SHEFFIELD, U.K. – The Sheffield Steelers added a familiar face to their roster for the upcoming 2012/13 season with the signing of former Cardiff Devil Tylor Michel.
Sheffield squad almost close to complete already
Michel spent last season playing with Björklöven in the Swedish first division, where he became a fan favourite with his no nonsense style of play and his tireless work ethic.
During his 36 games with the Swedish outfit, Michel recorded 29 points (16+13) as well as 110 penalty minutes.
The 28-year-old Canadian then spent the previous two years with the Cardiff Devils, where he won several awards in his time there including Players Player of the Year and Coaches Player of the Year.
In a total of 101 games with the Devils, Michel registered an impressive 96 points (36+60) as well as 226 penalty minutes, showing he is no stranger to dropping the gloves.
Michel played alongside current Steelers Head Coach Ryan Finnerty whilst in Cardiff, and many say that Michel is a like for like replacement for Finnerty, who will now be behind the bench after retiring from playing in April.
The signing of Michel was announced early by notorious former Steelers Owner Paul Ragan (who now owns Cardiff) after Steelers beat the Devils to Michel’s signature prompting the disgruntled Ragan to announce the signing in a case of sour grapes.
New boy Tylor Michel hoping to make a big impact (image courtesy of Sheffield Steelers)
Sheffield Steelers Coach Ryan Finnerty spoke of his delight after his latest acquisition, “ Michel is the perfect signing for us. He compliments the other players we have signed and have lined up. He will bring energy, grit and aggression to every shift he plays,” Finnerty said. “The fans will love him, I’m guessing he will be their favourite. He is in every team he plays in. He was in North America, he was in Cardiff and he was last year when top scoring for his club in Sweden. Our two first lines are going to be pretty skilled. We need to bring some presence, some tempo and some grit into the line up. I can’t think of a player that fits the bill better than Tylor,” Finnerty added. “It’s about finding the right balance. We have signed gifted skilled players like Shields and Pecker. We have to accompany that with some aggression as well. That’s where this fits. Tylor will get us going, he will get under every players skin he plays against. Home fans will love him. Away fans will want to kill him,” Finnerty said.
The Steelers team is shaping up nicely and only have four more import slots available. Sheffield are in search of a new netminder, and a stay at home defenceman, as well as two impact forwards.
Tylor Michel spoke about his signing briefly on Twitter when he tweeted “Excited for my new opportunity with @Steelershockey, sorry to let down so many Devils fans but I do appreciate the ones who still wished me well”. Michel said.
Contact the author at Scott.antcliffe@prohockeynews.com
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