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Philadelphia Junior Flyers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New Jersey Jr Bears
CityFlemington, Pennsylvania
LeagueEastern Hockey League
ConferenceSouth
Founded1987
Home arenaFlemington Ice Arena
ColorsBrown, tan, and white
     
Owner(s)Michael Golembiewski
and Tim Quinn
General managerJason Kilcoyne
Head coachJason Kilcoyne
Franchise history
1987–2020Philadelphia Junior Flyers
2020–2023Protec Jr Ducks
2023–presentNew 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.

History

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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-by-season records

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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

Alumni

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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]

References

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