It’s become a trend in recent seasons — when autumn leaves fall, the Sheffield Steelers swoop for a member of the Glasgow Clan.
Mitchell Heard’s arrival in Yorkshire was announced on Tuesday [14 October], sparking mixed reactions.
In Glasgow, there is fan fury, accusations that the American downed tools in his final weeks with the Clan, and general discontent.
But Aaron Fox and the Steelers are understandably delighted.
“Mitch is a guy who will bring the overall compete level of our group up,” explained the Canadian. “He’s a guy that can produce like a top-liner, but also brings some of the old school intangibles.
“We’re looking forward to getting him into our line-up. When he became available, it wasn’t a question that we think he’ll make us a better team and a harder team to play against.”
But who is Heard — and why did the Steelers move so quickly to snap him up?
Who is Sheffield Steelers forward Mitch Heard?
Heard boasts thirteen seasons of professional experience, spanning the American Hockey League, German DEL, and the Slovak Extraliga.
The Canadian is a product of the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 144 points (67 goals, 77 assists) in 171 major junior appearances.
The Colorado Avalanche selected him in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, with Heard signing his entry-level contract with the franchise that summer.
The Bowman-native spent the next six seasons split between the AHL and ECHL, before joining the DEL’s Straubing Tigers in 2018-19.
Heard notched 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists) in 113 German top-flight appearances, briefly returning to North American during the pandemic.
After short spells with the Toledo Walleye and Belleville Senators, he closed out his AHL career with 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 212 games and his ECHL career with 220 points (92 goals, 128 assists) in 214 games.
Heard returned to Europe with HK Dulka Michalovce in 2023-24, scoring 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 43 Slovak Extraliga appearances.
He joined the Glasgow Clan a year later, scoring 69 points (25 goals, 44 assists) in 70 games, and re-signed for 2025-26.
However, his second season in Glasgow ended after one game (and one goal), with the Clan announcing his departure by “mutual consent “ earlier this month.
Why have the Sheffield Steelers signed Mitch Heard?
Heard’s reputation as a loose cannon is somewhat overblown.
The Canadian’s penalty stats are eye-catching, but context is required.
Last season, Heard was penalised in 18 of his 49 regular-season appearances — meaning the majority of his 131 penalty minutes came from majors and matches.
That’s to say: he can be explosive and hot-headed, but only when the red mist takes over.
And the Steelers believe they need some of Heard’s combustibility.
When Fox talks about “old school intangibles,” he’s referring to hard-nosed hockey.
Mitch Heard, Sheffield Steelers (Image: ECHL’s Toledo Walleye)
Heard plays on the edge — and Fox likes that about his game.
He’s also a powerful offensive force.
Heard is a point-per-game producer at the Elite League level and showed no signs of age-related regression down the stretch last term.
The Steelers needed more firepower. Heard needed a new team.
Let’s see how this marriage of convenience plays out, with Heard making his Steelers debut tonight — against the Clan.