Ross Kennedy aiming to reach new heights at Leeds Chiefs under coach Sam Zajac

But the 22-year-old defenceman is convinced his choice to make the switch to Leeds Chiefs from Telford Tigers will prove to be the right one.

Of course, it is still unclear when, or indeed if, any kind of season will be possible for teams in NIHL National, a situation that applies to virtually every level of the game in the UK.

READ MORE – Leeds Chiefs’ potential convinces Ross Kennedy to make NIHL National switch

But, when the green light does hopefully come, Kennedy expects to take his game to even greater heights under the watchful eye of fellow blue liner and Chiefs’ player-coach Sam Zajac.

“I know I am going from a winning team to a team that finished bottom of the standings last time out, but it is about this being a new challenge from me,” said Kennedy, after spending just one season under Tom Watkins at 2019-20 league and cup champions Telford.

“I don’t believe that Leeds are a team that should have finished bottom, that was just down to the situation they found themselves in last season.

“Leeds might have finished bottom but they beat Telford twice and picked up some other big scalps along the way, so that shows you how competitive the league could be.”

Zajac has likened Kennedy’s playing style to new Chiefs’ team-mate Lewis Baldwin, last season’s top-scoring defenceman for the Elland Road club when posting 13 goals and 21 assists in 43 games.

Kennedy, who had a season at Blackburn Hawks in 2018-19, went one point better at Telford, combining nine goals with 26 assists in his 44 appearances, often stepping up in the absence of veteran D-man Jonathan Weaver to fulfil a key role on the Tigers’ power play.

The Welsh-born D-man feels he also shares some similar traits with his new boss Zajac and is keen to develop his game further under the experienced player-coach.

“For myself, I think I improved last season by keeping the level of competitiveness at a high standard,” said Kennedy.

“The previous season at Blackburn, there were brief spells in games where the pace was quicker and the standard was better, but it wasn’t consistent enough.

“That was the big thing I noticed about last season in NIHL National – every shift mattered, and everything you did when you were out there had to be near-perfect.

“I’m sure having Sam as my coach will help me develop as a player even more – and that is no disrespect to Tom Watkins, as he was a great defenceman as well.

“I just think Sam and me play in a very similar way, we’re both quite small in stature, but we both get stuck in and are quite aggressive players who don’t shy away from big hits.”

Having ended last season as the Tigers’ top points-scoring defenceman, Kennedy is also keen to continue nurturing that side of his game.

“I think the offensive side of my game improved last season at Telford, my reading of the game also improved and I became a bit more composed on the puck.

“At one point last season I was on the first powerplay unit at Telford, which is how I got most of my points. I learnt more about the game on the PP and that is something I want to develop even more at Leeds”

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