The New York Apple Core are a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team from Brewster, New York, playing in the Eastern Hockey League. The team plays home games at the Brewster Ice Arena. The Apple Core organization is based out of Long Beach, New York, on Long Island, however, their top level junior team has played in Brewster since the start of the 2011–12 season.

The Apple Core organization also fields a Tier III team in the Eastern Hockey League-Premier Division, as well as youth hockey select teams at the Bantam, Peewee, and Squirt and other various levels.

History The franchise was a full-time member of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) from 1998 to 2013. The team was originally formed in 1993 in the Junior B Metro League. In 1997–98, they played a handful of games against the EJHL, and became a full-time member a year later. In 2003, the Apple Core won the Triple Crown EJHL Championship, finishing as regular season and post-season champions. In 2013, the various Tier III junior hockey leagues in the north east went through a re-organization, which included the Apple Core joining the Atlantic Junior Hockey League. The Atlantic Junior Hockey League then re-branded itself as the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) after the dissolution of the former EJHL.

Since joining the EJHL in 1998, the organization has also fielded multiple Tier III Junior B/C teams in the Empire Junior Hockey League, Eastern States Hockey League, and Metropolitan Junior Hockey League, and the United States Premier Hockey League - Empire Division. In 2016, their developmental team (formerly known as Tier III Junior B/C) moved from the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League to the EHL's Elite Division (and then called Premier Division since 2017) and continues to play home games in Long Beach, New York.

Season-by-season records Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA Regular season finish Playoffs 1996–97 50 38 7 5 — 81 285 185 3rd Metro A 1997–98 No information Eastern Junior Hockey League 1998–99 37 25 8 4 — 54 192 109 2nd of 8, EJHL 1999–00 39 20 15 4 — 44 155 118 7th of 11, EJHL 2000–01 No information3rd of 12, EJHLLost Quarterfinal game, 3–5 vs. Valley Jr. Warriors 2001–02 38 26 10 0 2 54 186 87 1st of 6, South2nd of 12, EJHLWon Quarterfinal game, 7–0 vs. Lowell Jr. Lock MonstersWon Semifinal game, 4–2 vs. New England Jr. CoyotesLost Championship game, 1–2 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs 2002–03 38 31 6 0 1 63 159 78 1st of 6, South1st of 12, EJHLWon Quarterfinals vs. Boston Harbor WolvesWon Semifinal game, 7–2 vs.New England Jr. CoyotesWon Championship game, 5–4 vs. Walpole StarsLeague champions 2003–04 38 18 17 1 2 39 140 127 3rd of 6, South6th of 12, EJHLLost Quarterfinals vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs 2004–05 54 24 22 6 2 56 163 147 3rd of 7, South6th of 13, EJHLLost Quarterfinals, 1–1 vs. Valley Jr. Warriors 2005–06 45 16 19 6 4 42 125 146 6th of 7, South10th of 14, EJHLdid not qualify 2006–07 45 19 17 7 2 47 162 142 3rd of 7, South6th of 14, EJHLLost Quarterfinals, 1–1 vs. Boston Jr. Bruins 2007–08 45 21 19 3 2 47 173 167 5th of 7, South8th of 14, EJHLLost Play-in game vs. Bay State Breakers 2008–09 45 17 27 1 0 35 159 201 6th of 7, South11th of 14, EJHLdid not qualify 2009–10 45 21 18 3 3 48 172 159 4th of 7, South7th of 14, EJHLLost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs 2010–11 45 15 22 7 1 38 162 184 5th of 7, South8th of 14, EJHLWon First Round, 1–0–1 vs. New England Jr. HuskiesLost Quarterfinals, 1–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen 2011–12 45 20 23 0 2 42 143 178 6th of 7, South11th of 14, EJHLLost First Round, 0–1–1 vs. Valley Jr. Warriors 2012–13 45 17 23 — 5 39 140 186 5th of 7, South12th of 14, EJHLLost First Round, 1–1 vs. Rochester StarsEastern Hockey League 2013–14 44 20 21 1 2 43 141 155 5th of 6, Central11th of 17, EHLLost First Round, 0–2 (Boston Bandits) 2014–15 44 19 22 — 3 41 135 164 5th of 5, Central12th of 19, EHLLost First Round, 0–2 (Northern Cyclones) 2015–16 41 6 31 — 4 16 71 187 9th of 9, South Conf.18th of 18, EHL-Premierdid not qualify 2016–17 48 14 30 — 4 32 129 214 3rd of 4, Central Div.7th of 8, South Conf.15th of 17, EHL-PremierWon Conf. Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (Connecticut Oilers)Lost Conf. Semifinal series, 0–2 (Philadelphia Little Flyers) 2017–18 50 23 18 — 9 55 160 157 2nd of 4, Central Div.4th of 8, South Conf.8th of 16, EHLWon Conf. Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights)Lost Conf. Semifinal series, 0–2 (Philadelphia Revolution) 2018–19 45 17 24 — 4 38 150 172 3rd of 3, North Div.6th of 8, Mid-Atlantic Conf.14th of 18, EHLLost Div. Semifinal series, 0–2 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights) 2019–20 46 13 28 — 5 31 132 203 7th of 8, Mid-Atlantic Conf.16th of 19, EHLdid not qualify 2020–21 37 12 22 — 3 27 128 174 6th of 6, South Div.16th of 17, EHLLost Div. Semifinal series, 0–2 (Protec Jr. Ducks) 2021–22 46 12 30 — 4 28 148 224 4th of 4, Central.17th of 17, EHLLost Div. Semifinal series, 1–2 (Worcester Jr. Railers) 2022–23 46 14 29 2 1 31 98 167 5th of 5, Central.19th of 19, EHLLost Div. Qualifier, 5–6 (Connecticut RoughRiders) 2023–24 46 34 11 0 1 59 201 116 2nd of 6, Central.4th of 23, EHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Providence Hockey Club)Lost Div. Final series, 1–2 (Worcester Jr. Railers) 2024–25 46 5 39 2 0 12 109 270 5th of 5, Central.21st of 21, EHLdid not qualify 2025–26 50 15 29 5 1 36 146 193 4th of 5, Central.12th of 20, EHLLost Div Semifinal, 0-2 (HC Rhode Island)

Alumni Apple Core has produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division I and Division III, and ACHA college programs, and professional hockey, including:

Anthony Bitetto - New York Rangers (NHL) Erik Burgdoerfer - Buffalo Sabres (NHL) Mark Eaton - Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) Rich Hansen - Rapid City Rush (CHL) Mārtiņš Karsums - Dinamo Riga (KHL) Ryan Cruthers - Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) Doug Murray - Montreal Canadiens (NHL) Eric Nystrom - Nashville Predators (NHL) Jekabs Redlihs - Dinamo Riga (KHL) Steven Santini - St. Louis Blues (NHL) Kevin Schaeffer - Charlotte Checkers (ECHL) Rob Scuderi - Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) Ryan Vesce - San Jose Sharks (NHL) Matt Gilroy - New York Rangers (NHL)

In 2005, the Apple Core became the first junior team to be represented by all four competing schools in the Beanpot hockey tournament. Representing the Apple Core were Kevin Schaeffer and Jekabs Redlihs of Boston University, Mike Brennan of Boston College, Jon Pelle and Bill Keenan of Harvard University, and Louie Liotti and Steve Birnstill of Northeastern University.

References

External links Apple Core Website