Leeds Knights: Momentum key as Knights look to hit the play-offs running

WHILE there remains a realistic chance of Leeds Knights finishing second in the NIHL National regular season standings, it isn’t necessarily the top priority driving the team at the moment.
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Yes, finishing runners-up to a Telford Tigers team who last night retained their league title after Swindon Wildcats were beaten 7-2 at Basingstoke Bison, would represent an impressive achievement for the Knights in this, their first-ever season.

But it is all about the play-offs for Ryan Aldridge’s team, it has been pretty much from the moment he walked through the reception doors at Elland Road Ice Rink to take over from the axed Dave Whistle in mid-January.

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The buzzword for both coach and players at the moment is ‘momentum’ and making sure they are able to carry that into the post-season.

Leeds Knights' defenceman 
Archie Hazeldine. Picture: Bruce RollinsonLeeds Knights' defenceman 
Archie Hazeldine. Picture: Bruce Rollinson
Leeds Knights' defenceman Archie Hazeldine. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

Under former Swindon coach Aldridge, the Knights have become one of the second-tier’s form teams, winning 14 of the 19 games he has been behind the bench for.

This weekend brings a visit from sixth-placed Peterborough Phantoms, who saw their outside hopes of gatecrashing the top four dented when losing out 4-2 at home to Sheffield Steeldogs last Sunday.

Tomorrow sees the Knights hit the road again, heading south for a last encounter of the season with Bees, who they edged out 6-5 in an unconvincing performance on home ice last weekend.

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Now is the time to be building for the play-offs, which get underway in two weeks’ time, after the Knights bring the curtain down on their regular season campaign at home to the Steeldogs on Sunday, April 3.

Leeds Knights head coach, Ryan Aldridge Picture: Bruce RollinsonLeeds Knights head coach, Ryan Aldridge Picture: Bruce Rollinson
Leeds Knights head coach, Ryan Aldridge Picture: Bruce Rollinson

For 17-year-old defenceman Archie Hazeldine, this weekend will be his last outing for the Knights until the second round of the play-offs.

The Nottingham-trained prospect heads out to Finland on Tuesday to take part in a final training camp ahead of Great Britain Under-18s World Championship campaign that starts in Estonia on Sunday, April 3.

By the time he returns, the Knights will be in the midst of their bid to make it to the Final Four Weekend in Coventry on April 30-May 1.

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The teenager, who has earned regular praise this season given the impressive way he has adapted to his first full season of senior hockey, believes the arrival of head coach Aldridge has provided the team with exactly the kind of timely impetus they need going into the post-season.

“He’s been really positive since he came in from day one,” said Hazeldine, who earlier this season made his first-ever Elite League appearance in a Challenge Cup game with Manchester Storm, icing alongside fellow D-man and older brother, Joe.

“We’ve lost just five games since Ryan came in. The results have picked up generally and he has brought a new energy around the place.

“It would obviously be great if we could finish the regular season in second and would be a big achievement in our first season but, to be honest, it doesn’t really matter as whichever play-off group we end up in, it’s going to be tough.

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“We’re just trying to build momentum as much as we can going into the post-season and this weekend is massively important in terms of that.

“Last weekend I don’t think any of us were happy with the way that we played and, at the end of this weekend, if we can have picked our momentum back up and then carry that into the playoffs it should serve us well.”

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