Leeds Knights switch pays off big as Matt Haywood ends long wait for trophy

It has to be said, head coach Ryan Aldridge has nailed that for Leeds Knights this season, proof provided with his team clinching the NIHL National league title with four games to spare.

With only two imports allowed – rumours continue to grow that NIHL National will up the limit to three for 2023-24 – there is always added pressure on coaches to get those particular signings spot on.

In terms of the Knights, Aldridge has hit the bullseye in that department.

Grant Cooper and Zack Brooks have both proved inspired additions to the Knights roster, the former making a huge impact before being tempted away by Elite League leaders Belfast Giants, the latter exceeding all expectations placed on his relatively young, inexperienced shoulders.

Cooper’s mid-season replacement, Jake Witkowski, has also been a master-stroke, plundering 42 points – including 15 goals – in just 22 games.

Brooks currently has 84 points, 26 of them goals, in 49 games.

But no team can expect to win in the second-tier purely on the strength of their imports.

A lot has been made about the generally youthful presence of the Knights’ roster and while Aldridge has been the leading figure in the development of those youngsters, both individually and as a unit, he acknowledges the help he has had elsewhere on the bench.

Centre Matt Haywood and defenceman Sam Zajac have often been that voice of reason, providing the kind of calm reassurance that will have been regularly required to nurture and inspire the younger minds around them.

Former team-mates at Glasgow Clan, it was Zajac’s presence in Leeds that helped Haywood decide his future was in West Yorkshire after 11 seasons north of the border.

And as the Knights finally got their hands on the NIHL National trophy on Sunday at Elland Road Ice Arena – a week after clinching the title at Telford Tigers – 32-year-old Haywood was understandably delighted with the decision he took 10 months ago.

While at Clan, Doncaster-born Haywood won four Conference titles, but his last taste of success in terms of a league title was back in 2008 when he was part of the Sheffield Spartans team to lift the ENL North crown.

"I’m just so pleased and proud of all the boys,” said Haywood, surrounded by his family for the on-ice celebrations, as many of the Knights’ players and staff were. “They are a special group of guys and a lot of them will probably think it is very easy to win something as it’s their first year of playing pro.

"But this is my first trophy in 15 years, so hopefully they appreciate it as much as I do!

"I couldn’t be happier, but it was nice that we have had a moment with our families to show them how much we appreciate what they’ve done for us.”

Haywood, who with two league games to go is one of three Knights’ players to break through the 100-point barrier with 39 goals and 68 assists in just 52 league games, knew he was joining a roster full of promise last summer.

He began to realise its true potential when they kick-started their 2022-23 campaign with a 12-match winning streak.

Some off-ice adversity also served to strengthen the team’s unity, vital during the run-in to enable them to hold off the relentless pursuit by Milton Keynes Lightning and Peterborough Phantoms.

“We obviously had a really good start,” he added. “But then we faced a couple of pieces of adversity during the year with family members and I think that really brought us together as a group.

"A lot of this group have known each other since they were young, so it was already a tight-knit group. Then we added people like Mac Howlett and that just helped us go from strength to strength and we really kicked on.”