The Boston Junior Bruins are an American junior ice hockey organization playing in Marlborough, Massachusetts. They currently field three junior and a number of youth teams in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL).

Boston Junior Bruins
CityMarlborough, Massachusetts
LeagueUSPHL
Founded1999 (1999)
Home arenaNew England Sports Center
ColorsBlack, gold and white
     
General managerPeter Masters
Head coachPeter Masters (Premier)

History

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The Boston Junior Bruins were founded in 1991 as an independent junior team. The Junior Bruins played prep schools and local junior teams, and competed in major tournaments throughout North America before joining the Tier III Junior A Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) in 1999.

During their first three EJHL seasons, Head Coach Peter Masters and his staff led the team to fourth, third, and second-place finishes overall in the twelve-team league. In 2000–01 the team finished the regular season with a 45-15-1 overall record as the EJHL Northern Division Champions.

To better develop talent for their Junior A program, the Junior Bruins fielded a number of youth hockey teams as well as two Tier III Junior B teams in the Empire Junior Hockey League (EmJHL) and Continental Hockey Association (renamed to Eastern States Hockey League in 2011) (CHA/ESHL).

During the 2012–13 season, Junior Bruins and other EJHL teams announced the formation of a new league called the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). The new league would go on to absorb the former EmJHL and the recently announced Eastern Elite Hockey League (a new league consisting mostly of the former EJHL South) to create several junior and youth divisions within the USPHL. The former Junior A team would play in the USPHL Premier Division and its former Junior B team would play in the USPHL Empire Division (later named USP3). The Junior Bruins would also field a team in the USPHL Elite Division.

In 2017, the leagues underwent another realignment and the USPHL added the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) as their top division. The NCDC was intended to become a Tier II league but was denied sanctioning by USA Hockey.[1] The USPHL went forward without sanctioning for its junior leagues in the 2017–18 season and all of the Bruins' team were promoted the NCDC, Premier and Elite Divisions from the Premier, Elite and USP3 Divisions respectively.

Team members and regular season

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Velan Nandhakumaran plays for Boston Junior Bruins

The Junior Bruins hold tryouts in April and final camp in late July. The Junior Bruins team is typically composed of 12 to 13 forwards, 6 to 7 defensemen, and 2 goalies on the active roster. All players are between the ages of 16 and 20. The season starts the day after Labor Day and playoffs finish during the third week of March each year. The team typically practices 3 to 4 times per week.

The schedule includes 45 EJHL regular season schedule games plus three rounds of playoffs. From year to year the Junior Bruins normally play one or both of the US National teams (USA Hockey's National Team Development Program)[2] in an exhibition game along with some scrimmages versus local prep schools and participate in 4-6 major recruiting showcase/tournaments.

Charitable involvement

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The Bay State Hockey Foundation (BSHF) is the non-profit arm of the Junior Bruins Organization. Founded in 2005, the mission of the BSHF is to provide " ... children and young adults with lower extremity paralysis and other disabilities the opportunity to participate in the sport of sled ice hockey ... " Equipment and participation are free for qualified individuals.[3]

Season-by-season records

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Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts Regular Season Finish Playoffs
Eastern Junior Hockey League
1999–2000 40 22 18 0 175 157 44 5th EJHL
2000–01 38 30 7 0 1 61 2nd EJHL Won Quarterfinal game, 4–2 vs. Capital District Selects
Won Semifinal game, 5–3 vs. New England Jr. Coyotes
Lost Championship game, 3–5 vs. Walpole Stars[4]
2001–02 38 26 11 0 1 173 103 53 3rd EJHL Lost Quarterfinal game, 2–5 vs. Walpole Stars[5]
2002–03 38 28 6 4 0 180 90 60 1st EJHL North Won Quarterfinals vs. Capital District Selects
Lost Semifinal game, 2–5 vs. Walpole Stars[6]
2003–04 38 32 3 2 0 180 73 66 1st EJHL North Won Quarterfinals vs. Walpole Stars
Won Semifinal game, 3–2 vs. New England Jr. Coyotes
Lost Championship game, 3–6 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs[7]
2004–05 51 36 8 6 1 200 102 79 1st EJHL North Won Quarterfinals, 1–0–1 vs. New England Jr. Falcons
Won Semifinal game, 2–0 vs. Walpole Stars[8]
Won Championship game vs. New Hampshire Junior Monarchs
League Champions
2005–06 45 34 8 1 2 177 111 71 2nd EJHL North Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Bridgewater Bandits
Won Semifinal game, 3–1 vs. New England Jr. Falcons[9]
Lost Championship game, 5–6 OT vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs[10]
2006–07 45 30 11 3 1 170 116 64 2nd EJHL North Won Quarterfinals vs. New York Apple Core
Lost Semifinals vs. Bay State Breakers
2007–08 45 29 10 5 1 162 102 64 3rd EJHL North Won Quarterfinals vs. Bridgewater Bandits
Lost Semifinals vs. New Hampshire Junior Monarchs
2008–09 45 32 9 3 1 183 101 68 2nd EJHL North Lost Quarterfinals vs. Bay State Breakers
2009–10 45 30 11 5 0 166 109 64 2nd North
4th EJHL
Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Bay State Breakers
Lost Semifinals, vs. New Hampshire Junior Monarchs
2010–11 45 38 6 1 0 215 118 79 2nd North
3rd EJHL
Won Quarterfinals, 2–1 vs. Springfield Pics
Lost Semifinals, 0–2 vs. New Hampshire Junior Monarchs
2011–12 45 37 7 1 239 135 75 1st EJHL Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. New England Jr. Huskies
Lost Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen
2012–13 45 32 10 3 155 113 67 1st North
2nd EJHL
Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Bay State Breakers
United States Premier Hockey League
2013–14 48 36 8 4 184 103 75 1st of 9, USPHL-Premier Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Portland Jr. Pirates
Won Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Islanders Hockey Club
Won Finals, 2–0 vs. Jersey Hitmen
League Champions
2014–15 48 38 8 4 207 122 80 2nd of 11, USPHL-Premier Lost Quarterfinals, 1–2 vs. South Shore Kings
2015–16 44 33 9 2 195 104 68 3rd of 12, USPHL-Premier Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Philadelphia Flyers Junior
Lost Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen
2016–17 45 33 12 0 170 102 66 3rd of 10, USPHL-Premier Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. South Shore Kings
Won Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Syracuse Stars
Lost Finals, 0–2 vs. Islanders Hockey Club
Advance to NCDC Division
2017–18 50 36 13 3 186 129 75 2nd of 11, NCDC Won Quarterfinals, 2–1 vs. Syracuse Stars
Lost Semifinals, 1–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen
2018–19 50 32 15 3 200 139 67 2nd of 12, NCDC Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Boston Bandits
Won Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Northern Cyclones
Won Finals, 2–1 vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers
League Champions
2019–20 50 39 8 3 208 129 81 2nd of 13, NCDC Playoffs cancelled
2020–21 42 30 9 3 160 99 63 1st of 7, North
3rd of 13, NCDC
Won First Round, 2–1 vs. Boston Advantage
Won Second Round, 2–0 vs. Islanders Hockey Club
Lost Semifinal game, 2–10 vs. New Jersey Rockets
2021–22 48 28 15 3 2 159 138 61 2nd of 7, North
4th of 13, NCDC
Won Div. Semifinal, 2–1 vs. Twin City Thunder
Won Div. Final, 2-1 vs. New Hampshire Junior Monarchs
Lost League Final, 0-2 vs. New Jersey Hitmen
2022–23 50 22 25 - 3 151 169 44 6th of 7, North
11th of 14, NCDC
Did not Qualify for post season play
2023–24 52 25 23 3 1 158 196 54 4th of 6, New England
9th of 18, NCDC
Won Playin Game, 5-2 Northern Cyclones
Lost Div Semifinals, 0-2 Islanders Hockey Club<
Transferred NCDC Division to WEST CHESTER WOLVES RETAIN Premier Div Team
2024–25 - - - - - - - >>> of 6 New England
 ?? of 64, Premier
tbd

USA Hockey Tier III Jr National Championships

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Round robin play in pool with top 4 teams advancing to semi-final.

Year Round Robin Record Standing SemiFinal Championship Game
2014[11] W, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (EHL) 5-3
W, Helena Bighorns (AWHL) 6-0
W, Marquette Royales (MnJHL) 11-1
3-0-0 1st of 4
Red Pool
W, Springfield Pics (USPHL Elite) 6-0 W, North Iowa Bulls (NA3HL) 4-1
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Coach

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Head coach Peter Masters functions as both head coach for the EJHL team and manager for all Junior Bruins activities. His responsibilities include program and organization development, direction of skill sessions and summer camps for youth hockey players and the Annual Junior Bruins Shootout Tournament in the fall and Beantown Classic Tournament in August.

Peter Masters, 2001 EJHL Coach of the Year, graduated from Boston College in 1997. While at Boston College, Masters played defense for the BC Eagles under coaches Steve Cedorchuk and Jerry York, and was recognized in 1997 as one of eight defensemen nationwide picked as Hobey Baker Award pre-season 'players to watch'.[12]

Alumni

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Since 1992 the Junior Bruins have placed over 100 players in college hockey and since 2001 more than 35 have been recruited to Division I college teams.[13]

Notable former Junior level Bruins players include:
Brendan Buckley (AHL)[14]
Bobby Butler (NHL)
Jack Eichel (NHL)[15]
Conor Garland (NHL)
Steve Moses (NHL)
Frank Vatrano (NHL)

Notable Youth level Bruins:
Sean Haggerty (NHL)[16][17]
Blake Sloan (NHL)[18]
Rudi Ying (KHL)

Notes and references

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  1. ^ "DAILY DISH: USA HOCKEY ANNUAL CONGRESS". JuniorHockey.com. June 6, 2017. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "USA Hockey NTDP Website". Archived from the original on 17 February 2009.
  3. ^ "Bay State Hockey Foundation web page". Archived from the original on 2010-01-13. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  4. ^ "Amateur Hockey News". the Inside Word. March 28, 2001. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Amateur Hockey News". the Inside Word. March 28, 2002. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  6. ^ "| Amateur Hockey News | March 28, 2003". the Inside Word. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Feisty Forward for Golden Knights". the Inside Word. March 28, 2004. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  8. ^ "EJHL Playoffs". the Inside Word. March 14, 2005. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  9. ^ "EJHL Semifinals Tonight | Amateur Hockey News | March 20, 2006".
  10. ^ "New Hampshire Junior Monarchs".
  11. ^ "2014 Tier III Nat. Championships". USA Hockey. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  12. ^ "Junior Bruins Website Coach Bio". Archived from the original on 11 December 2008.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". ww16.easternjunior.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008.
  15. ^ "Jack Eichel at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Legends of Hockey". Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  17. ^ Hockey's Future 1997-1998 Sleeper Article
  18. ^ "Legends of Hockey". Retrieved 4 October 2023.
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