Warburton 'delighted just to play'

Photo: Panthers Images

Sheffield Steelers netminder Curtis Warburton was delighted to be on the ice on Friday night for the Steelers.

The 19-year-old was thrown in inside 13 minutes by Head Coach Aaron Fox with the Steelers three down to Nottingham, but he went on to stop 16 of 17 shots in the rest of the game to earn praise from his coach and fans alike.

"I was just smiling all the time," said Warburton in the post-game press conference. "I wasn't nervous, I was just really happy to play. I haven't played a game in 13 months so to be on the ice was great. I just tried to do the best I could, and all of the guys were so supportive."

Warburton, who went to school opposite Ice Sheffield, has now given Fox something to consider for Sunday's game against Manchester. "It's certainly something I'll have to think about," said the Steelers Head Coach post-game. "Curtis came in and looked solid for us and made some big saves.

"It's not an opportunity that someone of his age gets very often, and I was very proud of him for his performance and our group for how they battled for him."