Jordan Griffin aiming to keep Leeds Knights' good times rolling
JORDAN GRIFFIN played just over half of Leeds Knights’ games last season. But he was around to have a telling impact when it mattered most.
Just three games into the 2025-26 NIHL National campaign and the 24-year-old defenceman found himself sidelined with a hand injury.
He wouldn’t return to the fray until the first leg of the National Cup semi-final at Swindon Wildcats in early January.
From then on, it was a non-stop rollercoaster as Leeds saw both their Cup and league crowns go elsewhere.
But Griffin - effectively just three months into his season - was to be around for the best part, the Knights battering their way through the play-off group stage to make the Final Four Weekend in Coventry.
After edging out former club and one Yorkshire rival and Sheffield Steeldogs in the semi-finals, the Knights returned the following day to do the same to Hull Seahawks in the final.
It provided the perfect end to a frustrating campaign for Griffin, as well as extending the Knights’ run of winning silverware to a fourth straight year.
Griffin, despite his tender years, is among the most experienced players on the Knights roster, one of only three players - along with captain Kieran Brown and netminder Sam Gospel - to still be around from the very start of the Knights’ franchise back in 2021.
His return for a sixth season at Elland Road Ice Arena should therefore come as no surprise.
“It was frustrating for the first half of the season because I'd just done all the pre-season training and everything, and I was feeling good - then I got injured,” said Griffin.
“And it's always difficult coming back mid-season, because everyone is in mid-season form by then, so it takes a little bit longer to get back into it.
“But, you know, it was good. It felt good at the end of the year, not as sore for once and I was just happy to be back.”
Despite seeing their time as league champions come to an end after three years, Griffin said the team remained confident they could salvage something from the campaign.
“We knew we were capable,” added Griffin. “It was just a bad year for everything really - somebody would come back from injury one week and then someone else would get hurt the next.
“But we felt we were capable as a group of achieving something. It just obviously took a while to get there - but it was good in the end when we did get there.”
Head coach Ryan Aldridge said he couldn’t emphasise enough how invaluable Griffin’s presence was during the last two-three months of the season.
“Griff has been a massive part of this team since the start,” said Aldridge.
“He goes about his business the same way, day in, day out and plays a calm but physical game.
“He is tough and one of those guys that make his team-mates play a little bigger and with a bit more confidence when they’re on the ice with him.
“He was missed when out of the line up this year and I thought he played a huge part in our play-off push.”