WITH the Challenge Cup campaign now parked to one side for a few weeks, Davey Phillips will fix his sights on helping Sheffield Steelers win the one trophy he covets the most, the one piece of silverware he hasn’t won during his six years there.

Since first stepping up to play in the Elite League back in 2006 with hometown team Hull Stingrays, Phillips has only lifted the regular season championship once.

That came with the Belfast Giants back in 2013-14 and while he won the EIHL play-off title in his first season with the Steelers back in 2016-17 and added a Challenge Cup in the Covid-shortened campaign of 2019-20, it is the league championship more than anything else, which Phillips wants to get his hands on again.

He is driven by what he sees as last season’s failure by the Steelers to lift the regular season crown when well-placed to do so, eventually being overtaken by his former club the Giants on the penultimate weekend.

GOOD START: Davey Phillips (pictured front row) celebrates with the Sheffield Steelers after beating Cardiff Devils to win the Elite League play-off trophy in April 2017 under head coach Paul Thompson. The GB defenceman is desperate to add a regular season league title with the club . Picture: Dean Woolley.

This time around, the Steelers have again started their campaign strongly, currently sitting third in the regular season standings, eight points behind leaders Guildford Flames but with four games in hand.

And while Phillips acknowledges the Steelers are well-placed to end what is now a six-year wait for the main prize, he is determined to avoid the kind of drop in form that cost them so dearly last time.

“I’ve won the play-offs and I’ve won the Challenge Cup here, but never the league,” said Phillips. “It definitely bothers me. It’s a long time to be at a big club like Sheffield and not to have won a league title.

“I won it with Belfast and it was brilliant but, the way I see it, for a big team like Sheffield not to have won the league since the year before I got here - it’s not really good enough.

GOOD START: Sheffield Steelers' Davey Phillips (left) pictured in action during last month's win over Elite League rivals Fife Flyers. Picture courtesy of Dean Woolley.

“If I’m honest, last year still leaves a sour taste in my mouth because we were in a good position. I’ve gone over it in my head numerous times, trying to put my finger on what happened and I’ve no idea.

“It was in our hands and we dropped the ball and that still grates and it drives me on even more to make sure that doesn’t happen again. I’m desperate to win that league title before my time in Sheffield is up.”

The Steelers continue their title bid on home ice tonight, when they welcome second-placed Coventry Blaze to the Utilita Arena (face-off 7.30pm). A win would lift the Steelers above Danny Stewart’s team in the standings, still with a game in hand.

Sheffield Steelers GB' star on the Elite League title frustration that he is desperate to end