Jordan Hedley claimed Saturday night’s Man of the Match award with a superb performance between the pipes, facing 33 shots and allowing just one goal.

David Thomson earned Sunday night’s honours with an all-action display, making his presence felt across the ice and picking up the primary assist on MK Lightning’s goal.

It was a really hard weekend against a good team in Hull. Both games featured fantastic atmospheres and intense competition. As always, head-to-head matchups in back to back days are challenging, and this weekend was no exception. On Saturday, we played a more complete game and earned our rewards end the end. However, on Sunday, Hull proved in all honesty to be the better team on the day and deserved the win. We split the weekend, and we will learn from these experiences, we move forward together. It's essential that we win as a team and face losses as one as well.

Archie Hazeldine brings size, experience and attacking ambition to the lifestack MK Lightning blue line. At just 22, the Nottingham-born defenceman has already competed at the highest level of British domestic hockey and represented Great Britain on the international stage. The 6ft 3in, right-handed defenceman developed through Nottingham’s junior system before stepping into senior hockey with Leeds Knights. During the 2021/22 season, he recorded 25 points in 46 league appearances, showing his ability to create chances as well as protect his own end. Spells with Nottingham Panthers, Coventry Blaze and Telford Tigers followed. His time at Telford produced an impressive 23 points in 23 league games during 2023/24, while regular Elite League appearances helped him build valuable experience against some of the strongest opposition in the country. Archie’s international career includes appearances for Great Britain at under-18, under-20 and senior level, with bronze and silver medals earned at junior World Championship tournaments. Joining Lightning for the 2026/27 campaign offered another exciting opportunity to develop under Head Coach Pete Russell, who highlighted his offensive mindset and ability to play in all situations. He has made an encouraging start in Milton Keynes, registering one goal and seven assists in his opening ten league appearances. Those eight points underline the contribution he can make going forward. With a strong foundation already behind him and plenty of potential still to fulfil, Archie is an exciting player for Lightning supporters to follow as he continues to make his mark in Milton Keynes.

https://www.nihlnational.com/game/751-mkl-bri

Dylan Stewart gives Bristol a left-shooting Canadian forward whose early influence has come chiefly through creation rather than finishing. His opening Pitbulls return makes him the clear supply-line threat for Lightning to disrupt (2026-2027 • NIHL • Bristol Pitbulls: GP 9, G–A–P 2–14–16, PIM 2). That distribution is not an isolated feature: his CV includes productive stops with Solway Sharks, Huntsville Havoc and NAIT, alongside time in France with Courchevel-Méribel-Pralognan. He has also operated in the AJHL for Sherwood Park Crusaders and Bonnyville Pontiacs, and in the WHL with Kootenay Ice. The immediate task for MK is to deny him comfortable possession and prevent Bristol’s forwards benefiting from his service. Stewart’s listed frame adds another consideration, because he is not a small forward who can simply be crowded out. Track the left shot, close his passing options early and make him play through pressure rather than allowing Bristol’s attack to run through him.

Tanner Butler is a Bristol defenceman capable of turning a routine exit into an attacking sequence. The left-shooting Canadian has already supplied offence from the blue line this term (2026-2027 • NIHL • Bristol Pitbulls: GP 9, G–A–P 2–4–6, PIM 8). That blend of scoring and distribution is well established in his Pitbulls record, with multiple NIHL campaigns showing that his value stretches beyond defending his own zone. His route to Bristol also includes Evansville Thunderbolts in the SPHL, Newcastle Northstars in the AIHL and a brief ECHL spell with Indy Fuel, after earlier ACAC seasons at Red Deer College. For Lightning, the priority is denying Butler time to survey options and feed the next layer of Bristol’s attack. Pressure must arrive under control: the same current line carries penalty minutes, an element MK can exploit by making him defend sustained possession. Force him towards lower-value outlets, contest his first pass and make his defensive responsibilities consume more of his night.

Jasper Foster brings a distinctly domestic development path to Bristol’s forward group. The right-shooting Englishman came through Coventry Blaze’s age-group set-up, represented Midlands at conference level and later played for Swindon Cougars. He then established a substantial NIHL run with Peterborough Phantoms before moving to the Pitbulls. His start in Bristol colours shows equal contributions as scorer and provider (2026-2027 • NIHL • Bristol Pitbulls: GP 9, G–A–P 2–2–4, PIM 9). That balance makes him difficult to label as only a finisher or only a facilitator, while his existing league experience means MK should expect a player familiar with the competition’s pace and pressure. Lightning’s defensive detail must therefore begin before he reaches useful possession: hold the inside, challenge the right-shot release and avoid gifting transitions. Foster’s line also includes penalty minutes, so disciplined physical pressure can ask questions without handing Bristol the same opportunity. He gives Bristol another route to offence and can punish loose coverage if attention fixes exclusively on the headline names.

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