Sheffield Steeldogs v Leeds Knights - Matt Barron keen to build NIHL National play-offs momentum

The Knights have rightly been rejoicing in their second straight NIHL National regular season league title and while the Tuesday practice session may have been cancelled, head coach Ryan Aldridge had his players back at it on Thursday night as usual.

On paper, a double-header weekend against second-bottom Sheffield Steeldogs - who by comparison have had the worst possible 2023-24 - may seem a straighforward proposition for the Knights.

With Aldridge likely to rest those players who have been carrying injuries and niggles over the past few weeks, it is unlikely to be a full-strength Knights team that takes to the ice on either evening.

But the head coach won’t be keen to have any of his players sidelined for too long, keen as he is to maintain momentum going into the play-offs as he looks for his team to repeat last year’s double triumph.

Import forward Matt Barron - an ever-present this season - could be one of those to be given a well-earned rest, or at least see his ice time reduced, but he said no player will be keen to be out for too long, given the close bond that has developed between the group this season, the main reason he believes behind the organisation’s ability to win two back-to-back league championships.

“When you show up, you know that they won the year before and you want to keep that going - the expexctation was to win,” said Barron on his expectations after arriving last August.

“That has been the case from the very start and luckily we’ve been able to do that. I won a Junior A championship with my hometown team Yarmouth - which was pretty special - but it’s been a few years since that happened, so I’m obviously very excited to have won here in Leeds.

“And we’ve been able to do that because of what is in that locker room. Everyone is so close and the relationships that we’ve built are something special - going forward, that is only going to be a positive for us.

“We obviously want to enjoy the moment of winning the league because we’ve worked all year for it and we’ve earned it.

“But at the same time we want to continue to build towards the play-offs because that is the next goal for us.”