Islanders Hockey Club (Tier III)

Last updated

Islanders Hockey Club
Islanders Hockey Club.png
City Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
League United States Premier Hockey League
Premier Division
DivisionNew England
Founded1993 (1993)
Home arena Gallant Arena
ColorsNavy, orange and white
   
Head coachJay Punsky
Affiliate Islanders Hockey Club
Franchise history
1993–2000Tyngsboro Huskies
2000–2004Lowell Junior Lock Monsters
2004–2012New England Junior Huskies
2012–presentIslanders Hockey Club
Championships
Regular season titles2 (2016, 2017)
Division titles3 (2020, 2021, 2025)
Playoff championships1 (2017)

The Islanders Hockey Club are an American Tier III junior ice hockey organization from Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. They field teams in the United States Premier Hockey League's Premier Division.

Contents

History

New England Huskies Junior Hockey Club

Logo from 2004-2012 Husky logo.jpg
Logo from 2004–2012

The New England Huskies Junior Hockey Club is a non-profit 501-3 organization which chartered in 1993 as the Tyngsboro Huskies as a charter member of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL). The New England Junior Huskies trace their roots to 1981 and Fitchburg's "Wallace Wallopers" of the now-defunct New England Junior Hockey League (NEJHL).[ citation needed ] The team was renamed the Tyngsboro Huskies in 1993when it joined the EJHL and renamed again in 2000 to the Lowell Junior Lock Monsters, before becoming the New England Junior Huskies in 2004.

The stated purpose of the program is to provide a vehicle for athletes to develop as hockey players and to use these gifts to further their educational careers. Players are prepared for the long-term future as productive citizens while being constantly reminded to give the game of hockey its due respect for lessons learned. All Junior Huskies players are required to be in school and/or work, and are required to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) tutorial classes that are provided by the organization.

Islanders Hockey Club

In September 2010, the New England Huskies and the Middlesex Islanders announced that their programs would be merging creating one of the premier developmental and competitive hockey programs in New England. In 2012, the program announced that they were becoming the Islanders Hockey Club. [1]

The next major change for the Islanders was in the fall of 2012 when they announced that they would be one of the founding members of the new United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). [2]

Junior A team

Before the 2011–12 season USA Hockey had split Tier III junior hockey into Junior A and B divisions. Their former Junior A team now competes in the National Collegiate Development Conference of the USPHL. Prior to the 2013–14 season, the Islanders Junior A team were members of the Northern Division of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL). The team then joined the Premier Division in the new USPHL until the USPHL started the Tier II NCDC League in 2017.

Team members and regular season

The Islanders typically hold tryouts in late April. The team is usually composed of 12 to 13 forwards, six to seven defensemen, and two 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 and practices 3 to 4 times per week.

The schedule includes regular season games plus three rounds of playoffs.

Season-by-season records

SeasonGPWLTOTLPtsGFGARegular Season FinishPlayoffs
Tyngsboro Huskies
1993–97No statistics availableEJHL
1997–98371126022971966th of 8, EJHL
1998–993716174361481785th of 8, EJHL
1999–20004019165431511518th of 11, EJHL
Lowell Jr. Lock Monsters
2000–01No statistics available8th, EJHLLost Quarterfinal, 2–6 (Walpole Stars) [3]
2001–023811233126951524th of 6, EJHL NorthLost Quarterfinal, 0–7 (New York Apple Core) [4]
2002–033812205130941333rd of 6, EJHL NorthLost Quarterfinals, ? (Walpole Stars) [5]
2003–0438191621411181163rd of 6, EJHL NorthLost Quarterfinals, ? (New England Jr. Coyotes) [6]
New England Jr. Huskies
2004–0549202054491361575th of 6, EJHL NorthLost Play-in, 3–5 (Capital District Selects) [7]
2005–0645182241411541575th of 7, EJHL NorthDid not qualify
2006–0745261351581921363rd of 7, EJHL NorthWon Quarterfinal, 2–0 (Bridgewater Bandits)
Lost Semifinal series, 1–1 (New Hampshire Junior Monarchs)
2007–0845132633321501885th of 7, EJHL NorthWon Play-in, 7–5 (Valley Jr. Warriors)
Lost Quarterfinal series, 0–2 (New Jersey Hitmen)
2008–0945192240421411534th of 7, EJHL NorthLost Quarterfinal series, 0–1–1 (New Jersey Hitmen)
2009–104563252191072227th of 7, North
14th of 14, EJHL
Did not qualify
2010–1145132741311111774th of 7, North
11th of 14, EJHL
Lost First Round series, 0–1–1 (New York Apple Core)
2011–124520223431391615th of 7, North
9th of 14, EJHL
Won First Round series, 1–0–1 (Boston Bandits)
Lost Quarterfinal series, 0–2 (Boston Junior Bruins)
Islanders Hockey Club
2012–134531113651831182nd of 7, North
3rd of 14, EJHL
Won Quarterfinal series, ? (Valley Jr. Warriors)
Won Semifinal series, ? (Rochester Stars)
Lost Championship, ? (New Jersey Hitmen)
2013–14 4823214501591575th of 9, USPHL PremierWon Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Philadelphia Jr. Flyers)
Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (New Jersey Hitmen)
2014–15 5027194581831644th of 11, USPHL PremierWon Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (P.A.L. Jr. Islanders)
Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (Philadelphia Jr. Flyers)
2015–16 443680721841051st of 12, USPHL PremierWon Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (Rochester Jr. Americans)
Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (South Shore Kings
Lost Championship, 0–2 (New Jersey Hitmen)
2016–17 453861772091001st of 10, USPHL PremierWon Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (P.A.L. Jr. Islanders)
Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (Springfield Pics)
Won Championship series, 2–0 (Boston Junior Bruins)
2017–18 442996641791132nd of 9, North Div.
7th of 44, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (Springfield Pics)
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (South Shore Kings)
Won Black Pool B Round-Robin, 4–3 (Motor City Hawks), 4–3 (Florida Eels), 2–0 (Wisconsin Rapids RiverKings)
Lost Semifinal, 1–2 (Hampton Roads Whalers)
2018–19 4425145551281085th of 7, New England Div.
20th of 52, USPHL Premier
Lost Div. Quarterfinal series, 1–2 (New Hampshire Junior Monarchs)
2019–20 44365375209891st of 7, New England Div.
2nd of 52, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–1 (Boston Junior Bruins)
Remainder of postseason cancelled
2020–21 43376074229811st of 9, New England Div.
5th of 62, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (South Shore Kings)
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Bridgewater Bandits)
Lost Pool C Round-Robin, 1–1 (Charlotte Rush), 4–2 (Utah Outliers), 4–2 (Chicago Cougars)
2021–22 4421194461161196th of 9, New England Div.
35th of 64, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Bridgewater Bandits)
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Boston Junior Bruins)
Lost Pool A Round-Robin, 4–7 (Metro Jets), 4–8 (Florida Jr. Blades), 2–3 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights)
2022–23 44328468190902nd of 9, New England Div.
t-16th of 70, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (Boston Advantage)
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Boston Junior Bruins)
Won Seeding Round, 1–3 (Toledo Cherokee), 2–3 (OT) (Florida Eels)
Lost Eightfinal, 1–2 (Toledo Cherokee)
2023–24 4422157511441413rd of 7, New England
t-29th of 61, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (South Shore Kings)
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Collège Universel Gatineau)
Seeding Round, 1–7 (Metro Jets), 3–4 (OT) (Connecticut Jr. Rangers)
Won Eightfinal, 8–5 (Nashville Spartans)
Won Quarterfinal, 4–3 (Metro Jets)
Won Semifinal, 3–1 (Florida Eels)
Lost Championship, 4–5 (OT) (Connecticut Jr. Rangers)
2024–25 44374377220881st of 9, New England Div.
3rd of 73, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (Boston Junior Rangers)
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–1 (South Shore Kings)
Lost Div. Championship series, 0–2 (Springfield Pics)

Affiliates

The Islanders also field teams in the USPHL NCDC (Tier II) and Elite Divisions (equivalent to the former Tier III Junior B designation). The organization also supports several levels of youth hockey.

Notes and references

  1. "Huskies Officially become Islanders Hockey Club". Islanders Hockey Club. March 2, 2012.
  2. "Prominent Hockey Programs Launch United States Premier Hockey League". November 19, 2012.
  3. "EJHL Playoffs".
  4. "| Amateur Hockey News | March 28, 2002".
  5. "| Amateur Hockey News | March 28, 2003".
  6. "Feisty Forward for Golden Knights | Amateur Hockey News | March 28, 2004".
  7. "EJHL Playoffs, Updated Daily | Amateur Hockey News | March 14, 2005".