Bulldogs open up 2022-23 NIHL North Two Laidler campaign with trip to Coventry Blaze

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BRADFORD BULLDOGS will begin their quest for success in 2022-23 with a trip to NIHL North Two Laidler rivals Coventry Blaze next month.

Andy Brown's team will return to the 28-game regular season format last used prior to the coronavirus pandemic, playing each of their divisional rivals four times each, twice at home and twice away.

The Bulldogs' first outing begins at the SkyDome Arena on Saturday, September 17 (face-off 7.30pm) before they open up their home schedule a week later against Nottingham Lions.

The Bulldogs find themselves in an NIHL Cup group along with Coventry, as well as Sutton Sting and Telford Tigers, with the first home game of the season between the teams doubling up as a cup game, the top two going through to a two-legged semi-final stage in the second half of the campaign.

Head coach Brown said he was heading into the new campaign in a positive frame of mind, despite seeing a number of roster changes during the summer, from a team which came close to making the pay-offs last time out.

"It's great that this season sees us going back to the kind of fuller schedule we had before Covid," said Brown.

"There are some tough games in there - there are every season - but that is nothing we are not used to."

LEADING MAN: Bulldogs' head coach Andy Brown (right).

The last time the Bulldogs played something close to resembling a 28-game season was in 2019-20 when, sat second in the regular season standings with two games remaining, the coronavirus pandemic struck to bring an early end to proceedings.

"We came close to making the play-offs last season, but just came up short and that has to be the target this time around."

"The last time we had a schedule like this, back in 2019-20, we were second in the regular season standings when the pandemic brought an early end to the campaign.

"It would be nice to have a similar season to that, but we've had a few changes to the roster - some players have moved elsewhere, others are on two-way deals with NIHL One clubs - so it might take a bit of time for us to settle into the campaign.

"But I'm confident that with the players we have retained and another crop of talented youngsters we have coming through, it's going to be a positive year for us."

Full 2022-23 Bulldogs' Schedule: September

Sat 17: Coventry (A - League/NIHL Cup, 7.30pm)

Sat 24: Nottingham (H - lge, 4.45pm)

October

Sat 1: Sheffield (A - lge)

Sun 2: Coventry (H - lge/Cup - 5.45pm)

Sat 8: Hull (H - lge, 4.45pm)

Sat 15: Sutton (H - lge/Cup, 4.45pm)

Sun 23: Altrincham (A -lge)

Sat 29: Telford (H lge/Cup, 4.45pm)

November 

Sat 5: Sheffield (H - lge, 4.45pm) 

Sat 12: Telford (A - lge/Cup)

Sat 19: Hull (A - lge) 

Sun 27: Sutton (A - lge/Cup)

December

Sat 3: Altrincham (H - lge, 4.45pm)

Sat 17: Telford (A - lge)

January

Sat 7: Sheffield (H - lge, 4.45pm)

Sun 15: Hull (H - lge, 5.45pm)

Sat 21: Sutton (H - lge, 4.45pm) 

Jan 28: Hull (A - lge)

February 

Sat 4: Telford (H - lge, 4.45pm) 

Sun 5 - (Sutton (A - lge)

Sun 12: Nottingham (A - lge)

Sat 18: Nottingham (H - lge, 4.45pm) 

Sun 19: Altrincham (A - lge)

March

Sat 4: Altrincham (H - lge, 4.45pm) 

Sat 11: Sheffield (A - lge)

Sat 18: Coventry (H - lge, 4.45pm) 

Sun 19: Coventry (A - lge) 

Still be be arranged: Nottingham (A - lge)