The Beginning

The Sheffield Steelers played a huge role in Amy’s final time. The journey with ice hockey began in January 2014 when a trip was planned though the Teenage Cancer Unit. There was little interest from the other patients on the ward, other than Tom Flack and Amy, so I got invited me along too. It was a Sheffield Steelers vs. Nottingham Panthers game, and by the first period break, Amy turned to me and said “Oh my God, I love it!”. We then went to every home game, purchasing tickets for the following week as soon as we got home from the last.

Amy had been telling the staff at the hospital how much she was loving it, so one of the nurses called the Steelers and arranged a VIP experience at the next game. Mike O Conner, the commercial manager, arranged for a bench side seat for warm up, a picture on the ice with Amy’s favourite players- Tim Spencer (because he played in 21) and Jason Hewitt (because she ‘loved his beard’ and he had a fight on our first game and instantly fell in love!). We also got to visit the boys in the changing room post game. It was a great night!

Unexpectedly it didn’t stop there, we were then asked to join the boys for dinner the next week, and subsequently invited back to games every weekend.