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, 5–6 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
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
2015–16 44 33 9 2 195 104 68 3rd of 12, USPHL 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 Won Quarterfinals 2–0 vs. South Shore Kings
Won Semifinals 2–1 vs. Syracuse Stars
Lost Finals 0–2 vs. Islanders Hockey Club

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) 6-0W, 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 Junior level Bruins players include:
Brendan Buckley (AHL)[14]
Bobby Butler (NHL)
Jack Eichel (NHL)[15]
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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