The Sheffield Steelers saw their Elite League title dreams slip away in heartbreaking fashion on the final night of the regular season, falling 4-3 to the Coventry Blaze in a dramatic, three-period battle at the Skydome Arena.
With the title on the line and Belfast just one point ahead heading into the final round, the Steelers knew they needed a win. But it was the Blaze who came out flying, stunning Sheffield with two quick goals inside 33 seconds. Brady Pouteau struck first at 2:50, firing through traffic from the point, before Nick Seitz doubled the lead after a strong forecheck by Alesso Luciani.
Sheffield answered quickly, showing championship grit. Just 33 seconds later, Daniel Ciampini found Sam Tremblay at the back post for a clinical finish. The equaliser came at 8:37 through Mitchell Balmas, who roofed a shot after great work from Joona Huttula behind the Blaze net.
The period saw chances at both ends, big hits, and a few tempers flaring—most notably when Martin Jurgens knocked Kevin Tansey into Matt Greenfield. Both sides traded penalties late in the frame, which ended 2-2 with the Steelers holding a narrow shot advantage.
Sheffield started the middle period with real purpose. After early chances for Patrick Watling and Kevin Tansey, the breakthrough came at 26:18 when Mitchell Balmas forced a turnover and fed Ciampini, who finished with confidence to give the Steelers their first lead of the night; moments after news that Nottingham had gone 2-1 up on Belfast.
But the lead was short-lived. Coventry equalised at 28:23 through Terrance Amorosa, who rifled a shot past Greenfield from the left circle. The game turned more physical from there, with Ciampini and Jack Hopkins exchanging punches behind the play.
The Steelers had two powerplay opportunities after penalties to Jackson Cressey and Mike Kennedy, but despite good puck movement, they couldn’t find a way past Mat Robson. Marco Vallerand came closest, ringing a shot off the post late in the period. With the Giants trailing in Nottingham, everything was still to play for as the teams went into the third tied at 3-3.
The final 20 minutes were tense, cagey, and defined by playoff-style defence. Daniel Leavens had a near miss early on, while a two-on-one for Luciani and Constable ended with a shot over the bar.
As word filtered through that Belfast had drawn level in Nottingham, the tension mounted. The Steelers needed a winner but it was the Blaze who struck. At 56:42, Chase Gresock capitalised on a loose puck from a scrambled face-off in the Steelers zone, firing low past an unsighted Greenfield to make it 4-3.
Sheffield threw everything forward in the final minutes, pulling Greenfield and calling a timeout with 30 seconds left. But the equaliser wouldn’t come, and as the buzzer sounded, the Belfast Giants were crowned 2024–25 Elite League champions.
Mitchell Balmas was named Man of the Match for Sheffield, who will now refocus for the playoff quarter-finals against the Glasgow Clan with the first leg away on Saturday night, before returning to the Utilita Arena for the second leg on Sunday.
First Period [2-2] – Fast and Furious First: Steelers Battle Back to Level After Early Blaze Blitz
In a high-stakes first period in Coventry, the Sheffield Steelers clawed back from a nightmare start to head into the intermission tied 2-2 with the Blaze, keeping their Elite League title hopes alive on the final night of the regular season.
With the Belfast Giants just one point ahead and playing simultaneously against the Nottingham Panthers, the pressure was on Aaron Fox’s men following their dramatic penalty shootout win over the Cardiff Devils the previous evening. Fox rolled with the same lineup, with Matt Greenfield back between the pipes opposite Coventry’s Mat Robson.
Sheffield came out looking sharp, registering early efforts from Brien Diffley and Daniel Ciampini down the left wing. Robson, though shaky, managed to get enough of his glove on Ciampini’s attempt to keep it out.
But it was the Blaze who stunned the Steelers with two goals in 33 seconds. First, at 2:50, Brady Pouteau fired through traffic from the left point following a face-off win, finding the bottom corner past Greenfield. Then, at 3:23, Alesso Luciani worked hard along the boards and fed Nick Seitz in the slot, who rifled a one-timer home for a quickfire 2-0 lead.
The Steelers wasted no time in responding. Just 33 seconds later, they transitioned swiftly from a face-off in their own zone, with Ciampini blazing down the wing before threading a perfect pass across the crease to Sam Tremblay, who roofed it at the back post to make it 2-1.
Physicality ramped up as Martin Jurgens shoved Kevin Tansey into Greenfield, sparking tempers. Sheffield nearly drew level moments later, as Mikko Juusola, Robert Dowd, and Mitchell Balmas combined on an odd-man rush, but Balmas opted to pass rather than shoot, and the chance slipped away.
The equaliser eventually came at 8:37. Joona Huttula muscled his way behind the Blaze net, protecting the puck and finding Balmas in the slot, who made no mistake, ripping a shot high over Robson’s blocker to make it 2-2.
Balmas was then sent to the box for tripping at 9:30, but a determined penalty kill from Juusola and Tremblay kept the Blaze at bay. Greenfield came up big with a blocker stop on a dangerous Seitz-Luciani combination, while Vallerand and Leavens each had golden chances after Blaze defensive giveaways but couldn’t convert.
Late in the period, both Daniel Leavens and Jackson Cressey were whistled for coincidental minors at 19:27, and the period ended with the score locked at two apiece. The Steelers held a slight edge in shots, leading 12-11 after an intense, back-and-forth opening frame.
Second Period [3-3] – Steelers Edge in Front, Blaze Hit Back in Spirited Second Period
The middle frame of a tense final-night showdown saw the Steelers briefly take their first lead of the game, only for the Blaze to hit back swiftly, with both sides ramping up the physicality in a gripping second period.
The Steelers came out of the intermission with intent, dominating the early stages of the period. Patrick Watling registered the first quality chance, cutting in from the left side, but his effort was comfortably turned aside by Blaze netminder Mat Robson. Moments later, Kevin Tansey attempted a wraparound, but again Robson was equal to it.
Sheffield kept their foot on the gas, peppering the Blaze zone with pressure. Sacha Guimond’s blast from the blue line was swallowed up by traffic in front as the Blaze scrambled to contain the surge.
The breakthrough came at 26:18. Mitchell Balmas did the hard work, forcing a turnover deep in the Coventry zone before dishing a clever backhand pass across to Daniel Ciampini, who found space and made no mistake, finishing cleanly past Robson. The goal gave the Steelers their first lead of the night, coinciding with news filtering through that Nottingham had gone ahead 2-1 against Belfast, a twist that only raised the stakes further.
But the lead was short-lived. Just over two minutes later, at 28:23, the Blaze struck back. Terrance Amorosa collected the puck near the top of the left circle and rifled a pinpoint shot past Matt Greenfield’s blocker. Nick Seitz and Brandon Alderson were credited with the assists on the equaliser.
As the tempo climbed, so did the physical edge. Daniel Ciampini and Jack Hopkins exchanged punches behind the play as tensions threatened to boil over. At 31:18, Jackson Cressey was sent to the box for boarding, but the Steelers struggled to make the man advantage count. A prolonged puck battle pinned to the boards went without a whistle, chewing up valuable seconds, and Coventry eventually killed off the penalty.
Late in the period, Marco Vallerand nearly restored Sheffield’s lead, rattling the post with a blistering effort that had many in the arena momentarily convinced it had gone in. At 36:49, Mike Kennedy was penalised for cross-checking, giving the Steelers another look on the powerplay. Despite several efforts from the perimeter, they were once again unable to break through.
Sheffield controlled much of the second half of the period but couldn’t find a way past Robson again before the buzzer. The period ended tied at 3-3, setting up a dramatic final 20 minutes with the league title still hanging in the balance as Nottingham finished ahead 3-2 against the Giants at the end of the second in their encounter.
Third Period [4-3] – Late Blaze Strike Ends Steelers’ Title Push in Tense Third PeriodTop of Form
With everything on the line on the final night of the Elite League season, the Steelers saw their title hopes dashed in a tense and tightly contested third period, as a late Blaze goal proved decisive in a 4-3 defeat at the Skydome.
The final frame began with limited opportunities for either side, as both teams tightened up defensively. Daniel Leavens came closest in the early stages, almost connecting at the back post before a last-ditch stick deflection diverted the puck away from danger.
The atmosphere inside the arena grew increasingly tense as news filtered through that the Belfast Giants had drawn level in Nottingham, a result that meant Sheffield needed a win to claim the title. The Steelers pressed, but chances remained hard to come by.
With five minutes remaining, Blaze began to test Matt Greenfield more frequently. A dangerous two-on-one break saw Grayson Constable and Alesso Luciani link up, but Luciani’s shot flew high, letting Sheffield off the hook.
However, the breakthrough came at 56:42. A scrambled face-off in the Steelers zone broke kindly for Chase Gresock, who found himself in space in the slot. With traffic in front of Greenfield, Gresock snapped a quick shot that beat the unsighted Steelers netminder, giving Coventry the late lead.
Aaron Fox rolled the dice, pulling Greenfield for the extra attacker with just over a minute remaining. The Steelers spent time in the Blaze zone and called a timeout with 30 seconds left to draw up one last push, but the equaliser never came.
With the final buzzer, the Belfast Giants were crowned Elite League champions, completing a league and Challenge Cup double. Mitchell Balmas was named Man of the Match for Sheffield, whose attention now turns to the post-season. They will face the Glasgow Clan in the playoff quarter-finals, beginning with the first leg in Glasgow on Saturday night before returning home to the Utilita Arena on Sunday.Top of Form
