Leeds Knights: Team news, how to watch online and coach Ryan Aldridge on Swindon Wildcats’ main threats

The Manchester Storm pair, both on a two-way deal with the Knights, will board the bus for Wiltshire ahead of tonight’s first game between the two teams which faces off at the Link Centre at 6.30pm.

Centre Brandon Whistle is again set to ice for the Sheffield Steelers, taking on his dad and former Leeds Knights head coach Dave Whistle, who is now assistant coach for Nottingham Panthers, who host their biggest rivals at the National Ice Centre tonight (7pm).

Cole Shudra - another on a two-way with the Steelers - will be with the Knights all weekend, but defencemen Sam Zajac and Jordan Griffin both remain out on the sidelines through injury. Centre Philip Edgar is not thought to be in the team this weekend.

Head coach Ryan Aldridge has overseen a run of six wins from seven by the Knights and, although they remain fifth in the standings, a four-point weekend would leave them just three behind second-placed Swindon with 10 games still remaining.

MORE – Sheffield Steelers: Whistle v Whistle as Panthers play host to Steelers

MORE – Leeds Knights v Swindon Wildcats: Their head-to-head season so far

But he knows it will be a tough ask against a team who have been there or thereabouts for most of the regular season and who showed their quality when bouncing back from their National Cup semi-final overtime defeat to Sheffield Steeldogs by beating Milton Keynes Lightning 5-2 on Sunday night.

“Swindon are a very deep, highly-skilled team,” said Aldridge. “And when I say deep they’ve got three or four lines packed with good players who just keep coming at you.

“It’s going to be a tough weekend, but the are obviously big points. They are obviously going for a regular season championship and we’re trying to change our league position and finish as high as we possibly can. It all makes for an interesting weekend.”

Aldridge said having player-coach Aaron Nell back in the line-up clearly made a difference when playing Milton Keynes, the former Coventry Blaze and Sheffield Steelers’ forward was missing for the two legged semi-final against Sheffield.

He is also well aware of the threat posed by Polish-born forward Tomasz Malasinski having been the coach who signed him for Swindon for the 2014-15 season.

“They are different team when Aaron is in the line-up and you could see that last weekend,” added Aldridge. “He’s a shooter, always has been since he was a kid. When he’s on the ice, there’s always a danger that he can score.

“I bought Tomasz in as an import years ago and I still think he’s one of the best imports in the league, as an all-round hockey player.

“Whether he leads the league in scoring or not, what he does off the puck is phenomenal. He makes players around him better and when you have an import who can do that, you’re pretty lucky.”

Tonight’s game is available to watch via a live stream - buy your tickets HERE