Steel City was founded as the "Steel City Derby Demons" in 2006, after Natalie "Busty Brawler" Gilchrist, Pam "Suzy Sydal" Simmons, and Becky "Elsa Slam" Bauer were inspired to recruit skaters for a potential roller derby team after hearing from a friend about the
L.A. Derby Dolls. By early 2007, Steel City was ready to hold its first public games at BladeRunners in
Harmarville, and was announced as a new member of the
Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in May 2007. Upon its founding, Steel City had four teams, the Bitch Doctors, the Hot Metal Hellions, the Slumber Party Slashers and the Wrecking Dolls. As of 2016, SCRD features two travel teams, including the WFTDA all-star A-team, Steel Hurtin', and the B-team (formerly known as the "B-Unit"), Steel Beamers. Then-league member Jennifer "Snot Rocket Science" Gaskins was a member of
Team USA at the 2011 and 2014 editions of the
Roller Derby World Cup. In 2011, Pittsburgh city councilor Natalia Rudiak sponsored a proclamation at
Pittsburgh City Council that led to a declaration of September 13, 2011 as "Steel City Derby Demons Day" in recognition of the league's "community involvement, commitment to athleticism, and positive international representation of Pittsburgh". For much of its history, Steel City played its home games, and practiced at Romp N Roll, a roller rink in
Glenshaw, which was announced to be closing in late 2016. , Steel City is holding its home events at the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena in
Cheswick. In October 2022, Steel City held a
Guy Fieri-themed tournament called the Flavortahn Throwdahn as part of
WFTDA's "Back on the Track" series celebrating the post-COVID-19 return to roller derby. The featured teams were Steel City's Steel Hurtin',
Detroit Roller Derby,
Arch Rival Roller Derby, and
Penn Jersey Roller Derby. Steel City held a jersey retirement ceremony in August 2023 to honor and memorialize skater Barbara "S'Fya" Montgomery after her death earlier that year. The number 187 has been retired within the league. S'Fya was not only a Steel Hurtin' skater but a coach and active member of the roller derby community, having also played with Team Pennsylvania and Little Steel Derby Girls (the former name of
Youngstown Area Roller Derby.) ==WFTDA competition==