Leeds Knights v Hull Seahawks: Ryan Aldridge ready for 'tough' opening night against derby rivals
AS summers go, it was a quiet one for Leeds Knights - certainly in terms of recruitment.
Changes - on the back of finishing their 2025-26 season on the perfect high by winning the NIHL National play-off final against Hull Seahawks – were kept to a minimum by head coach Ryan Aldridge.
Throughout the season, Aldridge had often been critical of his players in his post-match interviews as they surrendered the regular season league title they had won for three straight years.
But in an injury-hit campaign – with their situation worsened for part of the post-season due to GB Under-18 call-ups – the Knights were able to battle their way through to the Final Four Weekend in Coventry before going on to lift the post-season crown for a second time.
The triumph left Aldridge feeling vindicated for the decisions he made the previous summer on his roster, decisions which saw a number of familiar faces depart as he placed his faith on a slightly more youthful look.
This time around, there are only two new faces on the Knights’ roster ahead of Friday night’s regular season league curtain-raiser at home to Hull.
Import forward Cullen McLean and British defenceman Zach Sullivan are the additions made, with back-up netminder Harrison Walker returning after winning the treble in the tier below with Blackburn Hawks.
Pre-season has seen both new faces have the desired impact, according to their new coach.
“They're both exactly what it says on the tin,” said Aldridge. “Sully's come in and he's a mature head. He’s calm on the puck, calm on the ice and good in the locker room - good on the ice with the boys.
“If I’m honest, he’s a voice we've probably been missing in the last few years.
“And then Cullen's still finding his feet, as you’d expect at this stage – you have to remember, this is a tough league to come and play in.
“But I think with every game he's improving. I think for him, it's just a case of finding the right line-mates and it will just go from there.”
Pre-season brought three defeats from four games but, as always at this time of year, the results are immaterial. It is more a fact-finding expedition for coaches to assess what lines and combinations work best in time for opening night.
In that respect, Aldridge has got what he wanted.
“I’m pleased with how pre-season went, I think,” added Aldridge. “We've still got a lot of growing pains to clear up but yeah, it was four good games, four good workouts. We were in some pressure situations at times which was good.”
One of those ‘workouts’ came in Hull, the Knights edging their way to a 4-3 win in a typically fiesty encounter, despite there being nothing at stake.
There will be plenty on the line on Friday at Elland Road – although maybe not as much as at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena when the two teams last clashed back in April.
There will be no shortage of incentive for the Seahawks to set the record straight, but Aldridge is looking forward to an intense derby clash for his team’s first test of 2026-27.
“They are a very good hockey team and I felt like the game at theirs the other week was a great game,” said Aldridge. “I think either team could have won that game that night.
“But I think for us, we've just got to be ourselves. We've got to come in with the right mentality.
“Again, it's a tough test, no doubt about it, especially for the first night. But I'm sure it will be a great opening game.”