Logan Roe ready for first taste of Sheffield Steelers v Nottingham Panthers rivalry

New Sheffield Steelers signing Logan Roe says he is looking forward to experiencing the club’s rivalry with Nottingham Panthers for the first time when the two sides meet on Saturday.

The Steelers-Panthers rivalry stretches back more than three decades and has developed into one of the fiercest in British ice hockey, with an added edge whenever the two teams meet.

Roe has only been in Sheffield a short time, but says he has already been told what to expect.

“Yeah, just a little bit of talk here and there, and the guys have been filling me in a little bit recently,” he said “But as a player, you love to play those rivalry games.

“You know the fans will be electric and the energy in the building will be big, so I’m looking forward to it for sure. You get excited, you look forward to it and you kind of circle it on the schedule.

“It’s going to be a game that we definitely want to take advantage of.”

Roe is no stranger to rivalry games having spent the last four seasons in Austria with Linz.

“Salzburg was always a big one for us in Linz,” he said. “It’s always the same kind of thing when teams are close geographically.

“You want to put down a marker and show who the better team is in the area. That’s something we’ll definitely want to do on Saturday against Nottingham.”

For Roe, the importance of the occasion extends beyond the players.

“These games mean a lot to us as players, but I think even more so for the fans,” he added. “Whatever brings them the most joy and entertainment, that’s the plan for sure.”

The Steelers go into Saturday’s game after making a strong start to the new season with victories over Coventry Blaze and Guildford Flames last weekend.

Roe has been encouraged by what he has seen so far from his new team-mates.

“The first game was definitely more our style and how we wanted to play,” he said.

“In the second one we got ourselves into a bit of a hole, but we battled back, which I think shows a lot about our team.

“Two wins is definitely a great way to start.”

Roe is also continuing to adjust to life in the Elite League.

“It’s still a new experience for me,” he said. “It’s always fun seeing new rinks, and the fans so far have been really good and have turned up in numbers.

“You adjust to things after the first couple of shifts, but at the end of the day it’s still hockey and we’re all playing the same sport.”