Steelers Career So Far A ‘Dream Come True’ For Yorkshire-Born Finlay Ulrick

Last season Finlay Ulrick made his debut for the treble-winning Sheffield Steelers side against his former club Manchester Storm in the English Ice Hockey League (EIHL).

This season he has cemented himself with the Steelers after featuring in their last six league matches as well as two of their Champions Hockey League (CHL) matches.

On his transfer to the Steelers, forward Finlay Ulrick said, “It was very cool; actually, I mean, it started off with me just training with them and kind of being around it just to get the feel for how professional it is and how well set up the Steelers organisation is.”

“(I’m)just forever grateful to Matty [Davies] for allowing me to do that; obviously he didn’t have to with me being signed full time in Hull, but he realised my career aspirations and allowed me to go and do that, and then I managed to get a few games in with the Steelers.”

Ulrick is one of the many young British talents who is breaking into the top British leagues, which sees him play for the Sheffield Steelers as well as the Sheffield Steeldogs.

He attributes his interest in ice hockey to his parents, who took him to a session at Hull Ice Arena, and from there he has gone from strength to strength in and around Yorkshire.

Ulrick, who was born in North Ferriby, recalled his earliest memories of playing ice hockey: "I was a young child; I think about three or four years old, and it was raining on a Sunday, and [my parents] didn't know what to do with me to keep me entertained, so they took me to Hull Ice Arena just for a public skate."

"I could skate, and the academy's coach at the time, Peter Johnson, asked my parents if we'd ever tried ice hockey. They responded, 'We don't know what it's really like,' so I went down to a learn-to-play session and really carried on from there."

From 2019 to 2024, he featured for a number of teams in the British game, including Manchester Storm in the EIHL as well as Leeds Knights and Hull Seahawks in the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL).

However, this year he has turned his attention to a two-way contract between the Sheffield Steelers in the EIHL and the Sheffield Steeldogs in the NIHL.

On his two-way contract between the Steelers and Steeldogs, 24-year-old Ulrick said, “I think it’s kind of what gives us that edge at the Steeldogs, the aspirations that everyone’s got in a sense that [everyone’s] looking and striving for bigger and better things.”

“I think with the new management and the new streamline system, if you will, having that clear pathway from the Steeldogs to the Steelers and obviously being given the opportunity, I think it’s brilliant and can only help grow hockey even more and help grow the standard throughout the league hopefully.”

Ulrick is one of the Steeldogs who has made the step up to the top British league on multiple occasions already this season, which has seen him record four goals in six matches.

This is due, in part, to his positive end to the 2023-24 season with the Steelers after he joined the club part way through the season on a two-way deal with the Hull Seahawks.

On his time spent between the Steelers and Steeldogs this season, former Great Britain u20s player Ulrick said: “It’s been great; I’m really enjoying it at the moment. Obviously, coming into the year, I signed a two-way deal with the Steeldogs and the Steelers, undoubtedly in hopes that I’d be able to get some games with the Steelers and get that chance to prove myself.”

“I’ve been very fortunate to get that chance early and get some luck going my way just playing and not really thinking about the points, to be honest, but just playing and enjoying it.”

After playing in the EIHL playoffs last season, Ulrick has continued to remain present in many of the Steelers high-profile matches, including five of their Challenge Cup matches.

Additionally, the Steelers have selected him to play in two of their regular season CHL games, and he will be hoping to make the team for their upcoming round of 16 match against Eisbären Berlin.

In his experiences playing in the CHL, in the Steelers’ last two matches, Ulrick said, “It was a pretty surreal moment, to be honest, when I got the nod from [Aaron Fox] that I was going to head to Zurich with the team. I was just buzzing with excitement really.”

“Obviously, to be a part of it and to play against some of the top teams in Europe was a cool moment, and stepping out onto the ice in the Champions League jersey was something you tick off your bucket list (...) But for me to be a part of it, it’s a bit of a dream come true, to be honest, but I’m just enjoying it every day.”