Why veteran Sam Zajac is so invested in helping Leeds Knights achieve their ambitions at Elland Road

It’s heartwarming for the 32-year-old defenceman, so much so that he has signed up for a second season with Leeds Knights, convinced that under owner Steve Nell and recently-retained head coach Ryan Aldridge, Leeds is now a ‘hockey town’.

Regular crowds of 1,500-plus during the Knights’ first season are evidence of how quickly the city has taken the sport to its hearts, there were even a couple of sell-outs thrown in for good measure.

Zajac attributes the success primarily to owner Nell, who took over the franchise from Elland Road rink owners Planet Ice last year, the company’s own attempt at running a team out of the venue having proved nothing but problematic.

Zajac, of course, knew only too well the problems that beset the ill-fated Leeds Chiefs, left without a rink until midway through the inaugural NIHL National season due to endless delays, in a campaign which was then ended early by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Talk followed of the Chiefs joining the handful of second-tier teams who were able to play some competitive hockey the following season, but nothing ever got off the ground.

As the situation began to improve across the country, Nell took the opportunity to take over the playing side of things in Leeds, the transformation 12 months on being greatly impressive.

It is clearly a project that Zajac – the man appointed player-coach of the Chiefs by Planet Ice in May 2019 – is keen to remain a part of.

“You can feel that it is becoming a hockey city, there’s a buzz around the place,” said Zajac. “It’s becoming what we all imagined, hoped and dreamed it would do all that time ago. Guys saw that potential early on the same as me – guys like Sam Gospel and Lewis Baldwin – they jumped on board for the exact same reason I did.

“It was tough that first year when we didn’t have a rink and we were playing and practising here, there and everywhere. But there was always the promise for things to improve and it is starting to bear fruit now. It’s such a sport-mad city, the potential remains huge for the team.

“Steve is definitely the right man to be taking it forward – you can see the impact of the changes he has made in such a short period of time.

“He’s not somebody who is going to throw money at it for a couple of years, try and win something, then pull the chute and get out – he’s here for the long term and here to watch it develop.

“And I genuinely believe it’s starting to become a destination that players in our league look at and think that it is something they want to be a part of, that Leeds is an attractive proposition to come and play.

“It’s been great to see the crowd numbers grow the way they have this past year.

“There’s no better feeling than skating out there in front of a full crowd. And it is loud in that building and it has become a really good place to play hockey very quickly.”

Another attraction for Zajac sticking around are the plans head coach Aldridge has for the team.

The 43-year-old made an instant impact on the players when replacing Dave Whistle mid-season and his decision earlier this month to return on a two-year deal will also help attract players to the team, believes Zajac.

“I knew Ryan previously, more from just playing against him, so I was quite taken aback by, not just his knowledge, but his approach to the game,” added Zajac.

“It was clear how good a fit he was for us at that time, too and everyone in that locker room is excited to be part of the team he’s going to put together.

“He’s an old-school guy, he’s competitive and he knows what it takes to win at this level.

“And talking to him about potential signings and how he wants us to play, it’s definitely something that made my decision to sign up again such an easy one.”