Sheffield Steelers coach Aaron Fox makes goaltender admission ahead of new season

Fox reiterated that one of his replacement imports, Oskar Östlund or Matthew Greenfield, will be sat in the stands, possibly for long periods, if his chosen pick is enjoying a hot streak.

By leaving out either the Swede or the American custodian, the coach will be able to ice 13 non-homegrown skaters.

That competition for the starting spot in net should lead to a fierce but friendly rivalry between Greenfield and Östlund in training, which can only be good for the whole team.

Fox said: "I absolutely expect to leave one import goalie in the stands, this season.

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"If we are fully healthy, with our imports, there will definitely be an import goalie in the stands for regular season games."

Last year, it was common for Stojanovic and Brust to share the duties, not least because of fitness issues for the latter.

"I can't see that sort of thing happening again," said Fox.

"Last year our hands were tied; Barry struggled to go back-to-back so we had to manage that especially early on."

Later on in the ultimately ill-fated campaign, Fox started to play the hot goaltender.

Brust iced six out of seven games in one stretch, but then picked up a groin injury seven minutes into a game against Dundee Stars and Stojanovic played the following 13.

"This year it will be the form goalie who plays and the other one will fight for those minutes," said Fox.

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The coach is currently having to focus on an enforced skater swap, Mason Mitchell being placed on the Injury Reserve list after an issue in training, his spot going to unexpected new recruit, Tomáš Pitule.

It is not a like-for-like exchange, says Fox.

"Mitchell is a wing, the guy coming in is a centre who has played both wing and centre, probably played each half and half, over his career.

"It is good for us to have that extra centre as, realistically, if one of the four centres we have goes down you are having to move someone.

"Scott Allen can play some centre, Robert Dowd has too, but I don't think anyone is a natural centre."

Fox has had a busy off-season, finding and signing 13 new players as well as extending deals of those returning.

"I've had a break, but, yes when you are recruiting there is always stuff to do.

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"It threw me through the loop when I got the call from (injured) Mitchell, I had to jump back into finding-a-player mode.

"But we have been in the office for some time now getting ready to go and I will be excited when the games start.