After a long summer, the Leeds Knights will finally return to game action on Friday 4th September, as they welcome Dutch side Tilburg Trappers to The Castle for the first pre-season fixture of the 2026/27 campaign.
For the Knights, Friday's clash provides the first opportunity for everyone to play together again, integrating the new players and looking to build towards the new season.
New signing Zach Sullivan is already relishing the opportunity to get started.
“Yeah, super excited,” he said. “It's always fun to get on the ice for the first time in a competitive kind of atmosphere and see how well everyone's been doing in the summer.”
Pre-season has already been a busy period for the Knights, with the squad undergoing fitness testing, induction day, media and plenty of work on the ice before Friday's opening test.
With a strong core of returning players, there is already plenty of chemistry within the group, while the coaching staff continue to work on combinations and new lines ahead of the competitive campaign.
“We've been skating hard,” Sullivan explained. “Obviously, we went down to the university and had our fitness testing and induction and all that kind of stuff and media day.
“It's just about getting on the ice and obviously a big group of returning guys, so there's a lot of chemistry there already. It's just figuring out new lines and stuff like that.”
For the Knights' new faces, the early weeks have also been about settling into a dressing room that enjoyed a hugely successful 2025/26 campaign. When asked how he had found life in Leeds so far, Sullivan was full of praise for his teammates.
“Honestly, absolutely amazing. I was a bit daunted,” he admitted. “They're so tight-knit, like you could see straight away; they've obviously won pretty much everything together.
“I was a bit worried about how I would fit in, but they've all been so welcoming and always make me feel included, which is just a testament to how nice everyone is in that room and they're all just really good guys.”
Friday's opponents will provide a challenging first test with the Tilburg Trappers travelling to Leeds for an intriguing meeting between two sides from different hockey nations.
“They're a good team. They're going to be fast and probably one of the more physical teams we're going to play this season,” Sullivan said.
“Not overly sure what to expect, but it's going to be a hard game. It's going to be a good game. That's why we play hockey — we want to play against top teams and play good games.”
Facing international opposition also brings an element of nostalgia, for Zach having previously played against Tilburg many years ago.
“I played against them years and years ago so it's kind of a full-circle moment. It's always fun [playing international oppostion,” he said.
The fixture also offers the opportunity for players from both sides to experience a different hockey culture, something the Knights defenceman is particularly looking forward to.
“Usually you hang out with them a little bit after the game and get to know them as well. So it's nice to kind of learn different cultures and that kind of thing. A bit of a geeky answer, but I am a geek!
"It's always fun to have international teams come over and play and also show them that we can play hockey in this country and we can play it pretty well."
Most importantly, Friday marks the first chance for Knights supporters to see the new-look squad in action on home ice.
With the 2025/26 season ending with the Knights crowned Play-Off Champions, anticipation is already building ahead of another campaign — and the players are eager to experience the atmosphere at The Castle once again.
Sullivan's message to the fans to end, was simple: “Be loud, be proud and hopefully we bring the win back for you.”
