Leeds Knights: Sam Zajac confident Yorkshire Cup will provide ideal preparation for 2022-23 NIHL National season

Zajac and Leeds Knights get their pre-season underway at Sheffield Steeldogs on Friday night before playing host to the newly-formed Hull Seahawks at Elland Road 24 hours later.

The following weekend sees the fixtures reversed before the season starts in earnest for all three teams on from September 16, theKnights opening their account on home ice against defending champions, Telford Tigers.

Before then, however, lies the small matter of four Yorkshire derbies, not that Zajac expects there to be anything too ‘friendly’ about the fixtures.

“These games should provide an ideal workout for us and the other two teams,” said 32-year-old defenceman Zajac. “This time of year, you’re always looking to get your legs back and get used to the speed of everything again. The guys have been skating during the summer but it’s about getting back to that game sharpness.

“From Ryans (Aldridge, Knights head coach) point of view it’s about seeing what combinations work and maybe what doesn’t and get an eye on what he’s thinking for the season coming up.

“It is pre-season, they are friendlies, but you have got that added rivalry with it being the Yorkshire Cup and so I think that should naturally make it a bit more intense and I think that competitiveness should be there.”

While Friday brings a trip to Ice Sheffield to face-off against Greg Wood’s double-winning team from last season, Saturday will prove another historic moment at Elland Road when the Seahawks play their first-ever game as a franchise.

Former Knights centre Matty Davies has put together an impressive first-ever roster as player-coach, although he and imports Emil Svec and Andrej Themar will play no part this weekend.

Having played alongside Davies at several teams over the years, Zajac expects a tough night on home ice.

“With a guy like Matty in charge, everybody knows that he’s got that competitive drive so he’ll have his boys fired up,” added Zajac. “But we’ll be fired up too, we’ll be excited.”

This weekend’s Yorkshire Cup games (times and venues) – Friday: Sheffield Steeldogs v Leeds Knights (Ice Sheffield, face-off 7.30pm - tickets HERE); Saturday: Leeds Knights v Hull Seahawks (6.30pm - tickets HERE); Sunday: Hull Seahawks v Sheffield Steeldogs (Hull Ice Arena, 5.30pm - tickets HERE).