'He taught me how to conduct myself' - Will Kerlin on all he learnt from Tomas Duba during time at Sheffield Steelers

"I'll teach you stuff on the ice if you teach me English," the Czech goaltender told his teenage understudy.

That proposal, at the start of Sheffield Steelers' 2019-20 season, was the beginning of an extremely rewarding training and life-skills course for the younger man.

And Kerlin feels blessed that he can now take the experience gained into his next club.

'I fell in love with Sheffield' Will Kerlin says as he hopes to line up against his Sheffield Steelers replacement in the future

The Brit, who has been released by Steelers, is gushing in his praise of Duba, whose own future is uncertain.

"He always turned up at the rink with a smile on his face, whatever was going on," said Kerlin.

"He might have been 20 years older than me but it never felt like that, it never made a difference.

"He taught me not just about being a goalie but how to conduct myself as a person and as a professional.

"There was something about him, nobody would have a bad word about him."

Duba wasn't the only senior member of the playing staff who ensured Kerlin blossomed at the arena.

"There were really so many special bonds formed in that time.

"The younger guys formed a group, people like Cole Shudra, Alex Graham, Jordan Griffin. But others like Aaron Brocklehurst, Aaron Johnson and John Armstrong were really good to me, as were Anthony DeLuca, Marco Vallerand and Tanner Eberle."

Lucas Sandstrom not ruling out return to Sheffield Steelers

Meanwhile Steelers' owner Tony Smith has indicated the EIHL might consider playing games with a 60% crowd limit, allowing for social distancing, if the Government was to permit it.

Recently, coach Aaron Fox suggested the same thing might be viable in an interview with The Star, with a ceiling at the arena of somewhere around 4-5,000.

Smith confirmed a reduced percentage across the EIHL was a possibility.

But he admitted the bigger issue would be a second coronavirus spike which might stop the season after it had started - and large amounts of money wasted on bringing a team together.

"If there was the slightest suggestion that we may get another lockdown every club would have to consider that very seriously before they started," he told Radio Sheffield.

Smith added that a final decision on season 2020-21 would have to be taken at the end of September or early October.

The rest of Steelers' squad is unlikely to be signed until a start date is guaranteed.

Smith also pointed out the possibility that if his team played in the Continental Cup in Italy in November, as currently scheduled, it was possible that players and staff might then be quarantined on their return - which would be no way to prepare for the domestic season.

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