Leeds Knights coach gives update on import forwards Zach Brooks and Jake Witkowski ahead of 2023-24 NIHL National campaign

Talks were held with both players during the early part of this summer but, in both cases, no deals were brokered.

As a result, Aldridge will go in a different direction and it is expected that the Knights will announce news on their signed imports in the coming days.

The fact neither Brooks or Witkowski will be returning will understandably sting fans for a while, given their huge impact, not just in terms of points production but their overall performances on and off the ice, with both proving immensely popular with supporters.

On the ice, Brooks, who came in having just turned 21, was a revelation, posting 94 points in 55 league and play-off games, 29 of them goals.

Witkowski, 26, was no slouch either, hitting the ground running almost immediately and finishing the season with 59 points in 28 league and play-off games, including 19 goals.

“With most players I’m looking at signing, I get three or four bits of information or feedback on them,” said Aldridge on Brooks. “With Zach it was just the one person because the feedback I got from that source was so incredible I just made the move on him.

“I think a lot of people probably wrote him off for being so young, but he had an incredible year for us.

“He’s a phenomenal kid, both on and off the ice, he plays with his heart on his sleeve and he doesn’t hide from anything.”

Brooks had briefly returned home to Canada due to a family emergency in March before returning to help the Knights seal their league and play-off titles.

Aldridge said he gave the left-hander a month to spend some time with his family before any discussions about his future began.

He also explored other options through his agent, said Aldridge, who himself had to keep an open mind on alternatives when there was no firm decision forthcoming from Brooks.

“We stayed in contact for a while, then I touched base to tell him I had to make a move on somebody else if he wasn’t going to come. He was supposed to have called me and sadly that time came and went and when he came back to me and wanted a job it was too late as we’d already signed guys.

“It was pretty upsetting, to be honest, we’d love to have him back in the locker room but that’s the game, that’s sport. Maybe we’ll see him back here one day in the future but, sadly, jnot this year.

“I talked to him about seeing if he wanted help getting a job elsewhere over here, but, like Jake, he said he only wants to play in Leeds in this league - I think he’ll probably get fixed up somewhere else in Europe.”

With Witkowski, Aldridge knew earlier on that it was unlikely the American would return.

“Once Jake settled, he had a massive impact for us,” added Aldridge. “He changed our power play, there’s no doubt about that.

“There were discussions about him coming back, but it was pretty quick with him to be honest. When I first spoke to his agent he told me Jake was either going to look to the Italian second league or he was thinking about retiring.

“So that obviously forced my hand to look elsewhere and I’ve looked elsewhere and found somebody.”