With five minutes to go, it was Hull Seahawks' trophy to lose. They led 3-2 in front of 2,308 fans at the SkyDome Arena, and nothing in the game suggested what was coming next.

Then Balint Pakozdi got the puck, twice. And everything changed.

Leeds Knights are NIHL National play-off champions for a second time, completing a remarkable late comeback to beat Yorkshire rivals Hull Seahawks 5-3 in Sunday's final. It was a result that felt impossible for much of the afternoon — and utterly emphatic by the final whistle.

An all-Yorkshire final lived up to the billing

The game began at the sort of pace you'd expect from two teams who know each other well. Leeds had an early goal: Matthew Bissonnette pounced in front of net just 19 seconds in Yorkshire Evening Post, assisted by Sam Dunn and Edgars Vengis, to give the Knights the most breathless of starts.

Hull didn't panic. Emil Švec levelled at 1:46, tucking past Sam Gospel from the left circle after good work from Joshua Hodgkinson and Johnny Corneil. The first period ended with the game all square and penalties beginning to mount up for both sides.

The second period brought more of the same frantic to-and-fro. Leeds were awarded a power play when Thomas Stubley was sent to the box for hooking — and Liam Peyton made it count, firing past Aleksanteri Heiskanen at 12:38 with Kieran Brown and Bissonnette picking up the assists.

Hull hit back with Thomas Stubley, the big defenceman showing impressive hands to work an opening for himself before back-handing past Gospel at 16:26 Yorkshire Evening Post, with Owen Bruton and Dylan Hehir assisting. The Seahawks then got their noses in front when Bobby Chamberlain converted on the power play at 39:35 — Švec and Lee Bonner the helpers — to send them into the final frame leading 3-2.

A final period that will live long in the memory

The third period was tight and tense, with neither side creating much in the way of clear-cut chances through the first ten minutes. Hull were defending their lead. Leeds were probing.

Then, at 55:36, Pakozdi shifted the game. He switched the play from the right circle towards the net where his pass found Edgars Vengis, who steered the puck home from close range to make it 3-3. Yorkshire Evening Post

Hull called a timeout. They needed composure. They didn't get long to find it. Just 67 seconds after the equaliser, Pakozdi was involved again, throwing the puck towards net where Liam Peyton was on hand to lift it over Heiskanen and into the roof of the net — 4-3 Leeds. Yorkshire Evening Post

A stunned Hull pushed desperately for a way back, pulling Heiskanen for an extra skater in the final minute. Yorkshire Evening Post It didn't work. Kieran Brown sealed it with an empty-net goal at 59:13 to complete one of the more extraordinary finishes the NIHL National play-off final has seen.

The closing moments were punctuated by a fighting major and additional penalties for Chamberlain, but by then the result was already beyond doubt.

A first title for the Knights since their 2024 success

For Leeds, it's a trophy that caps a consistent season and a convincing Finals Weekend performance — they beat Sheffield Steeldogs 3-2 in Saturday's semi-final before this comeback win in the final. Liam Peyton, with two goals in the decider, was central to it all.

For Hull, the hurt will take some time to fade. The Seahawks reached Coventry for the first time since returning to the league Nihlnational, beat the regular-season champions Swindon Wildcats to get there, and led a play-off final with five minutes remaining. Goalkeeper Aleksanteri Heiskanen had been the standout player of the entire playoff group stage, leading all players with a 92.96% save percentage Nihlnational, and gave everything here. On another day, it might have been enough.

It wasn't. Leeds Knights are champions — and they earned it the hard way.

 
Result: Hull Seahawks 3–5 Leeds Knights

Scorers: HUL — Emil Švec (Hodgkinson, Corneil) 01:46; Thomas Stubley (Bruton, Hehir) 16:26; Bobby Chamberlain (Švec, Bonner) 39:35 PPG LEE — Matthew Bissonnette (Dunn, Vengis) 00:19; Liam Peyton (Brown, Bissonnette) 12:38 PPG; Edgars Vengis (Pakozdi) 55:36; Liam Peyton (Pakozdi) 56:43; Kieran Brown 59:13 ENG

Goalkeepers: HUL — Aleksanteri Heiskanen (starter); Aleksanteri Heiskanen (returned, 59:13) LEE — Sam Gospel

Penalties (notable): Bobby Chamberlain (HUL) — fighting major + 5-minute major + 2-minute agressor, 59:13; Sam Dunn (LEE) — 10 minutes unsportsmanlike conduct, 59:13