Picture by Richard Wiseman

Five SNL games are on the schedule this weekend, with double-headers for Whitley Warriors and Paisley Pirates, while the two unbeaten sides at the top of the table go head-to-head in Dundee.

The headline game is Dundee Rockets against Whitley Warriors, with both teams still holding perfect league records.

Whitley sit top after winning all four of their league games, while the Rockets are just behind them having taken maximum points from their opening three. Both have started strongly and have shown plenty of depth across their rosters.

There is very little between them on paper, which makes Saturday’s meeting almost impossible to predict. With first and second going head-to-head, everyone will be watching to see who comes out on top.

It is also only the start of a demanding weekend for Whitley.

After the trip to Dundee, the Warriors return home on Sunday to face Kirkcaldy Kestrels at Hillheads. The sides met recently in Fife, where Whitley took a 4–0 win. Sunday could present a different challenge, with the Warriors coming off a demanding game in Dundee less than 24 hours earlier.

That quick turnaround may test their legs and squad depth, while Kirkcaldy will come in fresher and with a chance to put some points on the board.

Paisley Pirates also face two games in two days, beginning with a trip to Murrayfield to take on Edinburgh Capitals.

The Capitals have played just two league games so far, so their current position in the table tells only part of the story. Saturday will be their first home league fixture of the season and another chance to build into their campaign.

Paisley have already played three league games and currently sit third, making this a tough opening game to their double-header. With both sides carrying plenty of quality, it should be a great game to watch, with pace, skill and plenty of action.

The Pirates then head to Dumfries on Sunday for another meeting with Solway Sharks SNL.

Paisley took a 3–1 win when the sides met earlier in the season, but Solway made them work for it. The Sharks now come into the weekend on the back of a 5–3 win over Aberdeen Lynx and will be looking to build some momentum from that result.

For Paisley, it is another difficult road game less than 24 hours after facing Edinburgh, and they will be looking to take as much as possible from a demanding weekend.

At the Linx Ice Arena, Aberdeen Lynx welcome Kilmarnock Thunder for the second time already this season.

Thunder are still without home ice, meaning another trip north as they continue to work through an away-heavy start to the schedule. Their first visit to Aberdeen came on the opening weekend, when the Lynx took a 13–3 win.

That scoreline does not tell the whole story of the early stages, though. Thunder were competitive through the first period before Aberdeen found their legs in the second and began to pull away.

A few weeks further into the season, Thunder will be looking to show the progress they have made since that first meeting, while Aberdeen return home after a difficult run of away fixtures and will be keen to make home ice count again.

With unbeaten records on the line, two sides facing the demands of double-header weekends and several teams looking to build on recent performances, Week 5 has plenty of talking points before the puck drops.