Leeds Knights: Harry Gulliver guaranteed warm welcome on his Elland Road return

And it will be fully deserved according to Leeds Knights head coach Ryan Aldridge, who was keen to bring the talented forward back to the team on a permanent basis during the summer.

In the end, Gulliver opted to stay home and sign a deal with boyhood club Raiders IHC, having spent the majority of his junior and senior career living and playing away.

Last season he made himself a popular figure with Knights’ fans after signing on a two-way deal from the Elite League’s Manchester Storm.

Gulliver was an energetic presence on the ice for Leeds, posting 24 points in just 29 appearances for Leeds, including 12 goals.

Aldridge and Gulliver go back a long way, to when the winger played for the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Swindon between 2012-16 before he packed his bags for the USA where he spent four seasons.

The pair had several conversations in the summer before Gulliver committed to the Raiders, a decision Aldridge fully understood.

“I tried to get Harry back this year,” said Aldridge. “When he was in the line-up last year he just changed our game, we played with a different energy when he was in our line-up. And he brings that to them as well.

“I don’t think he will come back here with anything to prove. It’s not like we didn’t want him. I wanted him back, I’m sure everybody would have wanted him back - he’s a great kid.

“Harry is in a position in his life where he just wants stability and you can’t knock that. He’s been away since he was 12 years old, first at Okanagan and then over to North America and I think he just probably wants a bit of stability, wants to play for his hometown club for a couple of years and see where it takes him.”

On what is a one-game weekend for the Knights, Raiders arrive at Elland Road for a second meeting of the season with their hosts.Leeds won 6-2 on the opening weekend in Romford, the goals coming from Cole Shudra, Grant Cooper, Kieran Brown, Matt Haywood and Archie Hazeldine.