The Steelers got a lot bigger today as 6’5 centre Mark Simpson was confirmed as a member of next years side by head coach Aaron Fox
Simpson played last season is Asiago (Italy) and before that two seasons in the AHL with Stockton Heat
“Mark is a 6’5 C who will bring a ton of character and energy to our group” said Fox “In North America he played both pro seasons full time in the AHL while he was there
“Mark prides himself on his two way play and plays every shift the right way. He skates extremely well for his size which I think will cause real problems in this league
“Watching Mark, he is excellent in the Faceoff circle and is the type of guy winning teams need on the ice and in their dressing room
“I feel his game will translate very well in the UK and not only will he be a great team player I believe he will be a guy who has the potential to run some nice offensive numbers here. I’m looking forward to having him in and help us achieve our goals”
It will be Simpson’s first spell in the UK and something he is looking forward to “I guess I’m going to say what all players say and that is that I’ve heard nothing but good things about the organisation, the club, coaches and of course the fans. So this is an excellent opportunity for me to see another part of the world playing the sport I love”
Simpson knows both Matt Petgrave and Matt Greenfield from his career to date “Of course I reached out and the response was that this was a great move and I’d be joining a great club
“I see this is an opportunity to come and show my offensive game that I had before I turned pro, speaking with Aaron he told me that I would be given that opportunity, our talks went well and in the end the decision was a quick one”
Describing him self Mark said “I’m a big rangy centre, I like to think I play a good 200 foot game and that I’m reliable in my own end and am good in the face off circle”
