SWINDON Wildcats will defend their Autumn Cup title next season following confirmation of the competition's return for the 2018-19 campaign.

The league management committee of the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) have revealed that the tournament will be back in an early-season six-team format split into two groups.

The Cats, who lifted the trophy in March following a 7-3 two-legged aggregate win over Basingstoke Bison, will feature in a southern group alongside last season's beaten finalists and Peterborough Phantoms.

Sheffield Steeldogs, Hull Pirates and Telford Tigers will make up the northern group, with fixtures for the competition seeing teams only play home and away against the teams in the opposite group.

At the end of the round robin the top two sides will play a two-legged final with games taking place midweek.

Cup games will be scheduled in the first few weeks of the season and the competition will be completed in October.

The Cats also beat Sheffield to win the National Cup last season, but the league originally announced that the tournaments had been scrapped for the 2018-19 campaign.