Sheffield Steelers v Nottingham Panthers: Aaron Fox channels 2024 vibes to give Steelers best chance of retaining Elite League play-off crown

It’s almost exactly 12 months ago that the Steelers won the play-off final at the Motorpoint Arena with a 3-1 victory over Belfast Giants sealing a remarkable treble at the end of an emotional 2023-24 campaign.

This time around, the play-off trophy is the only chance the Steelers have of lifting silverware, having seen their league and Challenge Cup crowns return to the Giants’ hands, Adam Keefe’s side having won the treble themselves in 2022-23.

Under Fox, the Steelers have made the Play-off Finals Weekend three times, first losing 3-2 in overtime in a semi-final against Cardiff Devils in 2023 before emerging as winners 12 months later.

Ahead of coming off second-best against Cardiff, the Steelers travelled down to Nottingham on the day of the game, which was the second semi-final to take place in the evening.

Last year, the Steelers went down the day before and enjoyed a pre-game skate and practice session, as well as having a team dinner the night before.

The timetable clearly worked for the Steelers, hence Fox’s willingness to try it again 12 months on.

“We’re two wins from picking up a trophy right now,” Fox told The Yorkshire Post. “We know that this play-off format is pretty unique in this country but it is also something we’ve embraced as a group.

“We enjoy the weekend, so we’ll have gone down to practice on Friday, have a team dinner and then a pre-game skate on Saturday.

“The first time we made it with me we stayed at home and went down on the Saturday - but you just don’t get that same feeling and vibe for the weekend.

“So we did that last year for the first time and it was successful so we’re going to do it again this year and, hopefully, we’ll get the same result.

“But we know it won’t be easy. We know there are four really good hockey teams down there that will all feel like if they are playing their best hockey, they are going to win this thing and we’re no different.

“This is that opportunity now, two games away from a trophy and I’m assuming you’ll see everybody lay it on the line for 60 or more minutes.”

Having overcome Glasgow Clan thanks to Patrick Watling’s overtime winner at the Utilita Arena last Sunday, the Steelers first take on Nottingham Panthers in Saturday’s second semi-final, with Belfast facing off against Cardiff earlier in the day.

Under Danny Stewart, Nottingham enjoyed one of their best regular season campaigns in recent years, keeping themselves in the title frame with eventual winners Belfast and the Steelers until the final weekend.

They also snapped a 22-game losing streak against the Steelers under the guidance of the former Coventry Blaze boss, whose success behind the bench in the East Midlands comes as no surprise to his Steelers’ counterpart.

“They are deep,” said Fox. “They’ve got three really good lines, a fourth line that will create energy as well and a defensive core who can all play.

“Danny has always done a good job in Coventry and now he’s got a bit of a bigger budget team.

“So he’s doing it with a few, maybe more high-profile players but he gets that team playing hard and the right way. We’ll have to be on it.”

Mark Simpson remains doubtful having been sidelined with injury since the Steelers’ last visit to Nottingham on March 8, while game-day decisions will also be made on fellow forward Marc-Olivier Vallerand and defenceman Veeti Vainio.