Leeds Knights, Hull Seahawks and Sheffield Steeldogs - Who, where and when in NIHL National 2026-27 season
LEEDS KNIGHTS will get an early indication of Hull Seahawks’ thirst for revenge over last season’s NIHL National play-off final loss when the two teams clash on the opening night of the 2026-27 campaign.
The derby rivals who brought the curtain down on 2025-26 in such spectacular style have been handed the honour of getting things rolling at Elland Road on Friday, September 18.
Their rivals - including National Cup champions, Sheffield Steeldogs - have to wait another 24 hours before getting their campaigns underway.
The Knights’ first visit of the season to Hull comes on Sunday, November 15, before the rivals play back-to-back games on December 18 and 19, the first one at Elland Road.
The head-to-head league series concludes when Hull visit Leeds on February 5 before playing host in a midweek clash on Thursday, February 18.
The first derby meeting of the campaign with the Steeldogs – who edged out Leeds in the NIHL National Cup final last season – arrives early on, too, when the Knights visit Ice Sheffield on October 11.
The two lock horns for the first time in Leeds towards the end of the month on Thursday, October 29.
The Steeldogs return for a second time to West Yorkshire two days before Christmas, with Leeds returning the favour eight days later in what is now the traditional New Year’s Eve clash between the two at Ice Sheffield.
The six-game series is completed late in the season, the Knights at home on March 14 before heading down the M1 for a third and final time five nights later.
The Seahawks and Steeldogs have to wait until October 25 before their first clash of the campaign - in Hull, with Slava Koulikov’s team also scheduled to visit East Yorkshire on December 28 and March 7.
Hull pay a first visit of the season to Ice Sheffield on November 14 before further games there on January 2 and February 26.
Yorkshire’s 2026-27 NIHL National regular season derby dates ...
September
Fri 18: Leeds v Hull
October
Sun 11: Sheffield v Leeds
Sun 25: Hull v Sheffield
Thu 29: Leeds v Sheffield
November
Sat 14: Sheffield v Hull
Sun 15: Hull v Leeds
December
Fri 18: Leeds v Hull
Sat 19: Hull v Leeds
Wed 23: Leeds v Sheffield
Mon 28: Hull v Sheffield
Thu 31: Sheffield v Leeds
January
Sat 2: Sheffield v Hull
February
Fri 5: Leeds v Hull
Thu 18: Hull v Leeds
Feb 26: Sheffield v Hull
March
Sun 7: Hull v Sheffield
Sun 14: Leeds v Sheffield
Fri 19: Sheffield v Leeds