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).

History 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. 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.

In April 2024, the Junior Bruins sold their Tier II club to the West Chester Wolves, who had been approved as an expansion franchise about a week earlier. The remainder of the organization's programs continued and, one year later, the Premier Division (Tier III) club was promoted to Tier II status and joined the National Collegiate Development Conference.

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) in an exhibition game along with some scrimmages versus local prep schools and participate in 4-6 major recruiting showcase/tournaments.

The Bruins sold their NCDC franchise to the West Chester Wolves prior to the 2024-25 season. The following season, 2025-26 the Boston Junior Bruins re-instated their NCDC franchise.

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.

Season-by-season records Original primary club Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts Regular season finish PlayoffsEastern 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 SelectsWon Semifinal game, 5–3 vs. New England Jr. CoyotesLost Championship game, 3–5 vs. Walpole Stars 2001–02 38 26 11 0 1 173 103 53 3rd EJHL Lost Quarterfinal game, 2–5 vs. Walpole Stars 2002–03 38 28 6 4 0 180 90 60 1st EJHL North Won Quarterfinals vs. Capital District SelectsLost Semifinal game, 2–5 vs. Walpole Stars 2003–04 38 32 3 2 0 180 73 66 1st EJHL North Won Quarterfinals vs. Walpole StarsWon Semifinal game, 3–2 vs. New England Jr. CoyotesLost Championship game, 3–6 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs 2004–05 51 36 8 6 1 200 102 79 1st EJHL North Won Quarterfinals, 1–0–1 vs. New England Jr. FalconsWon Semifinal game, 2–0 vs. Walpole StarsWon Championship game vs. New Hampshire Junior MonarchsLeague champions 2005–06 45 34 8 1 2 177 111 71 2nd EJHL North Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Bridgewater BanditsWon Semifinal game, 3–1 vs. New England Jr. FalconsLost Championship game, 5–6 OT vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs 2006–07 45 30 11 3 1 170 116 64 2nd EJHL North Won Quarterfinals vs. New York Apple CoreLost Semifinals vs. Bay State Breakers 2007–08 45 29 10 5 1 162 102 64 3rd EJHL North Won Quarterfinals vs. Bridgewater BanditsLost 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 North4th EJHL Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Bay State BreakersLost Semifinals, vs. New Hampshire Junior Monarchs 2010–11 45 38 6 1 0 215 118 79 2nd North3rd EJHL Won Quarterfinals, 2–1 vs. Springfield PicsLost 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. HuskiesLost Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen 2012–13 45 32 10 — 3 155 113 67 1st North2nd EJHL Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Bay State BreakersUnited 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. PiratesWon Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Islanders Hockey ClubWon Finals, 2–0 vs. Jersey HitmenLeague 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 Junior FlyersLost 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 KingsWon Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Syracuse StarsLost Finals, 0–2 vs. Islanders Hockey ClubAdvance to NCDC Division 2017–18 50 36 13 — 3 186 129 75 2nd of 11, NCDC Won Quarterfinals, 2–1 vs. Syracuse StarsLost 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 BanditsWon Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Northern CyclonesWon Finals, 2–1 vs. Connecticut Jr. RangersLeague 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, North3rd of 13, NCDC Won First Round, 2–1 vs. Boston AdvantageWon Second Round, 2–0 vs. Islanders Hockey ClubLost Semifinal game, 2–10 vs. New Jersey Rockets 2021–22 48 28 15 3 2 159 138 61 2nd of 7, North4th of 13, NCDC Won Div. Semifinal, 2–1 vs. Twin City ThunderWon Div. Final, 2-1 vs. New Hampshire Junior MonarchsLost League Final, 0-2 vs. New Jersey Hitmen 2022–23 50 22 25 - 3 151 169 44 6th of 7, North11th of 14, NCDC Did not Qualify for post season play 2023–24 52 25 23 3 1 158 196 54 4th of 6, New England9th of 18, NCDC Won Playin Game, 5-2 Northern CyclonesLost Div Semifinals, 0-2 Islanders Hockey Club 2024–25 Sold NCDC team sold to West Chester Wolves 2025–26 54 25 16 16 12 177 168 62 4th of 6, New England Central15th of 33, NCDC Lost Div Semifinals, 0-3 Utica Jr. Comets

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 W, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (EHL) 5-3W, Helena Bighorns (AWHL) 6-0W, Marquette Royales (MnJHL) 11-1 3-0-0 1st of 4Red Pool W, Springfield Pics (USPHL Elite) 6-0W, North Iowa Bulls (NA3HL) 4-1NATIONAL 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'.

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.

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

Notable Youth level Bruins: Sean Haggerty (NHL)Hockey's Future 1997-1998 Sleeper Article Blake Sloan (NHL) Rudi Ying (KHL)

Notes and references

External links Boston Junior Bruins Website USPHL Website