With less than 24 hours before the Steelers squad joins up together for the first time tomorrow morning the club has confirmed a new signing as Mitchell Balmas arrives in Sheffield.
Balmas joins the Steelers from American Hockey League side, Iowa Wild where he played 34 games last season.
Prior to that Balmas played his junior career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League having a sensational scoring seasons with Cape Breton Screaming Eagles where he tallied 50 goals and 86 points in the 2018-19 season.
Three years followed at St Mary’s University (where he sharded a period of time with Brett Neumann) before turning pro in 2021 with Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)
Head coach Aaron Fox said “Mitchell is a guy I have been working on all summer and think very highly of as a player. He’s a guy who I expected to sign back in the AHL this year so when the agent reached back out in the last couple weeks this was an opportunity we weren’t going to pass on.
“Mitchell has got an outstanding shot and put up some huge numbers in Usports and scored over 40 back to back years in the Q. He Played the last 1 and 1/2 years mainly in the AHL and had 6 goals in 44 games while playing an effective 3rd line role. He will be a guy that will immediately make our group more competitive and expect him to be an impact player”.
Speaking hours before he boarded a plane to the UK Balmas said “I’m excited to get going and join a new team
“I looked at my options for the year ahead and decided this was the right time in my career to have a new challenge, I had spoken with Sheffield earlier in the summer and then became more interested when Kameron Kielly joined, we have been great friends and I thought if you were going to travel half way around the world to play then do it with one of your friends
“Joining a club looking to win is a great challenge and one I am excited to be a part of, everything I have heard about Sheffield, the club, ownership and fans has been first class so let’s do this”
Balmas describes himself as “an offensive player” and says “I like to play with the puck, be creative, however to be successful you have to be able to play a 200 foot game and I believe I am a player who does that”
Steelers Vs. Nottingham Panthers
Saturday 9th September
Utilita Arena
Face Off 7.00pm
Doors Open 5.30pm
ALL TICKETS JUST £10
Buy Tickets “HERE”
