The Boston Bruins' farm system will now be located entirely in New England, as the Maine Mariners announced on Wednesday that they have reached a deal to become the Bruins' new ECHL affiliate.
The ECHL is the second tier of minor-league hockey in North America, below the American Hockey League. The ECHL and AHL are the only two minor leagues recognized by the NHL and NHLPA.
The Bruins' most recent ECHL affiliate was the Gwinnett/Atlanta Gladiators, whom they had been affiliated with since 2015. The Mariners will be the closest geographic ECHL affiliate the Bruins have ever had.
The Mariners had previously been affiliated with the New York Rangers since 2018, when the Alaska Aces relocated to Portland and became the Mariners. They effectively replaced the AHL Portland Pirates, who became the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2016 during an ongoing AHL shakeup.
The Mariners take their name from two previous Maine Mariners AHL teams, the most recent of which was the Bruins' AHL affiliate from 1987-92 before they relocated to Rhode Island and became the Providence Bruins.
The Mariners play their home games at Portland's Cross Insurance Arena. They are now the third Boston affiliate in Portland, joining the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) and NBA G-League's Maine Celtics (formerly the Red Claws).
“We are extremely excited to be affiliated with the Bruins organization and we’re proud to solidify the Boston-Portland connection with all three of Maine’s professional sports franchises,” said Mariners president Danny Briere, who played 17 seasons in the NHL. “We can’t wait to bring live hockey action back to Portland this fall, and we know that Mariners fans will be thrilled to watch players from the Bruins organization playing right here in Maine.”
“The Boston Bruins are excited to establish an affiliation agreement with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL,” said Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. “The Bruins and Maine Mariners have a long player development history, as well as having a passionate fan base in Portland and throughout the state of Maine. We are looking forward to building a strong working relationship with Comcast Spectacor, Daniel Briere, and the coaching staff of the Mariners.”
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