Sheffield Steelers' fans in ice hockey heaven

The club and its fans have had to wait eight long years to say that - but Sunday's comprehensive 7-3 victory at home to Guildford Flames confirmed it.

They now qualify for the Champions Hockey League, too, and are double winners after capturing the Challenge Cup earlier.

Quite simply the Orange Army is in Hockey Heaven.

And the six-time champion club is also in the position where the coaching staff can rest Matthew Greenfield from his duties in goal - he made two "ridiculous saves" on Sunday, said coach Aaron Fox - for some of the five remaining league matches.

You can safely assume they won't relax their ruthless win-at-all-cost mentality, though.

The squad seeks EIHL immortality: a Play Off final win to seal the Grand Slam, as Belfast Giants managed last April.

And after scooping 83 points from a possible 98, (they last won the league in 2016 with 72 points) and currently standing 12 points clear who can stop them?

Steelers, who won 4-2 at Nottingham Panthers on Saturday (goals from Dominic Cormier, Colton Saucerman, Mitchell Balmas and Josh Nicholls) ensured the title of EIHL champions with Sunday's hefty victory over Flames, who had been the fall guys on the same pad in the Cup Final.

The home side was coasting at 3-0 with goals from Patrick Watling, Scott Allen and Marco Vallerand.

Game Guildford made a game of it with a brace, despatched by Brett Ferguson and Mike Crocock.

Kevin Tansey scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal, despite a reply from Ferguson.

As usual, Sheffield dominated the final period.

Mitchell Balmas, Daniel Ciampini and Vallerand savouring championship goals in a 3-0 session, enjoyed by 9,289 fans.

What had been a season apparently ruined by tragedy in October, had ultimately volunteered silverware for the fans to be proud of.

Coach Aaron Fox remarked on a "pretty amazing year."

A lot of hard work had gone into the Steelers' project over the past three years, "but what a group of guys we have got."

Significantly he acknowledged how the ownership had stepped up to the plate to finance players when injuries had struck.

The depth of the squad, and its consistency across the whole season, had paid dividends.

Fox said there was no reason why they could not go on to win the treble.