The Portland Pirates will start their 23rd season and first year as a Florida Panthers affiliate on the road against the Providence Bruins on Sunday, Oct. 11.

The opener is one of the 14 meetings between the clubs, the most of any opponent on Portland’s 76-game schedule, released Thursday by the American Hockey League.

The Pirates will play their first game at the Cross Insurance Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, against the Hershey Bears.

Other highlights include a 5 p.m. start against Providence for the annual New Year’s Eve game and a matchup with the Toronto Marlies at the Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, at 2 p.m. Feb. 20. That will be the Pirates’ first game in an NHL building since March 7, 2010, when they faced Rochester at HSBC Arena in Buffalo.