Sam Zajac determined on getting the balance right at Leeds Chiefs

Although he was weeks behind his NIHL National coaching rivals in terms of planning this time last year - largely due to the fact he had only just been appointed - Chiefs’ player-coach Zajac was still able to put together a competitive team for the organisation’s first-ever season.

Factors largely outside of his and his players’ control may have led to a bottom-placed finish for the Chiefs before the season’s earlier-than-expected conclusion, but there were more than enough examples of what could-have-been for the Elland Road club.

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As with all teams, changes were made throughout the season - some deliberate, others forced - but, to a man, whether they were there from the start to the finish of the debut campaign or not, Zajac was grateful for each and every contribution.

Towards the end of the season, Zajac believed he was getting closer to the kind of team he wanted and, during the off-season, is continuing along a similar path in readiness for the 2020-21 campaign.

The addition of young prospects in the shape of 18-year-old Scottish winger Lewis Houston just before Christmas and, shortly before the trade deadline, 19-year-old Caly Robertson from Bracknell Bees and fellow forward Jordan Kelsall, 20, on a two-way deal from Elite League outfit Nottingham Panthers, were clear proof of the direction Zajac wished to be heading.

“With the changes we made as we went along last season and the further changes we’re looking to make this summer, we’re going to be a younger team than last year, and a lot quicker,” said Zajac, who revealed he has around 70 per cent of his roster sorted for next season, including a sizeable core he has retained.

“When I look through the line-up that we’ve got so far, we look fast and we look dangerous - and that is over all three lines.

“Maybe last season we relied on too few guys when it came to scoring, so we’ve tried to address that.

“We’ve transformed the D-core by bringing in a couple of new guys who will be really good fits, guys that skate really well and move the puck really well - I feel they will help a lot with the possession kind of game I want us to be playing.

“We want to be playing on the front foot and taking the game to teams more next season, especially in our small rink, in front of our fans.

“We’ve got to look to be aggressive and have our foot on the gas for the full 60 minutes.

“We’ve got younger but we’ve still got plenty of experience in there and we’ll address areas where we had shortcomings last year and have a better, all-round balance.”

Zajac has a number of spots left to fill and, given the current suspended state of play for sport all over the world due to the coronavirus pandemic - with hockey being no exception - he is biding his time before he pulls the trigger in declaring his squad complete.

“We’ve got those building blocks in place,” added Zajac. “We’ve got about 70 per cent of the team sorted - now it is all about getting those last spots right, both in terms of their on-ice ability and in terms of getting guys in that we believe are going to fit in well and buy into our team ethos.”

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