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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Junior Bruins (Empire)?
The Junior Bruins (Empire) are the organizations Jr. B team. The
team was formerly the Junior Bruins Midget AAA team until the 2004-2005
season. In the summer of 2005 the Bruins made the decision the join
the Empire Junior Hockey League. The Empire league is the premier Jr.
B league in the country and is USA Hockey national bound.
The Junior Bruins (Empire) team is a midget/junior team hybrid. While
the team looks like it could be a full season midget team (similar to
the Honeybaked, Victory Honda, Pittsburgh Hornets, Chicago Chill, etc.)
they play in a junior league and is national bound at the Jr. B level
for USA Hockey. The team does play in some of the most prestigious midget
tournaments in the country in addition to their Empire League schedule.
The genesis in starting the team was to provide a full season option
for those who wanted more than what a prep/high school could provide
in the east. There were numerous full season midget options throughout
the country but none in the hot bed of college hockey for 14-17 year
old players not yet ready for the EJHL. The Bruins home rink is within
a two hour drive of 14 Division 1 schools. The Bruins are the most accessible
program to Hockey East and ECAC schools. Players that wanted the schedule,
exposure, competition and coaching a midget/junior team could provide
but for players who were not yet ready for play in the Eastern Junior
Hockey League. The Junior Bruins (Empire) team is also a stepping stone
and feeder system for the Junior Bruins (EJHL) team.
The team has had tremendous success since its inaugural season in
2001-2002 winning league regular and playoff championships, prestigious
midget tournaments and national rankings (as high as the # 2 ranked
team in the 2002-2003 season). The success of this team is also measured
in the development of its players and in the number of players that
get moved to our Junior Bruins (EJHL) team every season. The Junior
Bruins (Empire) team is the first place the Junior Bruins (EJHL) team
looks to fill its roster. Every season 5-7 players have been moved from
Empire team to EJHL team.
The Junior Bruins practices and home games are all at the Bruins'
home rink; the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, MA.
In addition to the 65-70 game schedule, 2-3 practices per week the
team also is one of the most heavily scouted in the northeast. Players
such as Dave Leaderer (U-Mass Amherst) and Cody Wild (Providence) were
offered scholarships and made their college commitments during their
time with this team. Several others have been made similar offers during
their play with this team but waited till after the season and they
were with the Junior Bruins (EJHL) team. Our team and its players have
been scouted by every Hockey East and ECAC program each season we have
played (and most schools see us play 4-5 times per season). Every year
our team has played our players have been brought in on visits by school
such as Boston College, UNH, Union, Providence, U-Mass Amherst, U-Lowell,
Notre Dame, Harvard, Vermont and many more. The US NDTP also heavily
scouts and recruits our players and has invited players from our team
to their tryouts every March. Defensemen Joey Lavin played his bantam
major and midget minor seasons with the team before heading to Ann Arbor
for the 2005-2006 season. Lavin was the third player from our program
to play for the US NDTP joining forwards Adam Pineault (1986) and Jason
Lawrence (1987).
The Junior Bruins (Empire) season starts with its training camp in
late August and ends in March with the Empire League playoffs and USA
Hockey Nationals (when they qualify). The two teams that move on to
nationals from the Empire league are those who make the playoff finals.
The team will play a 60-70 game schedule.
The Junior Bruins (Empire) team will play in four to five tournaments
during the season. The tournaments are among the best offered. The Bruins
participate in the Junior Bruins Shoot-out which normally takes place
in the third week in September. Another staple in the Junior Bruins
(Empire) schedule is the Buffalo Saints tournament over Columbus Day
weekend in October. The Saints' tournament draws a lot of the top midget
teams from around the county such as the Pittsburgh hornets, Victory
Honda, Honeybaked, Philly Jr. Flyers, Chicago Mission as well as the
tournament hosts and others. The Junior Bruins also play in the Beantown
Fall Classic. The Beantown Fall Classic takes place at the Whittemore
Center at UNH and the Rinks at Exeter. Teams such as Victory Honda,
Dallas Stars, Shattuck, St. Mary's, Pittsburgh Hornets, Cushing Academy,
Northwood School, The US NDTP as well as other junior teams participate
at the Beantown Fall Classic.
The Junior Bruins (Empire) practice two to three times per week at
NESC. Practices are primarily post 6:00 PM. The players also will practice
with the Junior Bruins (EJHL) team during the season to get exposure
to that team and its practices.
The Junior Bruins are cognizant of the players' school schedule and
academic requirements and players can expect to miss only 3-5 days of
school over the course of the season and we expect that number to drop
now that we play in the Empire league.
The Junior Bruins (Empire) and Little Bruins teams are the first places
the organization looks to recruit for our EJHL team. Our philosophy
is to "promote from within" and there is an endless list of
players that have come from our Junior Bruins (Empire) program and onto
our Junior Bruins (EJHL) team. Players such as Dave Leaderer (U-Mass
Amherst), Torren Del Forte (Union), Kory Falite (U-Mass Lowell), Jon
Marshall (Clarkson), Mike Luzzi (Manhattanville), Cody Wild (Providence),
Matt Fitzgibbons, Edwin Shea, Cody Carlson, Nathan Kudla, Evan Mackintosh,
Matt Kronk and Stevie Bergin to name a few that have moved from our
Junior Bruins (Empire) team to our Junior Bruins (EJHL) team.
The Junior Bruins (Empire) hold their tryouts in early April ( check
calendar or tryouts links
for details) and because they move players on to their junior teams
and graduate players from their program there are always openings at
tryouts. The team also has practice players/alternates each season.
If interested in playing for the Bruins please send an email to Chris
Masters with the following information and/or send in an Application(.pdf)
to register for tryouts.
Name:
Date of Birth:
Position:
Hometown:
Current team playing for:
Previous teams you have played for:
Mailing address:
Email address:
Phone number:
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