HAVING been afforded a taste of the high life in the past week or so, Oli Endicott is now ready to hit the ground running with Leeds Knights.

The 20-year-old winger found himself up against Elite League grand slam champions Sheffield Steelers on Monday night as his pre-season stint with Nottingham Panthers was brought to a close.

The invite to go down to the National Ice Centre was extended to Endicott by Panthers’ new head coach Danny Stewart, who first had the left-hander under his watchful eye the previous year during pre-season with his former club, Coventry Blaze.

As with Nottingham, Endicott got ice time with the Blaze but, once the puck dropped on 2023-24, opportunities to return proved limited as he played a pivotal role in helping Leeds defend their NIHL National regular season league title.

BACK AT IT: Oli Endicott and Leeds Knights will kick their pre-season off with a trip to a rejuvenated Sheffield Steeldogs on Friday night. Picture: Steve Cunningham/Knights Media.

That, once again, will be the primary aim for the 2024-25 campaign, one which gets underway when the Knights visit Solway Sharks on September 14.

Before then, there is the small matter of the pre-season Yorkshire Cup, which starts with a visit to a rejuvenated Sheffield Steeldogs this Friday, before Hull Seahawks visit Elland Road 48 hours later.

Endicott is looking forward to another gruelling campaign, particularly having spent quality time at the Panthers’ training camp over the last 10 days or so.

And while the Swindon-born forward understandably harbours ambitions of one day playing at Elite League level on a permanent basis, Knights’ fans need not worry that he is about to take off and realise those dreams any time soon.

STEPPING UP: Oli Endicott (second right, white jersey) got a further taste of Elite League hockey when he played for Nottingham Panthers against Sheffield Steelers on Monday. Picture: Dean Woolley.

“I’m like any young player coming through, I’m ambitious,” said Endicott.

“That’s the end goal for me, at some point, to make the step up. I don’t know how long that is going to take, that is just down to what other clubs and coaches think of me and whoever wants to give me a chance.

“But, at the moment, I’m really happy in Leeds. I love it here. It’s a really professional environment - I get played a lot, I get treated well and so I’m just going to take each year as it comes along.”

As an organisation, the Knights have always made it clear they would never stop a player from realising their ambitions at a higher level of the game, whether it is in the UK or further afield.

Endicott returns for back-to-back champions Leeds in good spirits.

“I’ve had a good summer off and been in the gym quite a bit, working hard to get bigger and stronger,” he added.

“And Danny has given me a chance by putting me on a two-way to try and prove myself to keep up the development in order to try and make that next step.

“The training in Nottingham has been really good and it is quite a big step up, but I feel that I’ve handled myself quite well.

“It was a tough night against the Steelers on Monday, they are obviously the Elite League grand slam champions so it was never going to be easy and it was a tough game.

“But I got out there on a few shifts which was good and was just more experience for me

“Just being around Nottingham and the Panthers and the time that I have spent here has been a massive experience for me and I feel like I’ve got a lot to take back to Leeds with me.

“Leeds is always going to come first, Ryan and Leeds will have first call on me which is probably how it should be.

“I’m getting plenty of game time there and there is no doubt about where my priorities are.”

Leeds Knights: How quality time among the 'elite' has energised Oli Endicott for NIHL National title defence