SWINDON Wildcats will host the Guildford Flames when they get their 2016/17 English Premier League campaign underway next month.

The schedule for the forthcoming season was unveiled this morning, with Aaron Nell’s side travelling to Peterborough Phantoms to round off the opening weekend.

Wildcats play four challenge games against Basingstoke Bison and local rivals Bracknell Bees before the puck drops on their first league encounter against the Flames on Saturday, September 10.

Swindon will also see plenty of action over the festive period, with a Boxing Day trip to Basingstoke before back-to-back home games against the Bison and Guildford Flames on December 27 and 31 respectively, both Christmas games facing-off at 4pm.

Cats will open the new year at Bracknell and end their regular season with a home game against Peterborough on Saturday, March 18, and a trip to Basingstoke the following night.

The Wildcats will also compete in the EPIHL Cup this season, with the first home and away league fixtures counting towards the qualifying process. The top four teams progress through to the two-legged semi-finals, which will take place in January with the final in February.

The end-of-season play-offs have also undergone a revamp, with a new, extended format.

The teams finishing first, fourth, fifth and eighth will go into Group One, with second, third, sixth and seventh in Group Two.

The final four sides will contest finals weekend at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena on April 8-9.

SWINDON WILDCATS 2016/17 FIXTURES

EPIHL unless stated

Home fixtures in CAPS

AUGUST

Wed 31: BASINGSTOKE BISON (Challenge)

SEPTEMBER

Sat 3: BRACKNELL BEES (Challenge)

Sun 4: Bracknell (Challenge)

Wed 7: Basingstoke Bison (Challenge)

Sat 10: GUILDFORD FLAMES

Sun 11: Peterborough Phantoms

Sat 17: MANCHESTER PHOENIX

Sun 18: Hull Pirates

Sat 24: TELFORD TIGERS

Sun 25: Guildford Flames

OCTOBER

Sat 1: BRACKNELL BEES

Sun 2: Manchester Phoenix

Sat 8: PETERBOROUGH PHANTOMS

Sun 9: Telford Tigers

Sat 15: HULL PIRATES

Sun 16: Peterborough Phantoms

Sat 22: GUILDFORD FLAMES

Sun 23: Hull Pirates

Wed 26: MK LIGHTNING

Sat 29: BASINGSTOKE BISON

Sun 30: Sheffield Steeldogs

NOVEMBER

Sat 5: Peterborough Phantoms

Sat 12: SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS

Sun 13: Bracknell Bees

Sun 19: MANCHESTER PHOENIX

Sun 20: MK Lightning

Sat 26: Basingstoke Bison

Sun 27: Telford Tigers

DECEMBER

Sat 3: SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS

Sat 10: TELFORD TIGERS

Sat 17: MK Lightning

Sun 18: Hull Pirates

Mon 26: Basingstoke Bison

Tues 27: BASINGSTOKE BISON

Sat 31: GUILDFORD FLAMES

JANUARY

Sun 1: Bracknell Bees

Sat 7: HULL PIRATES

Sun 8: Telford Tigers

Sat 14: PETERBOROUGH PHANTOMS

Sun 15: Sheffield Steeldogs

Sat 21: MANCHESTER PHOENIX

Sun 22: Guildford Flames

Sat 28: TELFORD TIGERS

Sun 29: Manchester Phoenix

FEBUARY

Sat 4: MK LIGHTNING

Sun 5: Manchester Phoenix

Sat 11: MK Lightning

Sun 12: BASINGSTOKE BISON

Wed 15: BRACKNELL BEES

Sat 18: SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS

Sun 19: Bracknell Bees

Sat 25: MK LIGHTNING

Sun 26: Sheffield Steeldogs

MARCH

Sat 4: BRACKNELL BEES

Sun 5: Guildford Flames

Sat 11: HULL PIRATES

Sat 18: PETERBOROUGH PHANTOMS

Sun 19: Basingstoke Bison

Wed 22: Play-offs

Sat 25: Play-offs

Sun 26: Play-offs

Wed 29: Play-offs

APRIL

Sat 2: Play-offs

Sat 3: Play-offs

Sat 8 & Sun 9: Coventry finals weekend