Leeds Knights: Kieran Brown hails key duo's impact and why fellow Brit should be an Elite League regular

In fact, when pressed recently on who he felt had stood out the most for the team, he was torn between several team-mates, eventually settling on two in particular.

His choices should not really come as a surprise in a way, given he has spent a large part of the season playing alongside them.

Although the recent hectic schedule saw head coach Ryan Aldridge juggle his lines about perhaps more than ususal – in part to keep players as fresh as possible – Brown has often thrived alongside import forward Zach Brooks and fellow Brit Cole Shudra, seeing up close the impact they have had, both on him and the team generally.

All three have been ever-present in terms of appearances – out of seven Knights players overall – Brown leading the way in terms of scoring with 47 goals and 46 assists from 43 games.

Shudra comes in next with 40 goals and 47 assists, with Brooks fourth behind veteran centre Matt Haywood, his 77 points comprising 54 assists, the most of anyone on the team.

Brown admitted he was unsure how well Brooks would fit in during his first-ever season overseas. It has made the impact he has had even more enjoyable to watch.

"I’d not seen anything of him other than videos of him fighting and doing the gritty stuff, so I had no idea what to expect – but he’s been putting up points left, right and centre,” said Brown.

"But it’s not just about that, it’s his personality everything about him really – he’s a beaut’. He’s a young lad, same age as me, in fact he’s actually younger and it’s easy to forget that given how well he has fitted in.

“That makes the way that he has adapted to life over here on and off the ice even more impressive, considering this is his first time overseas and with him not being a pro for that long.

“To come over here and do what he has in first real year as a pro is fantastic and, to be honest, he’s not really had that many tussles, either.

"He just brings that presence and intensity onto the ice with him. He’s a big lad – he just plays gritty and he plays hard.”

Brown and Shudra have known each other for a number of years, largely through their time together at Sheffield Steelers, both having come through the apprenticeship scheme the club used to run, pioneered by former head coach Paul Thompson.

They know each other’s game inside out but, this season, Brown admits even he has been blown away by the quality on display from 24-year-old Shudra.

"Last year he was injured quite a lot and had a bit of a rough time generally,” said Brown. “But this season he has shocked me, he’s been unbelievable. I don’t understand how he isn’t playing in the Elite League on a regular basis.

“He’s obviously good enough and you see people say stuff like that about him all of the time. I’ve known him for such a long time, but this season, he just seems bigger, stronger, faster and he shoots the puck so well – he’s pretty much got everything you would want in a hockey player.”