New Jersey Jr Bears | |
---|---|
City | Flemington, Pennsylvania |
League | Eastern Hockey League |
Conference | South |
Founded | 1987 |
Home arena | Flemington Ice Arena |
Colors | Brown, tan, and white |
Owner(s) | Michael Golembiewski and Tim Quinn |
General manager | Jason Kilcoyne |
Head coach | Jason Kilcoyne |
Franchise history | |
1987–2020 | Philadelphia Junior Flyers |
2020–2023 | Protec Jr Ducks |
2023–present | New Jersey Jr Bears |
The new Jersey Jr Bears are a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior A ice hockey team from Flemington, Pennsylvania. They play in the South Conference of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). For the 2024-35 season the Bears are adding a team to the Premier (EHLP).
The players, ages 16–20, carry amateur status under Junior A guidelines and hope to earn a spot on higher levels of junior hockey in the United States and Canada, Canadian major junior, collegiate, and eventually professional teams.
The Philadelphia Junior Flyers were members of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL) from 2008 until 2013 when Tier III junior hockey leagues went through a reorganization, which included the AJHL re-branding itself as the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). In 2015, the EHL added a lower level of Tier III junior hockey for player development called the EHL-Elite Division and all the current EHL members, including the Jr. Flyers, were added to the EHL-Premier Division. In 2017, the league re-branded, dropping the Premier name from their top division and renamed the Elite Division to Premier.
The organization currently fields a team at the former Tier III Junior B level in the EHL Premier (and formerly in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League). It also currently fields youth hockey select teams at the Midget U18, Midget 16U, Bantam, Peewee, and Squirt and Mite levels. [1] [2]
The Jr. Flyers 18 and under team won the silver medal in the 2010 USA Hockey National Tournament in Chicago, Illinois. [3]
Prior to the start of the 2020-21 season the Junior Flyers were sold and became the Protec Jr. Ducks. Then prior to the start of the 2022-23 season the franchise was sold once more, moved to Flemington Pennsylvania and became the New Jersey Bears. The Bears were approved to add an expansion team to the EPHL.
Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic Junior Hockey League | ||||||||||
2008–09 | 42 | 19 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 41 | 124 | 148 | 4th of 6, South 8th of 12, AJHL | |
2009–10 | 42 | 20 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 141 | 145 | 3rd of 6, South 6th of 12, AJHL | |
2010–11 | 44 | 19 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 142 | 172 | 4th of 6, South 9th of 12, AJHL | |
2011–12 | 44 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 51 | 179 | 144 | 5th of 12, AJHL | |
2012–13 | 44 | 16 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 39 | 117 | 121 | 8th of 12, AJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Northern Cyclones |
Eastern Hockey League | ||||||||||
2013–14 | 44 | 19 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 113 | 107 | 3rd of 6, South Div. 10th of 17, EHL | Lost Round 1, 0–2 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights |
2014–15 | 44 | 23 | 19 | — | 2 | 48 | 124 | 122 | 2nd of 5, South Div. 9th of 19, EHL | Lost Round 1, 0–2 vs. Hartford Jr. Wolfpack |
2015–16 | 41 | 19 | 15 | — | 7 | 45 | 134 | 129 | 6th of 9, South Conf. 10th of 18, EHL-Premier | Lost Round 1, 1–2 vs. Hartford Jr. Wolfpack |
2016–17 | 48 | 36 | 8 | — | 4 | 76 | 163 | 88 | 2nd of 4, Mid-Atlantic Div. 2nd of 8, South Conf. 2nd of 17, EHL-Premier | Won First Round, 2–0 vs. Hartford Jr. Wolfpack Won Quarterfinals, 2–1 vs. East Coast Wizards Won Semifinals, 2–0 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Won Finals, 3–2 vs. Philadelphia Little Flyers League Champions |
2017–18 | 50 | 12 | 32 | — | 6 | 30 | 98 | 187 | 4th of 4, Mid-Atlantic Div. 7th of 8, South Conf. 15th of 16, EHL | Did not qualify |
2018–19 | 46 | 20 | 22 | — | 4 | 44 | 160 | 172 | 3rd of 5, South Div. 5th of 8, Mid-Atlantic Conf. 11th of 18, EHL | Lost First Round, 0–2 vs. Philadelphia Revolution |
2019–20 | 46 | 19 | 26 | — | 1 | 39 | 112 | 126 | 6th of 8, Mid-Atlantic Conf. 13th of 19, EHL | tbd First Round, 2–1 vs. Connecticut RoughRiders Playoffs cancelled |
Protec Jr Ducks | ||||||||||
2020–21 | ||||||||||
2021–22 | ||||||||||
2022–23 | ||||||||||
New Jersey Bears | ||||||||||
2023–24 | 46 | 29 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 63 | 148 | 110 | 1st of 6, South Div 7th of 23, EHL | Lost Semifinal, 0-2 vs. Philadelphia Little Flyers |
The Junior Flyers have produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA college and professional programs, including: [4]
Danny Syvret is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 59 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). Syvret was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
The Eastern Hockey League (EHL) is an American Tier III junior ice hockey league with teams in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. The EHL was officially announced on June 6, 2013, after the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AtJHL) welcomed six new members from the old Eastern Junior Hockey League and the AtJHL re-branded itself under the EHL banner
The New York Apple Core are a Tier III 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 Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL), formerly Midwest Elite Hockey League, is located primarily in the Midwest United States and is the premier amateur youth hockey league in the United States. Players from all over the country move to the area where the teams are located to gain exposure and skill development needed for higher levels. Many of the league's top players go on to compete at the Major Junior, NCAA, and NHL level. The T1EHL showcase tournaments and games are heavily scouted by scouts from the USHL, NCAA schools, and the OHL due to the convenience of seeing many top players in one game or weekend.
The Philadelphia Revolution were a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team in the Eastern Hockey League. The team played home games at Revolution Ice Gardens, in Warwick Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. The team continues to play for Philadelphia furthermore, currently the team is registered under the Tier 1 Hockey Federation, an AAA league.
Nicolas Riopel is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Dylan D. Olsen is an American and Canadian former professional ice hockey player, who most recently played with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. Olsen played for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Olsen was drafted 28th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played his junior hockey with the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), and played college ice hockey at the University of Minnesota Duluth of the NCAA.
Jay Rosehill is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Manchester Storm of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). Rosehill was mostly known as an enforcer in hockey. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Marc-André Bourdon is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently an assistant coach for the Liberty University Flames Division 1 ACHA Hockey team. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers during 2011–12 NHL season. Bourdon was selected by the Flyers in the third round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, and played 45 games in the NHL for the Flyers before injuries forced him to retire.
The Metropolitan Junior Hockey League was an American Tier III Junior ice hockey league with teams throughout the eastern United States. The MJHL was part of the Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League organization. Founded in 1966 by New York Rangers GM, Emile Francis, the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League played its 50th season in 2015–16. Prior to its 51st season, the league's operations were taken over by the North American Hockey League and it was renamed to North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League (NA3AHL) for the 2016–17 season. In 2017, the remaining teams joined the Eastern Hockey League.
The 2010–11 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 44th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers lost in the second round of the 2011 playoffs to the Boston Bruins in a four-game sweep.
The Portland Jr. Pirates were a Tier III Jr. A ice hockey team that played their home games at the MHG Ice Centre in Saco, Maine. The organization continues to host youth hockey programs in the Massachusetts Premier Development Hockey League.
The Hartford Jr. Wolfpack were a junior ice hockey team that most recently played in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). The team played their home games at the Champions Skating Center located in Cromwell, Connecticut. From 2003 to 2017, the Jr. Wolfpack were members of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) and its predecessor, the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL), while sanctioned as a Tier III junior team by USA Hockey before it joined the unsanctioned USPHL. The team was removed from the USPHL schedule at the beginning of the 2019–20 season.
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