There’s league and cup action to look forward to this weekend as teams across the UK get themselves ready for action in the Planet Ice NIHL National Division and below.

League action begins on Friday night as the table-topping Leeds Knights host Telford Tigers.

They will hope to extend their advantage at the top of the standings and clinch a four-point weekend, having dropped points on the road at Solway Sharks during the previous gameweek.

A win would see the Knights go five points clear, with nearest challengers Swindon Wildcats and MK Lightning facing off on Friday night at the Link Centre as the two-legged National Cup semi-finals get underway.

Both semi-finalists will play three times over the next 72 hours, with Lightning facing Raiders IHC home and away and the Wildcats playing twice against Telford – in what promises to be a tricky weekend for the Tigers as they come up against two of the division’s top three teams.

Elsewhere, Peterborough Phantoms will look to chase the high-flying trio down when they host bottom-of-the-table Bristol Pitbulls, whose last away win came in a 4-1 triumph at Swindon on Boxing Day.

There are more double-headers to look forward to, with Hull Seahawks and Bees IHC playing each other home and away, and Solway Sharks doing likewise against Sheffield Steeldogs.

Full fixtures for the weekend can be found below. Thanks to our friends at NIHL Stats, you can also check out the latest fixtures from the WNIHL and junior leagues.

NIHL National Division –

Fri 19th Jan 7:30pm Leeds Knights vs Telford Tigers L
Fri 19th Jan 7:30pm Swindon Wildcats vs Milton Keynes Lightning NC SF
Sat 20th Jan 7:00pm Bristol Pitbulls vs Leeds Knights L
Sat 20th Jan 5:30pm Hull Seahawks vs Bees IHC L
Sat 20th Jan 7:00pm Milton Keynes Lightning vs Raiders IHC L
Sat 20th Jan 7:30pm Sheffield Steeldogs vs Solway Sharks L
Sat 20th Jan 6:30pm Swindon Wildcats vs Telford Tigers L
Sun 21st Jan 5:00pm Bees IHC vs Hull Seahawks L
Sun 21st Jan 5:30pm Peterborough Phantoms vs Bristol Pitbulls L
Sun 21st Jan 5:15pm Raiders IHC vs Milton Keynes Lightning L
Sun 21st Jan 4:00pm Solway Sharks vs Sheffield Steeldogs L
Sun 21st Jan 6:00pm Telford Tigers vs Swindon Wildcats L

NIHL North 1 (Moralee) –

Sat 20th Jan 5:30pm Billingham Stars vs Nottingham Lions L
Sat 20th Jan 6:30pm Solihull Barons vs Deeside Dragons L/C
Sat 20th Jan 7:00pm Widnes Wild vs Blackburn Hawks M56
Sun 21st Jan 6:00pm Blackburn Hawks vs Billingham Stars L
Sun 21st Jan 5:10pm Sheffield Scimitars vs Solihull Barons L
Sun 21st Jan 5:00pm Whitley Warriors vs Deeside Dragons L
Sun 21st Jan 5:30pm Widnes Wild vs Hull Jets L

NIHL South 1 (Britton) –

Sat 20th Jan 6:30pm Slough Jets vs Streatham Redhawks L
Sun 21st Jan 6:00pm Chelmsford Chieftains vs Milton Keynes Thunder L/C
Sun 21st Jan 5:45pm Invicta Dynamos vs Romford Buccaneers L
Sun 21st Jan 6:15pm Oxford City Stars vs Slough Jets L
Sun 21st Jan 6:45pm Streatham Redhawks vs Solent Devils L/C

NIHL North 2 (Laidler) –

Sat 20th Jan 1:20pm Nottingham Lions NIHL 2 vs Bradford Bulldogs L/C
Sat 20th Jan 7:00pm Telford Tigers NIHL 2 vs Sheffield Titans L
Sun 21st Jan 5:30pm Billingham Buccaneers vs Sutton Sting L
Sun 21st Jan 5:30pm Bradford Bulldogs vs Altrincham Aces L
Sun 21st Jan 5:30pm Kingston Sharks vs Sheffield Titans L/C
Sun 21st Jan 7:20pm Nottingham Lions NIHL 2 vs Telford Tigers NIHL 2 L

NIHL South 2 (Wilkinson) –

Sat 20th Jan 5:30pm Chelmsford Warriors vs Guildford Phoenix L
Sat 20th Jan 5:30pm Haringey Huskies vs Peterborough Phantoms NIHL 2 L/C
Sat 20th Jan 5:30pm Invicta Mustangs vs Lee Valley Lions L/C
Sat 20th Jan 6:45pm Streatham Black Hawks vs Oxford Rising Stars L
Sun 21st Jan 4:15pm Bristol Pitbulls NIHL 2 vs Invicta Mustangs L
Sun 21st Jan 6:45pm Cardiff Fire vs Solent Junior Devils L/C
Sun 21st Jan 5:30pm Lee Valley Lions vs Guildford Phoenix L