The Leeds Knights return to The Castle this Saturday as pre-season continues, with the Sheffield Steeldogs heading to Leeds for a Yorkshire derby.
Following an opening weekend that saw the Knights face European opposition before securing a 4-3 victory over Hull Seahawks on the road, the squad now has another opportunity to build momentum ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
And with the first two games under their belts, Finn Bradon believes the team is settling in well.
“I think the boys have settled in well,” Bradon said. “It's pretty much the same team, but I think we've had a couple of good games against a good Tilburg side and then against Hull and got the win, so I think the boys are looking forward to continuing that.”
The Knights began their pre-season campaign at home against the Tilburg Trappers, with Liam Peyton scoring the team's first goal of the new campaign.
Despite falling short on the night, Bradon believes there were plenty of positives to take from facing a strong Tilburg side.
“I think on Friday night, the positive was we were in the game the whole way,” he explained. “They're a good side, well-drilled team, but we were never out of the game.
“We were in it for three periods, so I think that was a positive from that game.”
The Knights then travelled to Hull on Sunday and came away with a 4-3 derby victory, with goals from Daragh Spawforth, Sam Dunn and a Finn Bradon brace.
For Bradon, the performance was arguably even more encouraging than the scoreline suggested.
“Hull, I think the majority of the boys think we pretty much dominated most of the game. The scoreline didn't reflect the game, and I'm just looking to continue that forward.”
While there were plenty of positives from the opening weekend, Bradon knows there are areas the Knights can sharpen up before the competitive season begins.
“Potentially penalties,” he said when asked what the team needs to improve. “In both games, we conceded a couple of penalties and that cost goals, which if you don't do that, it's closer games. And then maybe closing games out in Hull, six on five, we've got to be better in those areas.”
With just a few weeks until the league season gets underway, every pre-season game provides another opportunity to build chemistry and fine-tune those details.
The Knights have kept the core of last season's play-off-winning squad together, with just two new additions to the team.
Bradon believes that continuity has helped the group hit the ground running.
“It's huge, especially with your line-mates. But luckily for us, we've only added two new guys this year and they fit in well, so there's not much to pick up on from last year.”
That familiarity will be valuable as the Knights continue to build towards their league opener against Hull Seahawks on Friday 18th September.
Next up is a familiar opponent, with the Sheffield Steeldogs making the trip to The Castle on Saturday.
“They're always a good team, we always have good games against them,” said Bradon. “They look like they've got a strong team this year, so it'll be good to see how we match up against them.”
The fixture also brings back memories of last season's Play-Off Semi-Final, when the Knights defeated Sheffield 3-2 to book their place in the Final before going on to lift the Play-Off trophy.
But Bradon believes Saturday's game is about looking forward rather than back.
“It’s a different year, different teams. Especially for them, they've changed up quite a bit, so I wouldn't think there's too much remembrance from that game.”
With the Knights back at The Castle, the support from the stands will once again be a key part of the occasion.
The opening night against Tilburg saw a brilliant atmosphere inside the rink, something Bradon is hoping will continue throughout pre-season and into the new campaign.
“Fans were loud as they always are, so I want to continue that because it helps the boys, picks us up in games,” he said.
And his message to the Knights fans ahead of Saturday was: “Be loud, be proud. It helps us immensely, so keep it going.”
