Islanders Hockey Club
CityTyngsborough, Massachusetts
LeagueUSPHL
Founded1993 (1993)
Home arenaPremier Team - Lawler Arena
Elite/USP3 - Skate 3[1]
ColorsNavy, orange and white
     
Head coachTim Kyrkostas (NCDC)
Jay Punsky (Premier)
Jay Punsky (Elite)
Franchise history
1993–2000Tyngsboro Huskies
2000–2004Lowell Junior Lock Monsters
2004–2012New England Junior Huskies
2012–presentIslanders Hockey Club
Championships
Regular season titles3 (2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18)
Playoff championships2 (2017, 2018)

The Islanders Hockey Club are an American junior ice hockey organization from Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. They field teams in the United States Premier Hockey League National Collegiate Development Conference, Premier Division, and Elite Division, as well as in youth and girls leagues.

History

New England Huskies Junior Hockey Club

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). 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.[2]

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).[3]

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 game, 2–6 vs. Walpole Stars[4]
2001–023811233126951524th of 6, EJHL NorthLost Quarterfinal game, 0–7 vs. New York Apple Core[5]
2002–033812205130941333rd of 6, EJHL NorthLost Quarterfinals vs. Walpole Stars[6]
2003–0438191621411181163rd of 6, EJHL NorthLost Quarterfinals vs. New England Jr. Coyotes[7]
New England Jr. Huskies
2004–0549202054491361575th of 6, EJHL NorthLost Play-in game, 3–5 vs. Capital District Selects[8]
2005–0645182241411541575th of 7, EJHL NorthDid not qualify
2006–0745261351581921363rd of 7, EJHL NorthWon Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Bridgewater Bandits
Lost Semifinals, 1–1 vs. New Hampshire Junior Monarchs
2007–0845132633321501885th of 7, EJHL NorthWon Play-in game, 7–5 vs. Valley Jr. Warriors
Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen
2008–0945192240421411534th of 7, EJHL NorthLost Quarterfinals, 0–1–1 vs. 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, 0–1–1 vs. New York Apple Core
2011–124520223431391615th of 7, North
9th of 14, EJHL
Won First Round, 1–0–1 vs. Boston Bandits
Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Boston Jr. Bruins
Islanders Hockey Club
2012–134531113651831182nd of 7, North
3rd of 14, EJHL
Won Quarterfinals vs. Valley Jr. Warriors
Won Semifinals vs. Rochester Stars
Lost Finals vs. Jersey Hitmen
2013–144823214501591575th of 9, USPHL PremierWon Quarterfinals, 2–1 vs. Philadelphia Flyers Junior Hockey Club
Lost Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen
2014–155027194581831644th of 11
USPHL Premier
Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Lost Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Philadelphia Flyers Junior Hockey Club
2015–16443680721841051st of 12
USPHL Premier
Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Rochester Jr. Americans
Won Semifinals, 2–0 vs. South Shore Kings
Lost Finals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen
2016–17453861772091001st of 10
USPHL Premier
Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Won Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Springfield Pics
Won Finals, 2–0 vs. Boston Junior Bruins

League Champions
2017–18504730942541071st of 11, NCDCWon Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Boston Bandits
Won Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers
Won Finals, 2–1 vs. Jersey Hitmen

League Champions
2018–195027185591761524th of 12, NCDCWon Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs
Lost Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers
2019–205029174621871444th of 13, NCDCPlayoffs cancelled
2020–214316234361271694th of 7, North
8th of 13, NCDC
Won First Round, 2–1 vs. South Shore Kings
Lost Second Round, 0–2 vs. Boston Junior Bruins
2021–2248143112311331867th of 7, North
13th of 13, NCDC
Did not qualify for post season play
2022–23502029-1381341767th of 7, North
14th of 14, NCDC
Did not qualify for post season play

Junior B team

The Islanders also field teams in the USPHL Premier and Elite Divisions (equivalent to the former Tier III Junior B designation). The former Junior B team competed in the Eastern Conference of the Empire Junior Hockey League (EmJHL) prior to its joining the USPHL as the Empire Division (later USP3 Division and then Elite Division).

Notes and references

  1. "Skate 3 web site". Archived from the original on 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  2. "Huskies Officially become Islanders Hockey Club". Islanders Hockey Club. March 2, 2012.
  3. "Prominent Hockey Programs Launch United States Premier Hockey League". 19 November 2012.
  4. "EJHL Playoffs".
  5. "| Amateur Hockey News | March 28, 2002".
  6. "| Amateur Hockey News | March 28, 2003".
  7. "Feisty Forward for Golden Knights | Amateur Hockey News | March 28, 2004".
  8. "EJHL Playoffs, Updated Daily | Amateur Hockey News | March 14, 2005".
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