EIHL Team by Team Preveiw 2014/15

[hockeyfan207]

With the new EIHL season a little more than a week away each day we will previewing and predicting how each team will do in the season ahead. First up we will start with the Belfast Giants...

The Lowdown:
On the ice little appears to have changed for the Belfast Giants during the off season. Having cantered to the league they have taken the highly unprecedented step of retaining their entire backline for the season ahead. Upfront has also seen little change with only three new faces added, though the influential Jeff Szwez has once again departed.

Off the ice however has seen much change. GM Todd Kelman has departed to Cardiff and this potentially is a huge loss to the Giants organization. Head Coach Paul Adey has also moved on to be replaced by Steve Thornton.

New Signings:
The Giants have 3 new players on their roster in Mike Kompon, Mark McCutcheon and Ray Sawada. Kompon appears to be an experienced setup guy who, with bags of AHL and Del experience, should in theory thrive in this league. McCutcheon too has exceptional experience in Europe and should have no problems adapting to the EIHL. The standout new signing though for Belfast appears to be Sawada. More or less fresh out of the America leagues he brings size, grit and a scoring touch that should complement nicely the giants more skilled and finesse contingent.

Key Player:
As always with the Giants their can only be one answer...Adam Keefe. He is quite simply the heart of the Belfast team. What he fails to bring in points he more than makes up for in heart, grit and intensity. Every Giants player stands a foot taller when Keefe is out on the ice. Every shift he will give you 100% and he will do whatever his team requires in order to win a game. Every EIHL team is searching for a Keefe for their roster.

Erhardt Conference Prediction:
2nd

Despite retaining the bulk of their roster the other Erhardt teams have improved considerably. That coupled with the behind the scenes changes makes us at EIHL fights think they will not have it as easy this season. The Conference will be close but we don't belive the Giants will win it.

Overall League Position
1st
The biggest compliment you could give the Giants last season was that they were ruthless. Many of the Erhardt teams slipped up far too often against the Gardiner teams...the Giants did not. They had the ability to find a way to win against teams they were expected to beat. And it is this ruthless efficiently against the so called 'lesser' teams which has us believe they will prevail and retain their title as Overall League Champions. The Giants will win the EIHL...just.

[hockeyfan207]

Braehead Clan

The Lowdown:
The Braehead Clan have achieved much in their short history and yet there is a sense that given the level of investment they have nevertheless underachieved somewhat. Despite making the play-off semi finals last year their failure to win the Gardiner Conference summed up what was a very mixed season for the Clan. Certainly a similar campaign this season with not be tolerated by coach Ryan Finnerty.

Of all the returnees, Kyle Jones will be expected to have a stronger season whilst Chris Frank will be expected to bring grit and defensive stability at the back, whilst taking less PIMS.

New Signings:
The Clan have almost completely revamped their forward lines with the notable additions of proven EIHL players Stefan Meyer, Leigh Salters, Derek Roehl and Ben Davies, who strengthens Braehead's Brit contingent significantly.

At the back Ryan Kavanagh brings plenty of European experience whilst Jamie Fritsch on paper could be one of the Star players in the league this season. The most talked about Clan signing of the summer though is tough guy Zach Fitzgerald who comes to Britain with a heavyweight reputation.

Key Player:
Zach Fitzgerald. Without question Clan's premier enforcer for the upcoming season Fitzgerald will have to strike the balance between dropping the gloves and playing a solid defensive game. With Chris Frank also patrolling the back end suspensions for both are almost inevitable and so both must play smart otherwise it could be a long season ahead for Braehead's other blue liners.

Gardiner Conference Prediction:
1st
The Clan have undoubted quality throughout the team and given the proven EIHL experience of the majority of their new signings they should be favourites for the Gardiner Conference. If they do not keep disciplined though, the toughness that they have could become a distinct disadvantage.

Overall League Position
4th
Despite the quality in the Clan line up it is easily conceivable that both Fitzgerald and Frank will hit 250+ Pims each, and at some point will be hit with suspension. Whilst they may get away with this in the Gardnier conference, playing short on D for long periods of time against the Erhardt teams will take its toll on the Clan defence and this will be reflected in their overall league position.
Braehead are good and will be competitive throughout the season, but look for then to just miss out on a top 3 league standing.

[hockeyfan207]

Cardiff Devils

The Lowdown:
Rewind to the start of June and Cardiff supporters were in despondent mood about their teams chances for the upcoming season...fast forward to the start of September though, and their has never been a greater sense of optimism surrounding the Welsh club. With a new owner, a proven new GM in Todd Kelmen, Star player Andrew Lord signing on as player coach and a new arena to move into next year, these are truly heady times for the South Wales outfit.

Of the returnees Lord, Mark Richardson, Tyson Marsh and Matthew Myers have the key job of forming a solid spine from which a brand new team can be developed.

New Signings:
Like many of his predecessors, Lord has attempted to fill his new look side with team toughness with the aim of making the big blue tent an intimidating fortress that opposing teams fear to come too. Of the new signings upfront Jesse Mychan and Doug Clarkson particularly catch the eye. Mychan could be a real fans favourite who will happily shed the mits but also put up points at the same time. Clarkson is more of a gamble having had two injury hit season's but he again if fit, should provide toughness,grit and a points scoring touch upfront. Add into the mix the skilled Joey Martin and Brent Walton and the Devil's have a nice blend of size and speed upfront.

At the back new signing Carl Hudson will provide not only toughness but offence and along with fellow new signing Trevor Hendrikx will ensure that few opposing teams forwards will be able to park themselves in front of the net. In net Ben Bowns will get to the chance to prove he can perform on a regular basis against the Erhardt teams.

Key Player:
Ben Bowns. The young GB netminder was a huge part of the Hull Stingrays success last year. After a very solid first year in the EIHL he took his game to another level last season and is now arguably on a par with long term GB number 1 Stephen Murphy. Bowns though now has to prove he can do it week in week out for an Erhardt team. If he does prove a success then look for Cardiff to have a very promising campaign and for Bowns to be quickly moving onto a league far better than the EIHL.

Erhardt Conference Prediction:
5th
Despite the new found optimism surrounding the Devil's the other teams in their conference have all upgraded and more importantly had a trouble free,settled off season. Signings such as Bowns,Mychan and Clarkson should all prove to be huge successes but nevertheless for varying different reasons they do represent a gamble. This coupled with the loss of key Brit Ben Davies and a new inexperienced player coach at the helm mean they will do very well not to finish bottom of the pile in their conference. They will though be very competitive and teams will fear travelling to the big blue tent.

Overall League Position
6th
While they may struggle somewhat in their own conference,Cardiff will have enough about them to comfortably qualify for this years play-offs. And given last years disastrous season that will be a huge leap forward. A year of consolidation awaits the Devil's, but that is by no means a bad thing. Furthermore expect them to come on very strong in the seasons ahead-they are certainly the team to watch for the future.

[hockeyfan207]

Coventry Blaze

The Lowdown:
Its now been five seasons since the Coventry Blaze have won the league title and since that 09-10 they have only finished in the top four once. With long serving coach and director Paul Thompson having departed two years ago, the Blaze this year appear to finally be emerging from Thompson's shadow and forming a new identity under new head coach Marc Lefebvre. He has recruited a mix of players with proven EIHL experience and guys brand new to the league. There also seems to now be a general acceptance amongst the majority of the Blaze faithful that a top four finish in itself would be a sucess as year on year the arena teams appear to up the ante in terms of quality of players brought into the EIHL.

Of the returnees Mike Egener will be expected to form the cornerstone of a revamped D, while last years standout player Cale Tanaka with once again be expected to bring energy and drive to the lineup. Brits James Griffin and Steven Chalmers will also be expected to continue their development and will be key if the Blaze run into injuries on defence.

New Signings:
Former NHLer Ryan O'Marra is the standout signing for the Blaze and perhaps the league as a whole. He will be expected to bring both points and leadership to the team. Kyle Bochek and Steven Goertzen provide toughness and grit to the forward lines whilst Jereme Tendler will be expected to take over Ryan Ginard's role and rack up the goals. On D Craig Cescon provides the Blaze with a strong heavyweight presence whilst Rory Rawlyk and Mark Smith should offer points from the blueline. In net much is expected of 6'5 Brian Stewart.

Key Player:
Jereme Tendler. Tendler was simply prolific in his 4 seasons in Hull, managing to score 171 goals in 226 games for the club. He has scored at a minimum of least 35 goals in each season he has been in the EIHL, and the Blaze will need that sort of production if they are to having any hope of breaking back into the top four this season. Questions have always been raised as to whether Tendler can produce consistently for a 'big' club. He now has the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.

Erhardt Conference Prediction:
4th
Lefebvre has put together perhaps the best balanced roster in the EIHL. It has a mix of old and fresh blood, there is scoring and grit upfront, with size,toughness and offensive ability at the back. Take away the top 2 lines however and there is a feeling the Blaze lack depth compared with the rest of there Conference rivals. Add into the mix that 39 year old Ashley Tait is there stand out Brit and you are looking at a team that will most certainly be competitive, but will more than likely come up short in the majority of games against there conference rivals.

Overall League Position
5th
Though Coventry lack depth to their team they should have enough about them to secure a top five finish in the league this season. They may come up just short against the Erhardt teams but they will secure enough wins against the Gardiner sides to comfortably make the playoffs. And if they can maintain the balance to their roster throughout the year then look for them to make a run at the playoffs in the post season.

[hockeyfan207]

Dundee Stars

The Lowdown:
For the Dundee Stars the 2013/14 season was an unequivocal success. Player Coach Jeff Hutchins moulded together a vibrant, attack minded unit that on its day could compete with any side in the league. The Star's rightly took the Gardiner Conference title and finished an EIHL high 3rd in the league. That success though has had its drawbacks with the majority of last seasons squad not being retained due to lofty wages demands. This coupled with the rise in expectations of the Stars fan's means Huctchins has a tough task ahead of him if he is to emulate the achievements of last year.

Of those returning to the Stars fold much rests on the shoulders of young defenceman Sam McCluskey. With fellow Brit Paul Swindlehurst now seemingly pursuing his dream in America and Stars opting to go with only 3 import D men, McCluskey with be logging much ice time and will be expected to continue to progress and develop accordingly. Upfront returnee Bari Mckenzie will be expected to rekindle the potential that once saw him collect 53points with the Edinburgh Capitals.

New Signings:
Despite having to rebuild the core of his team Hutchins signings have nevertheless been impressive. Of those known to EIHL fans, Chris Blight, Matt Ryan and Brad Plumpton all look to be very shrewd pickups. New to the league Marc Cheverie looks an able replacement for MVP goaltender Dan Bakala, whilst Kevin Quick is the Star's standout import on defence. John Mitchell and Igor Gongalsky provide the Dundee forward lines with some much needed grit, whilst Rob Ricci on paper should comfortably be one of the leagues top goalscorers.
The most notable signing however is that of former Panther and Clan player Jade Galbraith. One of the stars of the EIHL, Galbraith will be expected to bring points, leadership and a championship winning mentality to the team.

Key Player:
Jade Galbraith. A proven match winner on his day, questions remain over Galbraith's attitude, desire and dedication to the cause. On his day he has the ability to be the best player in the league. It is however two years since he last laced them up in the EIHL. Has the lapse in time caused him to mature into a more well rounded player or have his abilities simply diminished in his time away?

Gardiner Conference Prediction:
2nd
Hutchins has put together a good solid team of EIHL experience combined with fresh new blood. However emulating last seasons success is virtually an impossible task, and with the defence lacking in depth and a Clan team desperate to regain their title, expect the Stars to just come up short in the Gardiner conference.

Overall League Position
7th
Dundee's unexpected success last season seems to have spurred the Erhardt teams into action and the depth in their squads appears considerably larger than last year. The Star's squad themselves is very good, but to recreate that same team chemistry will prove exceptionally challenging. Whilst this Dundee side undoubtedly has goals in it, going with 3 import D already looks like a risky, and dare one say, needless gamble. Add in the fact that Dan Bakla is no longer backstopping this defence and it is hard to see the Stars bettering last seasons league success. They will make the playoffs, but Challenge Cup or a Playoff run is their best hope of success this season.

[hockeyfan207]

Edinburgh Capitals

The Lowdown:
After the relative success of the 2012/13 the 2013/14 was nothing short of disastrous for the Edinburgh Capitals. Uncompetitive, boring and generally unappealing, the 2013/14 team with go down as one of the most forgettable in EIHL history. Since the end of the season however something of a watershed appears to have taken place in Scotland's Capital. Whilst Richard Hartmann will undoubtedly retain the fast flowing European style of hockey that he is accustomed to, he appears to have added a considerable slice of North American grit to the team. If these two styles can be successfully married together, then expect to see a vastly improved and more entertaining Caps outfit out on the ice this year. 

Of those returning the ever relaible Tomas Hiadlovsky will once again be expected to play a big part in the season ahead whilst fan favourite Jade Portwood is an astute resigning bringing a mix of skill, grit and a work ethic that was sadly lacking in the majority of Edinburgh players last year.

New Signings:
At the back Europeans Lukas Bohunicky and Marcel Petran should provide the Caps with both grit and points. Fellow blueliner Joe Grimandi is an interesting addition, providing points and toughness but also a reputation for causing unrest in the dressing room.

Upfront Daniel Naslund, Greg Collins and Dennis Rix all appear on paper to be upgrades on last seasons team, with Collins having proved particularly productive in the Dutch League. The most talked about Caps signing of the summer though comes in the form of 6'8 enforcer Riley Emmerson. Able to play forward or defence, Emmerson will be expected to provide that grit and steel that the Caps have lacked under Hartmann.

Key Player:
Riley Emmerson. The Candian enforcer comes with a big reputation and will be expected to protect the Caps skilled players this year. There have though been questions raised over his skating ability and whether he will be able to hold down regular minutes in the EIHL. If he can prove his doubters wrong then he will provide Edinburgh with the backbone that they have so badly lacked in recent years and he could cement his own place in EIHL history as one of the most valuable enforcers to a team that the league has seen.

Gardiner Conference Prediction:
4th
There is little doubt Edinburgh have vastly improved their side this offseason. The standard of the league on a whole, has though, risen considerably. Add to the fact the Capitals were so far off the pace last season and it is very hard to see them competing at the top end of the table. The Gardiner conference as always will be closely fought and the Caps will be very competitive within it. They will however fall short of the likes of the Clan, Stars and Flyers.

Overall League Position
9th
Edinburgh will certainly be competitive and the fight for the final playoff place will indeed be closely fought. This year though the Capitals will just fall short. They will give every single team a game and with their grittier side, teams will find going to Edinburgh to be quite literally a far tougher proposition than before. League wise they may not pull up any trees this year but make no mistake by the end of the year the Caps will have taken great strides forward. For Edinburgh fans this will be a highly promising and entertaining campaign ahead.

[hockeyfan207]

Fife Flyers

The Lowdown:
Since returning to Britain's top hockey league in 2011/12 the Fife Flyers have shown a year on year progression on the ice,culminating in reaching last season's play-off semi finals in Nottingham. Despite however the post Christmas run of form which saw them eventually secure 7th in the league, coach Todd Dutiaume will be all too aware that the Flyers will require a quicker start to the season if they are to match or better last year's feats.

The Flyers have chosen to retain the bulk of the previous year's squad with the reliable Kyle Horne and Tom Muir the notable Brit returnees.Of the imports assistant coach Danny Stewart with add experience,grit and versatility to the side while Matt Reber and Ned Lukacevic will be Flyers premier setup men,with Bobby Chaumont expected to continue to find the net. The stand out returnees of this Fife team are though without question Jordan Fulton and Matt Nickerson. Fulton will score,assist and agitate, while Nickerson is there primarily in the role of enforcer and 4th D man.

New Signings:
The Flyers have brought in forward buddy's Chris Auger and Scott Fleming in order to ease some of the goal scoring pressure on Chaumont and Fulton. At the back Fife have added ex Cardiff man Jaimie Milam. Despite a poor spell with the Devils his stats at other teams cannot be called into question and he will be expected to add an offensive punch to the Flyers backline.

Key Player:
Matt Nickerson. The first genuine enforcer Fife have had since entering the EIHL, last year Nickerson on the whole had a huge positive effect on the Flyers side. In the Gardiner Conference he found limited combatants with only Jeff Smith and Chris Frank will willing to step up to face him. This year though both the Gardiner Conference and the league as a whole have toughened up considerably. With Nickerson no longer abley backed up by Justin Dacosta he faces the unenviable task of taking on opposing teams tough guys virtually single-handed. If the Flyers are to have a successful season ahead then Nickerson will quickly need to recognise when the right time to go is. Too much time in the box will mean players such as Jordan Fulton will be exceptionally vulnerable without Nickerson's presence out on the ice.

Gardiner Conference Prediction:
3rd
As ever the Gardiner Conference will be incredibly close this year and it is quite conceivable that the Flyers could come out top of the pile. However given the improvements in both Braehead and Dundee, combined with the lack of team toughness and real quality Brits, we feel they will just come up short.

Overall League Position
8th
Just like last year expect the battle for 6th-8th to go right down to the wire. Once again though the league appears to have taken another step forward in standard. The Flyers top 2 lines can match anyone's in the league but the 3rd appears to lack the quality required to really enable them to push on up the league table. Fife will qualify for the play-offs and could once again go on a play-off run, they will not though threaten the league's top 5.

[hockeyfan207]

Hull Stingrays

The Lowdown:
The Stingrays come into the 2014/15 season on the back of what can only be described as an 'eventful' off season. The summer started with team owner Bobby Mcwean dispensing with the services of popular long time player coach Sylvain Cloutier. A fan's backlash coupled with unsubstantiated former player statements about how poorly they were treated during their time in Hull soon followed and it appeared that Mcwean's position as a team owner was quickly coming to an end. A hostile takeover of the club was even muted, however Mcwean stuck to his guns and with the full backing of the EIHL the proposed takeover of the club quickly floundered. Mcwean then set about appeasing the fan's with the appointment of standout players Omar Pacha and Carl Lauzon, as Head and Assistant Coach respectively.

Aside from the returning Pacha and Lauzon the club having chosen to retain only five of the Brits from the previous year. The hugely promising Jamie Chilcott returns on the blueline along with utility players Tom Ralph and Scott Robson, while forward Sam Towner finally has the opportunity to secure regular ice time on the Rays third line. The biggest returnee for Hull though is the return of local lad and GB international Matty Davis. Now captain and coming off the back of a season in which he scored at more than a point a game, he will be key if the Stingrays are to emulate the relative success that they had last season.

New Signings:
New Head Coach Omar Pacha has certainly been ruthless in the recruitment process of his squad, dispensing with the services of the majority of last seasons team and replacing them with no fewer than nine new imports. At the back he has signed the tough no nonsense Yan Turcotte to provide grit and solidarity to the Ray's blueline. Also signed straight from the ECHL is young CJ Chartrain. Kurtis Dulle had also resigned to provide some leadership and experience at the back but returned home after only one preseason game citing personal reasons.

Upfront the Rays have lost Jereme Tendler and Guillaume Doucet, who scored the best part of 92 goals between them. Coach Pacha has opted against direct replacements for them and instead decided to go with scoring depth to all three lines. Experienced former Stingray Dominic Osman returns and, along with new signing Matt Larke, will provide the bulk of the experience to Hull's forward lines. The speedy Zach Hervato, Corey Tanaka and Jordan Mayer offer the depth in scoring that Pacha is looking for, and coming more or less straight from college they should be hungry for success. Rounding of the forward lines is Eric Galbraith. Having also chosen to start his pro career in Britain he will be expected to not just bring goals but physicality to the side. 

Key Player:
Eric Galbraith. One of the main points of criticism of this Rays side is the lack of size and toughness to it. With there average height and weight coming out at 181cm and 83.8 kg respectively, Hull are by far the smallest team in the league. In Galbraith though they have a 6'4 220lb forward who has openly stated he relishes the physical side of the game. If the Rays are to be successful this year they will need Galbraith to not only score, but to hit and provide the heavyweight toughness that they appear to lack.

Gardiner Conference Prediction:
5th
Much has been made of the fact Omar Pacha has chosen to recruit a younger squad with relatively little pro experience. It has been seen in most quarters as a negative but on the contrary the Stingrays have had much success in the college market, bringing over Andrew Coburn and Cale Tanaka in recent season's. Indeed former coach Sylvain Cloutier has openly stated that he regards Coburn as one of the top 3 signings he ever made. The players signed therefore may have little pro experience compared with their rivals but make no mistake they will be talented. The far more pressing concern should be the overall size of the lineup, in particular on defence. At 6'1 CJ Chartrain is the biggest of the Rays D men. Clearing the net is therefore going to a huge issue when coming up against big bruising opposition. Upfront Hull have speed to burn. What happens though if they come up against a big bruising defence which also has speed and agility?This is a problem the Rays with face in their Conference and the league as a whole. We feel though that,despite there speed, Hull will eventually simply be outmuscled and overpowered by their Gardiner Rivals.The Conference will be very very close, but look for Hull to finish outside the top 3.

Overall League Position
10th
Despite the tumultuous offseason there are plenty of positives for Stingrays fans to take into the year ahead. Whilst the majority of the squad are somewhat unknown, these players are young and hungry to succeed. Pacha will have most definitely unearthed a few gems and the quality of the Rays play will surprise those who take them lightly. Expect them to be competitive against all teams this year and do not be surprised if they pull off a number of 'shock' wins, particularly at home. Hull have the quickest team in the league bar none, and they will use this to their advantage on home ice. They have also upgraded their scoring depth and have on paper a high calibre third line. However as has already been alluded to, they lack size and strength both at the back and upfront and this will eventually prove to their detriment. Pacha has certainly built an interesting group and Hull will compete and play entertaining hockey night in night out. They may well therefore go and prove us wrong, however we ultimately expect them to place somewhere in the bottom two.

[hockeyfan207]

Nottingham Panthers

The Lowdown:
After the euphoria of their 2012/13 league title win, the 2013/14 season proved somewhat of an anti climax for the Nottingham Panthers. Inconsistency blighted them throughout the year, and as well as relinquishing the league they also failed to qualify for the final four of the playoffs since the 2007/08 season. This year as aiming to regain there league crown, Panthers fans also have the chance of seeing some of the best teams on the continent as Nottingham compete in the CHL.

Returning in nets for the Panthers Craig Kowalski will be hoping to put a turbulent year behind him and return to the type of form that saw him selected for the 2012/13 EIHL All Star First Team. Upfront Brandon Benedict should once again prove integral whilst Nottingham fans will be hoping to see more from Greg Jacina, who although showed the occasional flashes of promise, largely underperformed last year. The Panthers though do boast an extremely strong returning British contingent, and in Stevie Lee, Rob Lachowicz, David Clarke and Robert Farmer they have a depth to their squad that few in the EIHL can match.

New Signings:
Coach Corey Neilson has opted this season to completely reshape his backline. American Bryan Schmidt adds experience to a relatively young D, and having spent plenty of time playing in Europe should have no trouble adjusting to the EIHL. Cody Wild and Charles Landry come straight from the North American minors and look extremely solid additions whilst offensive defenceman Evan Mosey enters his second pro season after are productive first year in Britain. Rounding off the Panthers blueline is Mike Berube who will be expected to add leadership and toughness to the side.

Upfront new signings Maxime Langelier-Parent and Chris Lawrence add size and grit while Ex Belfast Giant Chris Higgins should provide plenty of goals for the returning Bruce Graham, who will be expected to find the net with regularity.

Key Player:
Bruce Graham. After a slow start to the 2012/13 season Graham really came into his own and was a huge reason why Nottingham went on to clinch the league title. This year the Panthers clearly have plenty of depth in their lineup but they do appear slightly short in the goalscoring department. Therefore if there season is to ultimately to prove successful, then the Panthers will need Graham to replicate the form shown in their title winning year.

Erhardt Conference Prediction:
3rd
Given the improvements made by the other Erhardt teams its fair to say this years Nottingham Panthers team looks slightly underwhelming. They look solid at the back and reasonable upfront, but on paper at least they fail to have the 'wow' factor of some of the other Erhardt teams. Strangely for a Nottingham side they look particularly short on goals and toughness. Couple that with the CHL distraction and its hard to see them hitting the heights in their conference. The strength of their Brit pack though does give the Panthers a depth to their squad which no other side can match. That positive aside though, and its hard to see them challenging for any-more than a top 3 spot.

Overall League Position
3rd
Though they may not boast the strongest squad in this years EIHL the Panthers should have more than enough to cement a top 3 league position. Whether they can go further than that depends largely on how distracted they are by there CHL campaign and whether there is enough room in the budget to keep hold of a couple of their CHL 'only' players. If they can retain a one or two then they certainly have a chance at the league title. If not then there most likely shot at silverware will come in the form of a Challenge Cup or Playoff run.

[hockeyfan207]

Sheffield Steelers

The Lowdown:
After leading the Sheffield Steelers towards the Playoff Title the 2014/15 season sees the first full year in charge for Head Coach Gerard Adams. With the new season upon us there is a huge sense of optimism prevailing around South Yorkshire. 

Returning in nets Frank Doyle will be hoping to kick on after a solid first year in the EIHL whilst Gord Baldwin and Dustin Kohn bring a sense of familiarity to the blueline. The Sheffield Brit pack all return,with Jonathan Philips,Phil Hill, Jason Hewit, Rob Dowd in particular adding a real depth to the Steelers forward lines.

New Signings:
The summer has seen Coach Gerard Admas completely revamp his offense, signing in total 7 new import forwards. Jay Latulippe reunites with Adams after 3 years away from the EIHL, whilst Pascal Morency offers the forward lines some much needed grit and toughness. Tyler Mosienko comes to Sheffield after a controversial spell in Europe involving a spot fixing charge, but should never the less prove to be a quality addition. Mike Forney, Colton Fretter and Mathieu Roy complete the lineup upfront, with all 3 on paper boasting superb resumes and crucially appearing capable of all finding the net on a regular basis. Ex Devil Devin DiDiomete also returns to the EIHL on a short term contract whilst Mosienko serves his spot fixing ban.

At the back Rod Sarich returns after a year away from the game and, along with new signing Darryl Hay, will bring considerable experience to the Steelers D. Cullen Eddy completes the defence and coming straight out of the AHL he should prove a capable, tough no nonsense stay at home D man.

Key Player:
Tyler Mosienko. The most controversial signing of the summer Mosienko has to really show his worth and prove that the gamble that Gerard Adams has taken was worth it. His CV speaks for itself and he should prove a standout player in the EIHL. Questions though remain as to how focused and hungry he is to make this venture into Europe a success. Will he be able to cope with the flack from the stands which will he undoubtedly take and perhaps most importantly of all will his teammates accept him into the dressing room??Any disharmony amongst the team could cause Adams big problems and be detrimental to the Steelers season. On the other-hand though if the gamble pays off then the Steelers could well become League Champions again for the first time since the 2010/11 season.

Erhardt Conference Prediction:
1st
The Erhardt Conference looks incredibly strong this year and on paper at least it appears very tight to call. Sheffield though appear to have all the tools to come out on top. Boasting solid goaltending, experience at the back, goals upfront and a strength in depth to the Brit pack that few teams can match, the Steelers look to have what it takes to come out in first place. Providing Gerard Adams can integrate Mosienko into the lineup and gel the forward lines together then there is no reason why the Steelers should not win the Conference.

Overall League Position
2nd
Despite the abundance of talent on the roster there is a nagging doubt as to whether Gerard Adams can lead a team to the title over the course of a full season. No one can question what he achieved at Cardiff on a much reduced budget, however the 2010/11 season will still resonate with Adams. That year saw Cardiff set a then new world record of games unbeaten. With Craig Weller driving the team on they appeared set to win their first league title since 1996/97, only to fall at the final fence to, ironically, Sheffield. Questions have since remained as to whether Adams has it in him to stand the distance of a league campaign or as to whether he is simply excellent at preparing a side for playoff hockey. The top of the EIHL will be extremely close this year. However with the relentless and efficient Belfast Giants likely to match the Steelers stride for stride then we feel that Adams and Sheffield will once again just miss out.