An Awkward Analysis - Roddy's Return & Stevie G's Shocking Switch

I'm in a state of shock right now. After the joyful news this morning that Rod Sarich would be returning to the club, it has literally just been obliterated by the news that the teams captain, Steven Goertzen, has left the club at the end of his university deal and has joined the Coventry Blaze.

However, I shall get onto that in a bit, as firstly I am going to talk about Sarich returning to the club.



Personally, I'm thrilled by this. Rod is a consummate professional both on and off the ice. There is literally nothing bad that could be said about Rod the human being in my eyes. He and his wife have been a pleasure to know personally for many years. As for on the ice, I have always rated him. Sure he made some mistakes at times, some costly, but it's hockey, these things happen.

Now, some people seem a bit underwhelmed by the return of Sarich, who didn't play at all last season. A lot of people are saying he's well past his best. Well, that maybe the case, however, there are a few things that I think some people need to remember.

Rod is a very intelligent hockey player. He is one of the best skaters we have seen in the Elite League and is also one of the best at transitioning the play. How many times have we seen him take the puck up the ice by himself, and in some cases go all the way and score? There's been a few memorable occasions.

What some people also need to remember is that we already have Dustin Kohn in the squad. Now, in my opinion, Dustin Kohn has an identical game to Rod and to some degree is slightly better having played at a higher level in the past. They both skate incredibly well and also move the puck extremely well. Sadly, Kohn had an injury plagued season, so not everyone probably saw the best in Kohn's ability.

We also have Gord Baldwin on defence, who after a terrible start to the season, turned his game around and won over many fans, including myself. He is already our big stay at home d-man.

Rod's signing however, brings us a few very key things.

Firstly, there is experience. Rod has already played eight seasons for the Steelers. He has also won a few trophies in that time too. He knows what it takes to win. He knows what it takes to be a Steeler.

Secondly, there is also his size. Rod can hit like a train. We don't often see it, but when he turns into a raging bull he doesn't half know how to knock some opposition players off their feet. Along with his size there is also his strength which helps him defensively when trying to clear players away from infront of the netminder.

Thirdly, and this is where I think it becomes a very clever signing by Gerad Adams, there is the depth that Rod will provide to the defence. As I have just mentioned, Rod brings with him a wealth of experience at this club and also in this league. His playing ability and his hockey IQ will still be there. This is going to be very key for a player that I strongly suspect will be in the bottom two d-pairings. Rod is also able to provide depth to the special teams. His size will help on the penalty kill and his offensive abilities will add a vast amount of depth to the powerplay, which has struggled at times in recent seasons. He is also able to play on the wing at times on the powerplay and also in general play because of his size and speed and offensive skillset.

His signing is a very very smart one by Gerad Adams and I am very much looking forward to seeing Roddy back where he belongs, on the ice and in a Steelers jersey. Welcome back Rod!

That being said, as mentioned at the top of this post, Rod's return has been overshadowed by the departure of Steven Goertzen and his family.

Personally speaking, I'm absolutely gutted, and by the looks of social media, so is the rest of the entire fanbase. I got to know Steven and his family a little bit in his first season here and you could tell right from the word go that they were a wonderful family. Their ability to interact with the fans both at games and socially over the past two years is second to none and has seen them make a vast number of friends in Sheffield.

Steven's abilities on the ice are going to be extremely hard for Gerad Adams to replace. Last season, more people saw what some of us had seen in Steven in his first season, especially his ability to lead and try and change the flow of a game. His skating was sublime, the speed at times absolutely stunning. His ability to finish his hits hard and clean was fantastic. His ability to lead his troops into battle was brilliant.

He very much reminded me of Ben Simon in the way he played the game and in my eyes, plays the game the way it is meant to be played. Hard, fast and clean, but he was also never afraid to get into those dirty areas or even defend himself or his fellow players.

What will be missed most though is his leadership.

Last season whilst being the clubs captain, we saw more of the leadership side to his game. Giving Goertzen the captaincy was one of the best things Doug Christiansen did. When the team needed a lift, he was vocal on the bench. When they needed a spring in their step, he went out their and laid out a big hit to give the boys and even the fans a boost. When we needed a dirty goal, he kept going into those dirty areas to dig the puck out for a scoring opportunity. He seemingly did it of his own accord as well, not because he was told to do it. He just went out there and did, like a captain should.

He gave 110% on every shift in every game. He was a real leader of men. When he was injured this season, a lot of people soon realised just how much of a huge piece of the Steelers puzzle he was and how badly he was missed when he wasn't in the line up.

Goertzen's departure leaves some extremely big shoes to fill, however, I am sure Gerad will be able to find the right player for such a job/position.

Sadly though, it is with a heavy heart that I, and many others Steelers fans, say good luck to Steven, his wife Sam and their two children, as they make their way to Coventry next season. They will be missed by many many people. The club doesn't just lose out here, the city of Sheffield does as well.

Good luck guys, and thank you.

As always folks, you know the drill.

@IAmMcCausland
@TomWalkeden
@AwkwardGinge
@FrozenSteelBlog

Until next time.

Alan
@AwkwardGinge