SWINDON Wildcats general manager Steve Nell is keen to drive community involvement outside of the rink to help boost ice hockey’s profile in the region.

The Cats begin the new campaign this evening with a group match at home to Hull Pirates in the defence of the Autumn Trophy they won last term – the club’s first competitive fixture of 2018-19 following two pre-season fixtures against both Bracknell Bees and Streatham in the past fortnight.

But driving interaction between the club and Wiltshire’s schools is a box Nell is keen to continue ticking.

He said: “We bring schools to the rink for an introduction to skating. But we also go to the schools to deliver after school clubs and assemblies.

“We’re in as many schools as we can all year round, that’s credit to Bully (Sam Bullas) and Dave Ridley, who both work hard spreading the word.”

Promotion away from the club’s Link Centre home is helping to attract regular attendances north of 1,300.

Believing the club has a diverse range of supporters, Nell underlined the importance of recruitment and sponsorship during the off-season ahead of this weekend’s first competitive fixture.

He said: “This time of year always comes around pretty quickly. It’s good to be back, though, we’d get bored if we had more time away from the rink in the summer.

“There’s no real time off, really, everybody keeps working hard.

“We’re a little bit different with regards to the club, we’re not just a team on the ice. We’ve got events taking place in the community and the juniors too.

“Recruitment and sponsorship are key parts of our club, we don’t really get a break.

“We’re getting up to 1,400 people per game. The fans keep coming, but they’re seeing a good product.

“Before and after the game, people can get involved, and plenty of families come along. It’s for everybody.”