SHEFFIELD, UK – As I step off the ice at the arena and make my way down the tunnel at the end of the Cardiff game everything starts to hit home and I feel absolutely washed out. It has been an incredible experience but it had kept me so uptight for 2 days that I was feeling exhausted.
In a very small way I was kinda glad it was over, except Bob (Phillips) had other ideas.
I walked out of the dressing room after the post game wash up and start to look for Mary, as I walk past the sponsors lounge I am physically accosted by a grinning Bob Phillips and thrust in front of god knows how many in my underwear! Iâm sure that is a sight many will never forget LOL. Bob introduces me to the crowd and there is a ripple of applause, he draws attention to my (obviously toned and athletic) physique and I strike a pose as people laugh. The legend that is the Rocket (Ron Shudra) then goes through a brief interview type thing and I explain how I offered to go out and take on big bad Brad Voth, more laughs.
The interview ends and I get another small round of applause then I am free to try and find Mary. We hook up eventually and I take them down to the dressing room, I show my 5 (Riley) and 15 (Davan) year olds around the dressing room and Jono (Jonathan Phillips) tries to talk to Riley, he immediately tries to climb up my leg and hide, Riley that is, not Jono!
I take them for a look at the ice and Riley keeps saying âYou played tonight daddy dint yerâ well, not exactly but I know what he means and again the enormity of it hits, I drop them off at the sponsors lounge and go for a shower and change. I start to pack my gear and get a rollicking off Andy Akers. âIâll do that!â “No need” I say “but thanks, I hate dry kit”. âleave your sweats then I will have them washed and ready for the morningâ. Few I think realise just how much this guy and his gang do, without them this club simply would not function, I canât thank them enough.
We drive home and I am tired, I have to be back at the arena by 9.30 for the bus but once we are home I canât settle and end up watching the recorded live sky game. A great show and a big step forward for the sport, Dave Simms is a natural in front of the camera isnât he?, and talk about falling in to your vocation, that guy can do anything he turns his hand to. It was strange not hearing his voice blasting out over the PA but I know he is pleased for me as we had spoken on the phone and sent me a text that said simply âYou are a Steelerâ Thanks David, that meant a lot.
I arrive around 8.45am and there is only Andy (Akers), the Moose( Ervins Mustukovs) and Dommer (Jerramie Domish) about, we have a chat about nothing much and wait for the rest of the guys; the bus gets packed, guys arrive and we are on our way. I end up sitting at the front in the seats in front of Ben (Simon). We chat about various things hockey for a while and he asks about Dundee and officials. I point out a few landmarks on the way but the guy never stops working. There will be no accusations of a casual attitude around the club this year I can tell you. The A1 is closed and so we have to go the long way and it takes 7 hours to get up there; we stop on the way and someoneâs luck is in at the slot machines at the services! Drinks on them then, except the machine switches itself off as they try to get the payout! Details are taken and an IOU is issued. We get to Dundee and take a first look at the place. It looks a nice setup they have there and the dressing room has under floor heating, very nice. We prep for the game and the crowd begins to arrive, again I observe the rituals that get played out in the build up; we have a chat from Ben and we are ready to go out for warm up. We are greeted by a small but very vocal group of travellers who all cheer us out. I enjoyed the warm up a little more than the previous night, I think that is because I know what is required this time and again I feel I do better. The warm up ends and we skate off to get ready for the game.
This is opening night in Dundee so we are again introduced to the blue line, nowhere near as intense as at the arena but emotional still as I still canât get used to hearing my name called out as a Steeler. The game starts and I am again nervous. Sean “The Sheriff” McMorrow I am sure is going to want to endear himself to the locals, he had apparently said in the local press about running the backup in warm up but to be honest that didnât worry me, he would have been met with a fist full of stick in the chops.
I do get a bit âantiâ when I play; no, I am more worried that knowing the situation he will try to get Moose out of the game, Ben had again stated to us that no-one is to get anywhere near the Moose as he had the night before but the guys look a little more nervous tonight given the reputation of Mr McMorrow. The game goes on and I begin to settle a little as no-one seems intent on taking out the Moose.
The Sheriff though does not shut up! With just a sheet of plexi separating the benches if he isnât on the ice he is leaning round it chirping at us. We had been given our instructions though and we just laugh at him, this eggs him on even more but the guy is genuinely funny. Being barracked by the crowd is an experience, most of the comments are funny but some are a little harsh, it is a family sport after all but it is all met with good humour although no-one responds. 
We can hear our fans shouting and cheering and as the goals go in they get louder and the home fans egged on by the Sheriff get more vocal too.
The guys are playing well and we are again in control, by the end of the second we are 5 up but words are said in the dressing room as Ben is not 100% happy, he feels we are slacking and asks that we get back to the good habits of the first and donât give them a look in. Like I say, you need not doubt this teams commitment, it is total.
As we get in to the third the Sheriff turns his attention to Neil Abel (Steelers bench coach), Iâm sure he asked him to meet him in the car park! The guy is a clown and clearly not happy that we are just laughing at him. He is extremely good at his job though and Dundee will not be short on entertainment this year with him around. We score again and off he goes again, he skates to the front of the bench and offers us all a fight, as he goes down the line pointing at us all I lean over Munner (Steve Munn) and ask him what the score is while pointing at the scoreboard. He looks at me bemused and says âWhat are you, like 80 or something!?â I have been sledged by the Sheriff and my experience is complete.
There are 5 minutes left and we are 6 up, Ben turns taps my pads and says âI wanna get you on but I canât bust Mooseâs shut-outâ I literally go weak at the knees. âGet ready, if they score now youâre onâ Bloody hell! I am now in turmoil, I would love the Moose to earn a well deserved blank after his performance this night and the one the night before but if they pop one in I get to actually PLAY Elite league hockey! The last 5 minutes are just a blur, the Moose earns his blank and I donât get on. I am elated though as the very fact that I was told I would have been is as good as â well, almost. There is a scuffle on the ice as the hooter sounds and I skate out and go stand next to Dundeeâs backup. We chat and I tell him who I am and what my hockey CV is. He canât believe it but seems genuinely pleased for me and hopes I have enjoyed it, not half! The MoMâs are announced and we skate over and thank the fans, again I am aware suddenly of where I am but now I am really enjoying it. We skate off and get sorted ready to go, its all a bit more rushed tonight as we are away and have long way to go. We go and get food before getting on the bus and I end up chatting to Rob Dowd about KFC. What strikes me is how ânormalâ it all seems despite been in an extraordinary position.
We are waiting to get going when Dommer arrives in a car, he has been to the shop and brought back beer, and lots of it, thatâs the return trip sorted thenâŠ.
It is a long way home but after good results and impressive performances everyone is on high. I again sit at the front and have a beer and a chat with Ben; what a top bloke. This team is in safe hands with him I have no doubt. He apologises for not getting me on, I canât believe it, an ex NHLâer is apologising to ME for not letting me play! What a mad world?! I am made up. I am invited up the back of the bus but decline, for no other reason than I just want to try and absorb it all and try and get my head round it all. Spirits are high as we travel home and there isnât much left by the time we get there although most of us grab some sleep after we stop at Durham.
We get back to the arena at 05.30 a 20 hour day. Please folks, do not ever question what these guys go through every week to put on a show for us, I never will having seen this side of it, and every one of the people who work their socks off to get this running so smoothly are deserving of high praise. I exchange thanks and say goodbye to the guys and head off home the happiest man alive. What a weekend.
There are far too many people who warrant individual mentions so please just let me thank each and every one of them and you. It was a weekend I will never forget, it was the weekend I became a Steeler and a dream came true.
Contact: neil.edwards@prohockeynews.com
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