The Ups and Downs of Ice Hockey – Andreas Valdix and Liam Kirk

Andreas Valdix was a key part of the club during the 2016-18 seasons before being released. After a four-year absence, he returned with a week-to-week contract to help with the injury to Aaron Fox and the team affected by Covid.

He had two assists in four games this quarter before contracting coronavirus.

Over the past few days he has had a one-on-one with Fox, who revealed, “He doesn’t feel physically and just needs time to get better.”

Fans will be eager to see what happens to the Sheffield-based Swede.

They hold him in high regard, especially for his service to the club at the start of his stay in South Yorkshire.

Valdix left in 2018, one of the players to pay the price for a winless season. He had been the fourth top scorer.

He recalled: “The club had very high expectations, we had won the play-offs the year before, they wanted to win the year after and we didn’t, so I think they wanted to have a better team and it was like that. “

In the previous campaign, Valdix provided the pass from which Levi Nelson scored to win the playoffs, 6-5, in double overtime.

“It was a great memory,” he said.

Now 37, the striker said in a recent interview with The Star: “I’ll be playing as long as I think it’s fun, but of course I’m getting older and I feel like it’s getting more and more. harder there too.

“There are a lot of young people out there, but as long as it’s fun and I feel like I can play the game I want to play, I’ll keep going.

If he does not stay in Sheffield, he could appear at clubs he has spoken with before at EIHL or abroad.

“Right now I’m focusing on here and doing my best. “

The Steelers will likely be without him for tonight’s Challenge Cup quarter-final first leg against the Fife Flyers.

Meanwhile, Maltby’s NHL draft pick Liam Kirk is moving to the next stage of his rehabilitation after injury while playing for the Tucson Roadrunners in the United States.

“I haven’t had surgery for two months, so let’s continue with the rehabilitation protocol,” he told The Star. “There will be a lot of strength and balance work over the next couple of months.

“There are just limitations on certain movements. I’m in the six week to three month period where the focus is on balance and strengthening the knee and the muscles around it.”

As for Covid in the camp, he said: “We’ve had a few cases but we’re back in the game. The league has mandates in place to help slow down and hopefully prevent the spread.”