Boston Junior Bruins

Boston Junior Bruins

City	Marlborough, Massachusetts
League	USPHL
Division	North
Founded	1999 (1999)
Home arena	New England Sports Center
Colors	Black, gold and white
General manager	Peter Masters
Head coach	Peter Masters (Premier)

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

Mission

Junior Hockey is the pinnacle of the skill development program of USA Hockey. The program is available to high school students and graduates seeking a greater challenge than that available through their prep school, high school, or club team. The principal purpose of the Junior Bruins development program is to prepare the athlete for career advancement; either a collegiate program or professional opportunity.^[1]

History

The Boston Junior Bruins was 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.

Team members and regular season

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

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

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, 5-6OT 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
USPHL - Premier Division
2013–14	48	36	8	—	4	184	103	75	1st of 9, USPHL	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	Lost Quarterfinals 1-2 vs. South Shore Kings

USA Hockey Tier III Jr National Championships

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

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

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 Boston Junior Bruins players include:
Brendan Buckley (AHL)^[14]
Bobby Butler (NHL)
Jack Eichel (NHL)^[15]
Sean Haggerty (NHL)^[16]^[17]
Tim Lovell (AHL)^[18]
Steve Moses (NHL)
Blake Sloan (NHL)^[19]
Frank Vatrano (NHL) ^[20]

Notes and references

External links

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