's Vaxjo Lakers

A 3-2 against the odds victory in overtime at the Vida Arena on Saturday came as the result of a seriously impressive performance by Aaron Fox’s team.

For the most part, Elite League clubs have struggled to make a lasting impact on the CHL since its inception back in 2014 – Nottingham Panthers being the only team to make it out of the group phase back in 2017.

This could be the year that sees another British team achieve that – and maybe more.

As on Thursday in Switzerland, the Steelers stunned their hosts by taking an early lead, again it came from the stick of Daniel Leavens – quickly proving to be another astute signing by Fox – who steered the puck home from close range after a clever feed from Mitchell Balmas.

Rocked by going behind after just 69 seconds, Vaxjo – SHL champions in 2023 and CHL runners-up in 2017 – were left further frustrated when they went in at the end of the first still trailing.

It wasn’t until just after the halfway point that they managed to pull level, benefitting from a high sticking call on Steelers’ Daniel Ciampini with Dennis Rasmussen redirecting from in front and past an unsighted Matt Greenfield at 30.44.

But Ciampini was quick to atone, less than two more minutes having elapsed when he picked up a loose puck before firing a rocket into Emil Larmi’s top left-hand corner from the top of the left circle.

Again the hosts got themselves back in the game and were level through another deflection from in front when Filip Eriksson cleverly redirected Eric Martinsson’s shot over the left shoulder of Greenfield with the third period just 19 seconds old.

Throughout, the Steelers gave as good as they got and fully deserved to take something from the game.

Assured of that when they took the game into 3-on-3 overtime, they then went one better when – on a 4-on-3 power play after Vaxjo’s Brian Cooper was called for tripping – Robert Dowd burst down the right before looking up and finding Marc Olivier-Vallerand bursting into the zone, the Canadian receiving the puck before steadying himself and firing a bullet past Larmi for a stunning and historic win.

The Steelers will now hope home advantage can help them build on their heroics against Vaxjo when they welcome Sparta Prague to the Utilita Arena on Friday night and further their ambitions of making it out of the CHL ‘regular season’.

Two days later, they face another Swedish test when they host Skellefteå AIK.