World champion Luke Humphries delivered back-to-back nightly wins to move top of the Premier League with a 6-3 victory over Nathan Aspinall at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.

Humphries, who also triumphed in Brighton, beat Michael Smith in his opening match and then comfortably saw off Peter Wright to reach a second successive final.

Aspinall had ended the hopes of Luke Littler with a 6-3 win in the semi-final, but soon found himself trailing against the world number one.

Humphries had secured an early break to lead 2-0 which he soon extended to 4-1 on the back of another maximum.

Aspinall clawed a couple of legs back to trail by just one with a break of his own by checking out on double top.

The world champion, though, made the most of some wayward finishing to take the next leg and move one away, which he set up for a 78 finish, landing treble 18 and double 12.

Humphries now moves two points clear at the top of the table, with Aspinall sitting fourth.

“I had two great performances in the first two games, and Nathan was fantastic against Luke, who is such an amazing player – it gets to the point where you are thinking ‘play with two darts’ so Nathan did well to beat him,” Humphries said on Sky Sports.

“It was not the best final, maybe as we had both played really well we felt the pressure was off us and relaxed a little bit, tried too hard.

“But back-to-back weeks in the Premier League is really tough, so I am really proud to have done that and to be top of the league.”

Humphries added: “What me and Luke have done since the worlds has been amazing for the sport. I think the sport is in the best place possible now, with all these players, and is in the best place it has ever been.

“Hopefully now the crowds can keep getting behind us and enjoying it, because it is going to be an exciting sport for the next nine months.”

Littler was looking to build on his Belgian Darts Open final victory over Rob Cross, which had included a nine-dart finish, and earlier recorded an impressive 6-2 win against previous league leader Michael Van Gerwen.

Aspinall, though, produced his own top form in their semi-final clash, landing five maximums with an average of just over 104 to see off the 17-year-old sensation.

Humphries, meanwhile, hit four maximums as he had little trouble in coasting to a 6-1 win over Wright, who had earlier secured his first points of the competition.

In the night’s opening quarter-final at the Motorpoint Arena, Wright ended his barren run with his first points on the board when he edged out Gerwyn Price in a last-leg decider after the 2023 runner-up had missed three match darts.

Nottingham Panthers players returned to the ice on Saturday evening for the Adam Johnson Memorial Game at the Motorpoint Arena, where further tributes were paid to their former team-mate.

American Johnson, 29, died in hospital on October 28 after being hit in the neck by an opposition player’s skate during the Panthers’ away Challenge Cup match against Sheffield Steelers.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and been bailed to a date in the new year as inquiries continue.

The Panthers, who had not played since Johnson’s death, were joined by Manchester Storm for the exhibition game, which was hoped could help bring the team and fans together as they look to move forwards.

Fans have continued to lay tributes outside the Motorpoint Arena for Johnson, who also had a spell with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL and joined the Panthers ahead of the 2023–24 season.

Players were cheered onto the ice for the warm-up, with both teams wearing special game jerseys, which were set to be raffled afterwards.

All profits will be donated to the ‘Love for Hibbing & Hockey Memorial Fund’, which was established to support charitable causes in Johnson’s hometown area of Hibbing, Minnesota in the United States.

The sell-out crowd chanted Johnson’s name as the players took to the ice before making their way to the centre.

As the lights in the arena faded, Johnson’s picture was displayed on the main scoreboard above the rink, alongside the words ‘forever our 47’ in honour of his shirt number, which will be retired in his memory.

During the pre-game ceremony, there was applause from the crowd while the players tapped their sticks on the ice.

When the action got under way, Michael Korol opened the scoring for Manchester in the first quarter but the Panthers swiftly got back on level terms as Ollie Betteridge slotted in a rebound only 15 seconds later.

An inquest into Johnson’s death was opened and adjourned on November 3.

However, Sheffield’s senior coroner, Tanyka Rawden, has already called on the sport’s governing bodies to take action.

The English Ice Hockey Association has said neck guards will become mandatory from 2024 but the Elite League, in which the Panthers compete, is not under its control.

The Elite Ice Hockey League said it will not make the use of neck guards mandatory, but will “strongly encourage” players and officials to wear them.