OPPORTUNITY knocks for another teenager to make the step up to NIHL National for Leeds Knights with forward Frankie O’Sullivan added to the team for tonight’s clash at Swindon Wildcats.

The 16-year-old is the latest to make the grade having gained his first taste of senior hockey with Leeds Knights 2 at the start of this season.

So far this season, the left-hander has scored eight goals and five assists in 21 games.

Head coach Ryan Aldridge said he was keen to see how the youngster adapted to life at the higher level.

“His potential is pretty high,” said Aldridge of O’Sullivan, who started his junior career at Bradford Bulldogs before making the switch to Leeds Junior Knights in 2024.

“He’s not shy or scared, he plays the game the right way, he goes to the dirty areas, he fights for pucks in front of the net and he’s got an eye for goal.

“He’s just a good young talent and it will be interesting to see him in the line-up.”

Elsewhere, Tom Palmer will again make the step up having been added to the roster for last Sunday’s home game against Milton Keynes Lightning, while Aldridge may yet call somebody else up from the second team given how short he is on numbers for the trip to Wiltshire.

STEPPING UP: Frankie O'Sullivan is set to make his NIHL National debut for Leeds Knights on Friday night in Swindon. Picture: Kev Bland/Knights Media.

placeholder image — STEPPING UP: Frankie O'Sullivan is set to make his NIHL National debut for Leeds Knights on Friday night in Swindon. Picture: Kev Bland/Knights Media.

Doncaster-born Palmer signed initially for Knights 2, having spent the first part of this season with NIHL National rivals, Romford Raiders, where he posted three goals and five assists in 36 games.

Having come through the Sheffield and Nottingham junior system, he spent three seasons with Sheffield Steeldogs before spending the 2024-25 season split between Peterborough Phantoms and Romford.

On Palmer’s addition to the Knights’ organisation, Aldridge added: “We’ve spoken on and off for about two or three years and it has never worked out for one reason or another, on both sides.

“And Davey (Lawrence) reached out to him for the 2s and spoke to me about him skating with us from time to time and with him signing for the 2s I obviously get to have a look at him and now he’s getting a chance to be seen with us this weekend.”

SHORT-BENCHED: Leeds Knights' head coach Ryan Aldridge. Picture: Rob Halls/Knights Media.

Last weekend’s double-header turned out to be costly for the Knights in terms of injuries, with defencemen Jonas Bennett and Sam Cooper (both upper-body) ruled out this weekend, as is forward Innes Gallacher who suffered a lower-body injury in Sunday’s 7-5 win.

They join import forward Arturs Mickevics, who remains sidelined with a lower-body injury, while Finley Bradon is away on international duty with Great Britain at the European Cup of Nations in Edinburgh.

Youngsters Daragh Spawforth, Liam Hine and Danny Harrison are also away, selected for GB Under-18s in their three-game ‘Winter Challenge’ series against Hungary Under-19s.