Tuesday 26 December 2017 07:31, UK
The post-Phil Taylor era will dawn in 2018 but Sky Sports’ darts coverage will continue into a new, exciting year with fresh contenders.
The scramble to profit from the Power's retirement begins with the first dart of 2018 as New Year's Day brings the final of the 2018 World Championship.
Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright's hunger to dominate the field will be tested by Daryl Gurney, Mensur Suljovic, Rob Cross and Jelle Klaasen while established names Adrian Lewis, James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld will still be involved.
Fresh from Taylor's retirement and the 2018 World Championship final, attention turns to another packed year of the sport's most prestigious events which you can see live and exclusive on Sky Sports after a new seven-year deal was agreed with the PDC.
Premier League Darts, the World Cup of Darts, the World Matchplay, the World Grand Prix and the Grand Slam of Darts will preclude the traditional end-of-year finale at the 2019 World Darts Championship.
While Sky Sports viewers will also get the chance to catch-up on all the talking points and goings-on as The Darts Show comes to Action and Arena.
However, the first job for those players eyeing up the vacancy that Taylor will leave is in the Premier League, between February 1 and May 17, where the list of participants will be a talking point until they are confirmed after the World Championship final.
The Premier League will return fresher than ever when it begins in Dublin in February and includes a first trip to Germany with Berlin on the agenda on February 22.
Shortly after the Premier League play-offs at The O2 in May, we head to Germany for a weekend that turns the sport upside-down.
Gone will be Michael van Gerwen's usual lime green attire, swapped for the orange of his Netherlands home for the World Cup of Darts between May 31 and June 3. The best two players from each nation pair up (Adrian Lewis and Dave Chisnall are the likeliest England duo) for a tournament that mimics the classic football World Cups.
And if you hadn't shed a tear for Taylor yet, it will soon be time to longingly remember him at the World Matchplay between July 21 and July 29.
Historically the Blackpool Winter Gardens extravaganza has been Taylor's happy hunting ground and, in 2017, he claimed his 16th title in his final appearance. His continued success opens the door to someone else to triumph with Taylor watching from afar next year.
Chief among the new crop of players to aim for Taylor's heights will be Daryl Gurney, the Northern Irishman who lifted the World Grand Prix prize.
Gurney will head back to Dublin as the defending champion from September 30 to October 6 by which time he will hope to have already added to his trophy haul.
The Grand Slam of Darts will, as always, be the precursor to the Ally Pally madness that traditionally ends the darts calendar.
Quite who heads to north London and the defending champion remains to be seen, but spirits are always high so once again expect fancy dress, Christmas festivities and the finest darts of the entire calendar!
