Leeds Knights and Hull Seahawks get early chance to renew rivalry in NIHL National play-offs

The rivalry between the two Yorkshire teams has built steadily over the course of the 2023-24 regular season, Leeds currently 4-1 ahead in the head-to-head regular season series, while Matty Davies’s enjoyed bragging rights when hammering the Knights 9-4 over two legs in the semi-finals of the National Cup.

The two close out their regular season campaign with a sixth and final league encounter this Sunday night in Hull (face-off, 5-30pm) but they will not have to wait too long before battling each other again.

The two are in play-off Group A along with Bees IHC and one of either Peterborough Phantoms or Telford Tigers.

That won’t become clear until this weekend's league programme is concluded but what is known is that the Knights and Seahawks will be playing each other on the first weekend.

Leeds will play host to the Seahawks on Friday, April 5, before the two teams meet again 48 hours later at Hull Ice Arena.

The following weekend pits Hull against the Bees, while the Seahawks hit the road on Saturday, April 13 before welcoming the Slough-based team to East Yorkshire the following night.

That weekend will see Leeds play either Telford or Peterborough – the Knights’ home tie being on Sunday, April 14 – before they close out the the group phase against the Bees, at home on Saturday, April 20 before travelling to Slough on April 21.

The Seahawks are scheduled to play either Telford or Peterborough on April 20 before facing a road trip to finish their group campaign.

The top two teams from each group will go through to the NIHL National Play-off Finals Weekend at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena on Saturday, April 27-Sunday, April 28.