Sheffield Steeldogs have signed former Guildford Flames netminder James Hadfield.

The 23-year-old spent time in the Sheffield junior system before making his EPL breakthrough in 2010/11 with Swindon Wildcats.

He moved to Guilford, spending four years at The Spectrum, before signing for MK Lightning last summer. However, an accident prevented him from ever icing for the club.

Hadfield said: “I’ve had interest from the Steeldogs for quite a while now.

“With the way the EPL is going with the import goalies, it seemed the right fit to be a Brit net minder for the Steeldogs.

“It’s great that the club have the belief in me. The Steeldogs know what I was like before my injury and are showing confidence in me now.

“I feel I have a point to prove. Many other teams will be going with an import netminder – some say you won’t win with a British netminder, so I want to prove them wrong.

Steeldogs’ boss Greg Wood added: “Last season we lost quite a few games in overtime and having an import netminder really limited who we could play in OT.

“From a coaching point of view, having a British goalie gives you a few more options on the ice especially for the special teams.

“I considered a few different goalies, but James has been on our radar for a few years now.

“He has had a year off following an injury and that has given him time to recover and get that hunger back for playing – I’ve picked that up from our conversations. He wants to get back out on the ice and prove himself.

“He’ll be working closely with our Sports Therapist and our Strength & Conditioning Coach.

“He’s made a commitment to us and we’ve made a commitment to him. We believe in him and we know he’ll do a great job for us.”

(Image permission: Alan Bone)