Leeds Knights coach Ryan Aldridge on the 'phenomenal' teenager who has made a big impression

Head coach Ryan Aldridge has never been slow to give youth its head, his roster containing no fewer than eight teenagers. It’s been a similar tale at Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Steeldogs and Hull Seahawks who, through a combination of the obvious talent on offer to them and sheer necessity, have thrown several youngsters in at the deep end.

At Leeds, some – such as those on two-way deals like defenceman Tommy Spraggon from Billingham Stars and Bradford Bulldogs’ forward Damarni James – have found ice time limited, but they, like Tate Shudra, who recently signed a two-way deal with Blackburn Hawks, have time on their side.

Others have progressed at a different rate, one such example being Spraggon’s Billingham team-mate, Finley Bradon, whose emergence – particularly in recent weeks – has been universally applauded, his commitment and obvious talent being rewarded with plenty of first line minutes as a result.

He rewarded the faith shown in him by Aldridge in spectacular style in Tuesday night’s derby clash with the Steeldogs at Ice Sheffield when he finished off a sweeping move with a clinical finish from 15 yards to draw his team level at 2-2 inside the last 10 minutes.

Ultimately, the Knights lost out in overtime but Bradon’s goal secured what could yet prove to be a vital point. In many games over the course of this season, he too has found ice time limited but his willingness to stick around regardless and learn from those around him has made him a firm favourite with both team-mates and the Knights’ coaching staff.

"He’s going to be a phenomenal little player,” said Aldridge. “He’s very patient on the puck, very patient in front of the net. Of the young guys that we’ve brought in on the two-way set-up, he’s the one who has never missed a beat, he’s been there for everything, whether he’s getting ice time or not, his attitude is unbelievable, he’s a great kid all round and definitely has a bright future.”

Bradon, from Darlington, only turned 17 in November and first caught Aldridge’s eye on the open training camp he held in Leeds last May, a session which also ensured Knights’ D-man Josh Hodgkinson would be part of the coach’s plans going forward.

Selected for this year’s Great Britain Under-18 World Championship team that will head to Belgrade in April, Bradon has found his game-time split fairly equally between NIHL One North outfit Billingham and Leeds during 2022-23, but the recent hectic schedule for the Knights has meant he has taken a more prominent role with them, an opportunity he has seized with both hands.

“I’d heard his name a few times before he came to that open day and I knew I had to work with him,” said Aldridge. “Hopefully, he is somebody we can work with for years to come.

"I told him a couple of weeks ago that he is doing everything right for me. It’s just his age and experience, he might have more of a tougher time than he probably should because he’s on our team. I need to find a way to get him more ice time and he needs to react to that. There are a couple of young boys who I’ve had to have that conversation with and it’s tough finding them the ice.

"But he is fine with that and he is highly-respected throughout the whole group, from everybody because of everything he does.

"If I say to him he can have the night off, he’ll show up. If we’re going to Basingstoke on a Wednesday and he probably isn’t going to play much, if at all, he’ll turn round and say ‘I’m coming Ryan – if I don’t get on then I don’t get on - if I get a chance, then great’.

"That’s the kind of attitude you want – that’s why he’s with us.”