Leeds Knights and coach Ryan Aldridge ahead of schedule after landing NIHL National's biggest prize

Not long after committing himself to a new two-year deal last Spring, head coach Ryan Aldridge was at pains to point out that his first full season in charge would be one of further growth and development.

“To be honest, I think this is another building year,” Aldridge told the Evening Post in May. “We can sit here and say that we’re going for a championship this season and secretly, in our hearts and heads we want to - but we’ve only had one year as a team here

“Hopefully, we can be more consistent next season and build again for the year after.”

Safe to say, then, that, coming towards the end of the 2022-23 campaign, the Knights are ahead of schedule.

And judging by the mood at practice on Tuesday morning, they are not done quite yet for this season.

Friday night brings the second leg of their National Cup final against Peterborough Phantoms and although they trail 6-0 after last week’s first leg - clearly the wrong night to post their first shutout loss of the entire campaign - the fact the pressure is now off in terms of the league means the Knights can go out and play without any fear.

Then there is the play-offs which, given the return to the two-legged straight knockout format for the quarter-finals, makes it far easier to make it to the Final Four Playoff Weekend in Coventry on April 15-16.

Once there, well, anything can happen.

But whether they land more silverware this season, next season, or after that, it’s clear the desire is there to use the league title triumph as the springboard for a successful era for the organisation.

Talking after Tuesday’s practice, Aldridge was keen to highlight the role played by one important figure who wasn’t even in Telford on Sunday night to see the team he had the vision to take on, enjoy their first success.

Aldridge may have taken some time to be convinced that his future belonged in West Yorkshire, but he is pleased team owner Steve Nell persevered in his pursuit of him.

“It was a very tough decision for me,” explained Aldridge, who first worked for Nell as head coach at Swindon Wildcats between 2009-15 before the pair worked together at the Okanagan Hockey Academy. “It was actually me that took longer to persuade, my wife was all in on supporting me.

“I had an opportunity to go to Austria with Okanagan but I think, family-wise, we realised this was the right decision for us all.

“And it certainly helped with Steve being the owner. He just runs things right and I’ve had a very good working relationship with him over the years. We’re both quite straightforward people and if it hadn’t been Steve I probably wouldn’t have come here.”

Nell can be seen at Elland Road Ice Arena on most game nights, helping ensure - along with managing director Warwick Andrews - that the match night experience is constantly evolving, forever improving.

What has helped is his coach’s ability to produce a winning team, one that has more often than not produced entertaining, attacking hockey. A formula that has clearly worked, but one only made possible by Nell’s complete faith in his head coach.

“He has played a massive role in what we’ve done here,” added Aldridge. “From when I was in Swindon, we’re both in a completely different place. My career was in a different place than it was when I was down there and business wise we’re in different places.

“In Swindon it was a grind. Here he has backed every decision I’ve made and that’s not always a financial thing, it’s lots of little different things. He’s allowed me to push the envelope on everything and he’s constantly backed me.”