Fife Flyers unveil fixtures for 2018-19 season
The schedules, released today, have also handed the team some testing, long midweek road trips.
But with one fewer club, the fixtures have more breathing space, and there will be nights off for each club across the campaign.
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Hide AdFlyers opens their 80th anniversary campaign with back to back home games against Glasgow Clan and Belfast Giants – matches which should pull in bumper crowds.
And they will then face a final weekend showdown with Clan, home and away, next March when play-off places could be on the line.
But they also face two Wednesday trips to Sheffield before October is out – and long midweek journeys to Cardiff and Guildford,
Challenge Cup matches dominate the early weeks of the schedule – in fact, Flyers opening home league game isn’t until September 30 when Manchester Storm come to Kirkcaldy.
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Hide AdTheir first blank Saturday is September 29, but that could be filled if the club opts to stage a special game to mark the 80th anniversary which falls on October 1.
There are midweek games pencilled in for each month, and in January Flyers have no Saturday night games on home ice – their traditional hockey night.
Instead, they play on three Sunday nights with one game on a Wednesday.
The equally traditional double header road trips include a long weekend in Belfast where the teams go head to head twice over two nights in late January, plus a weekend trip to Milton Keynes and Manchester in March.
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Hide AdThe Christmas schedule has yet to be finalised, but it does have a Hogmanay trip to Braehead pencilled in with a 2.00pm face-off, and MK Lightning down as first foots to Kirkcaldy on January 2.
The season starts on September 8 and concludes on Sunday, March 31.
The play-offs then take centre stage with the finals weekend in Nottingham confirmed for April 13-14. 2019
SEPTEMBER
Sat 8 Glasgow Clan (H) CC Group A
Sun 9 Belfast Giants (H) CC Group A
Wed 12 Sheffield (A) EIHL
Sat 15 Dundee Stars (H) CC Group A
Sun 16 Dundee Stars (A) CC Group A
Tues 18 Guildford Flames (A) EIHL
Sat 22 Belfast Giants (H) EIHL Group A
Sun 23 Belfast Giants (A) CC
Sun 30 Manchester Storm (H) EIHL
OCTOBER
Fri 5 Glasgow Clan (A) CC Group A
Sun 7 Sheffield Steelers (H) EIHL
Sat 13 Guildford Flames (H) EIHL
Sun 14 Guildford Flames (A) EIHL
Wed 17 Sheffield Steelers (A) EIHL
Sat 20 Nottingham Panthers (H) EIHL
Sun 21 Cardiff Devils (A) EIHL
Sat 27 Coventry Blaze (H) EIHL
Sun 28 MK Lightning (H) EIHL
NOVEMBER
Fri 2 Belfast Giants (H) EIHL
Sat 3 Manchester Storm (A) EIHL
Sun 4 Coventry Blaze (A) EIHL
Wed 7 Cardiff Devils (A) EIHL
Sat 10 Manchester Storm (H) EIHL
Sat 17 Sheffield Steelers (H) EIHL
Sun 18 Nottingham Panthers (A) EIHL
Wed 21 Cardiff Devils (A) EIHL
Sat 24 Dundee Stars (A) EIHL
Sun 25 Dundee Stars (H) EIHL
DECEMBER
Sat 1 Cardiff Devils (H) EIHL
Sun 2 Manchester Storm (A) EIHL
Sat 8 Coventry Blaze (H) EIHL
Sun 9 MK Lightning (A) EIHL
Sat 15 Guildford Flames (H) EIHL
Sat 22 Glasgow Clan (H) EIHL
Wed 26 Dundee Stars (A) EIHL
Thur 27 Dundee Stars (H) EIHL (tbc)
31 Glasgow Clan (A) EIHL
JANUARY
Wed 2 MK Lightning (H) EIHL (tbc)
Sat 5 Nottingham Panthers (A) EIHL
Sun 6 Cardiff Devils (H) EIHL
Sat 12 MK Lightning (A) EIHL
Sun 13 Manchester Storm (A) EIHL
Sat 19 Guildford Flames (A) EIHL
Sun 20 Nottingham Panthers (H) EIHL
Fri 25 Belfast Giants (A) EIHL
Sat 26 Belfast (A) EIHL
Sun 27 Cardiff Devils (H) EIHL
FEBRUARY
Fri 1 Glasgow Clan (A) EIHL
Sat 2 Glasgow Clan (H) EIHL
Sun 10 Manchester Storm (H) EIHL
Sat 16 Coventry Blaze (H) EIHL
Sun 17 Dundee Stars (A) EIHL
Sat 23 Dundee Stars (H) EIHL
Sun 24 Coventry Blaze (A) EIHL
Wed 27 Belfast Giants (H) EIHL
MARCH
Fri 1 MK Lightning (H) EIHL
Sun 3 Nottingham Panthers (A) EIHL
Sat 9 Sheffield Steelers (H) EIHL
Sun 10 Sheffield Steelers (A) EIHL
Sat 16 MK Lightning (A) EIHL
Sun 17 Coventry Blaze (A) EIHL
Sat 23 Guildford Flames (H) EIHL
Sun 24 Nottingham Panthers (H) EIHL
Fri 29 Belfast Giants (A) EIHL
Sat 30 Glasgow Clan (A) EIHL
Sun 31 Glasgow Clan (H) EIHL