The 2011-12 ice hockey Premier League fixture list, now published - see Fixtures List, shows that Milton Keynes Lightning begin their 2011-12 season with the annual ‘Ashes’ challenge matches  against Peterborough Phantoms, the home fixture taking place on Saturday 24 September, and the away leg just under 24 hours later.

The ashes in question are those of the equipment of former Lightning skaters James Morgan and Dwayne Newman, both of whom subsequently played for old rivals Peterborough. Now that both players have both left the Cambridgeshire side, some supporters had questioned whether the two-legged fixture would still happen; but the newly-published fixture list confirms that the matches have retained their place at the top of Lightning’s schedule. 

Lightning’s league season begins on Saturday 1st October, when the three-time League title winners host the side who took that title from them last season – Manchester Phoenix. The following day, Milton Keynes supporters travel to Sheffield to face a Steeldogs side whose roster has seen significant changes this summer.

The club retains its annual Christmas break, with the final games before Santa’s arrival being the visit of Swindon Wildcats on Saturday 17th December, and a road trip to Altrincham to face Manchester Phoenix the following day. Lightning resume their title push 12 days later when Phoenix make their second visit of the season to the Thunderdome. And Nick Poole’s side will be aiming to have the last laugh when they end their season on 1st April away at Slough Jets, only 24 hours after hosting last season’s league cup champions.

Lightning are looking to start their season in top gear and fight tooth and nail to win silverware this season, according to player-coach Poole. “The MK – Peterborough Ashes have become as much a part of our fixture list as the other Ashes are to cricket! Because of the history and rivalry between the two teams, we know those two games will get both the players and supporters firing on all cylinders and ready for the start of the league fixtures, because there’s local pride at stake.

“Hosting Manchester Phoenix for our first league game holds absolutely no fears for us – we put them out of the play-off finals in April, and we have every intention of taking our league title back from them. We know we have a lot to prove after last season – but every single man on the roster is absolutely determined to put silverware back in the trophy cabinet, to repay the supporters’ faith in us.”