THE route to becoming a professional hockey player may have been longer for Mark Simpson compared to others, but he doesn’t regret taking his time to get there.

The 6ft 5ins centre is heading to South Yorkshire to take up with Sheffield Steelers in the Elite League. It will mark the start of Simpson’s fourth year as a pro.

Sheffield Steelers: How familiar faces helped Mark Simpson choose an Elite Leagu...

By the age of 28, which Simpson only reached in April, some players are already thinking about getting out of the game and moving on to a different career entirely.

But Simpson is just getting going and his willingness to put in the hard yards should stand him in good stead once he turns up at the Utilita Arena come August.

After three years of junior hockey in the QMJHL at Moncton Wildcats and Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Simpson – aged 21 – then opted to pursue his education, while maintaining his development on the ice.

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Four years of USports hockey followed for New Brunswick University - in his home state - then it was time for the left-handed Canadian forward to take the plunge.

LEARNING PROCESS: Mark Simpson, pictured in action for Stockton Heat in the AHL - the team has now relocated to Canada as the Calgary Wranglers, the affiliate to the NHL's Calgary Flames. Picture courtesy of Calgary Wranglers.

Impressively - including to Steelers’ head coach Aaron Fox when casting his eye over Simpson’s resume - he secured an AHL contract with Calgary Flames affiliate Stockton Heat in California.

To make his transition even harder, his first season was affected by the global pandemic, as he found himself playing a shortened 2020-21 season in empty arenas.

The 2021-22 campaign saw the return of crowds and a fuller schedule as Simpson flourished in the North American second tier.

It was then that he opted to move to Europe, initially joining KalPa in Finland’s elite Liiga and while that may not have been the ideal fit, a move to IceHL outfit Asiago in Italy proved much more comfortable, where he found himself playing under former Steelers’ head coach Tom Barrasso.

IN THE THICK OF IT: Canadian centre Mark Simpson hopes to make a sizeable impact once he joins Sheffield Steelers for the 2023-24 Elite League campaign

Now with the Steelers, Simpson is keen to return to the more productive days - at least in terms of points - of his youth, confident he has the kind of two-way game which will bring success at both ends of the ice under Fox.

“I definitely took the longer route to pro hockey but the Canadian University (USports) league has grown a lot and produced an awful lot of strong players over the years,” Simpson told The Yorkshire Post.

“I felt that was the best career path for me, to not only to play and continue my hockey development but also to get my schooling done.

“I feel I became a more mature hockey player that way and was ready to go at the age of 25 for pro hockey.

EXCITED: Sheffield Steelers' head coach Aaron Fox. Picture: Dean Woolley/Steelers Media.

“I was fortunate to have a good last couple of seasons at school and was able to sign an American hockey league deal out of that. It is tough to make that kind of jump but it worked out for me.

“It’s a tough league, the AHL, a league among men I guess they say - a lot of hitting, a lot of checking. It was a grind but I really enjoyed my time in Stockton.”

His years in major junior and at university saw Simpson put up good numbers – close to averaging a point per game most years – while he was required to play a different, more defensive role once turning pro.

“I believe I have a good hockey sense all around,” he added. “There’s an offensive side to my game too and I’d like to contribute more in that way next season, especially at this level.

"I was always able to put up points in junior and school (university) hockey and I’d like to get back to that kind of role in Sheffield.”

His two years in California were just one aspect of his career that appealed to Steelers’ boss Fox, who is excited about what Simpson can bring to his team in 2023-24.

“You never know exactly how players are going to translate at different levels (and in different leagues), but he was a full-time AHL guy for those two years, he spent zero time in the East Coast league,” said Fox. “For me, that says a ton about his time already and I feel he’s going to be outstanding for us.

“He put an emphasis on his schooling to be able to put off pro hockey for a little while. Then right out of university, he plays two full seasons in the American league.

“So there is quality there. He's a fourth year pro coming over to us, he’s still young and still at a great hockey age - it’s great to have him here.”

Sheffield Steelers: The learning process that has seen Mark Simpson take the long road to the Elite League