Reigning champions Leeds Knights enjoyed a perfect start to the new Planet Ice NIHL National Division season as they recorded back-to-back wins on the opening weekend.

The Knights won home and away against Bristol Pitbulls, including a 5-0 thrashing on Sunday evening at Planet Ice Leeds.

They were one of three teams who started the season with a record of 2-0, as MK Lightning, Bees Ice Hockey and Hull Seahawks all enjoyed a four-point opening weekend.

The Seahawks kicked off the 2023/24 campaign with a sensational 6-5 comeback win at Peterborough Phantoms, having trailed 4-1 at the end of the opening period.

The division’s newcomers Solway Sharks suffered narrow back-to-back defeats at home to Telford Tigers and away at Raiders Ice Hockey, both by a 4-2 scoreline.

Having won on Saturday, the Tigers were then beaten 24 hours later by Bees Ice Hockey, who edged a 13-goal thriller in overtime.

There was late drama in Hull on Sunday too, as the Seahawks were victorious in the shoot-out against Swindon Wildcats after it finished 3-3 at the end of overtime.

Full results for the weekend can be found below:

NIHL National Division –

Fri 22nd Sep Peterborough Phantoms 5-6 Hull Seahawks L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Bees IHC 7-5 Peterborough Phantoms L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Bristol Pitbulls 3-7 Leeds Knights L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Milton Keynes Lightning 6-1 Raiders IHC L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Solway Sharks 2-4 Telford Tigers L/C
Sun 24th Sep Hull Seahawks 4-3 (SO) Swindon Wildcats L/C
Sun 24th Sep Leeds Knights 5-0 Bristol Pitbulls L/C
Sun 24th Sep Raiders IHC 4-2 Solway Sharks L/C
Sun 24th Sep Sheffield Steeldogs 3-5 Milton Keynes Lightning L/C
Sun 24th Sep Telford Tigers 6-7 (OT) Bees IHC L/C

NIHL North 1 (Moralee) –

Sat 23rd Sep Blackburn Hawks 4-5 Billingham Stars L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Hull Jets 4-1 Deeside Dragons L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Sheffield Scimitars 3-5 Solihull Barons L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Whitley Warriors 4-1 Widnes Wild L/C
Sun 24th Sep Deeside Dragons 2-4 Whitley Warriors L/C
Sun 24th Sep Nottingham Lions 3-4 Sheffield Scimitars L/C
Sun 24th Sep Solihull Barons 4-3 Billingham Stars L/C
Sun 24th Sep Widnes Wild 0-5 Blackburn Hawks L/C

NIHL South 1 (Britton) –

Sat 23rd Sep Romford Buccaneers 1-5 Chelmsford Chieftains L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Solent Devils 4-6 Slough Jets L/C
Sun 24th Sep Invicta Dynamos 4-3 Chelmsford Chieftains L/C
Sun 24th Sep Milton Keynes Thunder 5-3 Romford Buccaneers L/C
Sun 24th Sep Oxford City Stars 0-6 Slough Jets L/C

NIHL North 2 (Laidler) –

Sat 23rd Sep Coventry NIHL Blaze 3-1 Billingham Buccaneers L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Sheffield Titans 6-7 (OT) Sutton Sting L/C
Sun 24th Sep Altrincham Aces 1-3 Coventry NIHL Blaze L/C
Sun 24th Sep Billingham Buccaneers 0-2 Sheffield Titans L/C
Sun 24th Sep Bradford Bulldogs 6-3 Nottingham Lions NIHL 2 L/C
Sun 24th Sep Sutton Sting 7-1 Kingston Sharks L/C

NIHL South 2 (Wilkinson) –

Sat 23rd Sep Basingstoke Buffalo 4-5 Bristol Pitbulls NIHL 2 L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Invicta Mustangs 9-3 Streatham Black Hawks L/C
Sat 23rd Sep Peterborough Phantoms NIHL 2 0-1 Cardiff Fire L
Sun 24th Sep Bristol Pitbulls NIHL 2 10-4 Oxford Rising Stars L/C
Sun 24th Sep Lee Valley Lions 2-4 Haringey Huskies L/C
Sun 24th Sep Streatham Black Hawks 5-1 Solent Junior Devils L

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Photo credit: Adam Everitt