Dowd goes for Fitzgerald as Steelers player of year

“If I can’t pick myself, I’d probably go for Zack Fitzgerald,” winger Rob Dowd says of the team’s blue line enforcer.

“As a defenceman he brings everything to the table you want.

“He keeps guys accountable and while he takes penalty minutes he doesn’t do it stupidly - he picks and chooses his moments when to step in.

“When a game needs settling down, he will go and grab his guy and do what he has to.

“Every team needs a skill player back there, but he is very solid defensively, he has a good first pass and makes good decisions.

“He is a great guy off and on the ice and he seems to have liked it at Sheffield since the moment he arrived.”

Dowd believes other candidates for player of the season currently include linemate Levi Neilson and Tyler Mosienko.