| Maine Mariners | |
 | |
| City: | Portland, Maine |
|---|---|
| League: | ECHL |
| Conference: | Eastern |
| Division: | North |
| Founded: | 1989 |
| Home Arena: | Cross Insurance Arena |
| Colors: | Blue, green, silver |
| |
| Owner(s): | Comcast Spectacor |
| General Manager: | Terrence Wallin |
| Head Coach: | Terrence Wallin |
| Captain: | Connor Doherty |
| Affiliates: | Boston Bruins (NHL) Providence Bruins (AHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1989–2003: | Anchorage Aces |
| 2003–2017: | Alaska Aces |
| 2018–present: | Maine Mariners |
| Championships | |
| Regular Season Titles: | 0 |
| Division Championships: | 0 |
| Conference Championships: | 0 |
| Kelly Cups: | 0 |
The Maine Mariners are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL that began play in the 2018–19 season. Based in Portland, Maine, the team plays their home games at Cross Insurance Arena. The team participate in the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The team replaced the American Hockey League's Portland Pirates after the franchise became the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2016.
History[]
On May 23, 2016, the Portland Pirates' franchise was sold and relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts,[1][2] and became the Springfield Thunderbirds.[3] A team of investors headed by former Pirates executives W. Godfrey Wood and Brad Church—the latter a former Portland player as well—announced their intentions to put an ECHL team in Portland to fill the void, joining as early as 2017.[4] However, progress to attain a franchise by the Portland group stalled[5] until four groups, none of which involved Wood, submitted their own proposals at the end of February 2017.[6] By March 8, the arena owners had narrowed their choices to the proposals submitted by Spectra and National Sports Services, with both groups having been involved with managing ECHL teams in their past.[7]
In June 2017, Comcast Spectacor, Spectra's parent company and the operators of the Cross Insurance Arena and the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers – the founders and NHL affiliate for years of the original Maine Mariners AHL franchise in Portland – purchased the franchise rights of the recently dormant Alaska Aces of the ECHL. The league approved of the sale and relocation of the franchise to Portland on June 15.[8] Philadelphia Flyers president Paul Holmgren will serve as the team's governor with former player Danny Briere overseeing the day-to-day operations.[9] In August 2017, the team announced their five finalists for a team name: the Mariners, Watchmen, Lumberjacks, Puffins, and Wild Blueberries.[10] The name was announced as the Mariners on September 29.[11] On November 29, the Mariners' logo and color scheme were revealed.[12] On February 17, 2018, the Mariners hired Riley Armstrong as head coach and Keith Rosenberg as on-ice assistant coach. On April 9, 2018, the Mariners announced they would be affiliated with the NHL's New York Rangers.[13]
The new Mariners played their first game on October 13, 2018, a 6–3 loss to the Adirondack Thunder. Their inaugural game was at home with a reported attendance of 5,291.[14]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mariners voluntarily suspended operations for the 2020–21 ECHL season.[15] On June 30, 2021, the Mariners entered an affiliation agreement with the NHL's Boston Bruins and their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, beginning with the 2021–22 season. The Bruins were the affiliate of the original AHL Mariners from 1987 to 1992 when they relocated the Mariners' franchise to Providence.[16] In August 2021, head coach Armstrong was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant coach with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL[17][18] and was replaced by the University of Maine men's hockey assistant coach and former NHL player Ben Guite.[19]
On April 16, 2022, the Mariners clinched their first-ever playoff berth thanks to the Worcester Railers dropping their game to the Trois-Rivières Lions in OT and the Mariners beating the Newfoundland Growlers, clinching the final (4th) playoff spot in the North Division. [20]
In their first playoff series in team history, the Mariners lost to the Reading Royals, losing the series 4-2.[21] The Maine Mariners were able to clinch a playoff spot again in the 2022-23 ECHL season, getting the #3 seed in the division.[22] They again played the Reading Royals in the first round and lost the series 4-2.[23]
Season-by-season records[]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | Standing | Year | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Kelly Cup |
| 2018–19 | 72 | 37 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 77 | 221 | 247 | 6th, North | 2019 | did not qualify | |||
| 2019–20 | 62 | 32 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 68 | 182 | 186 | 4th, North | 2020 | Season cancelled | |||
| 2020–21 | Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic | 2021 | did not participate | |||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 72 | 33 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 74 | 230 | 236 | 4th, North | 2022 | L, 2–4, REA[24] | — | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 72 | 42 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 87 | 267 | 210 | 3rd, North | 2023 | L, 2–4, REA[25] | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | 72 | 32 | 32 | 8 | 0 | 87 | 250 | 260 | 4th, North | 2024 | L, 3–4, ADR | — | — | — |
Players[]
Current roster[]
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Brad Arvanitis
|
G | R | 27 | 2023 | Holliston, Massachusetts | Mariners |
| 19 |
|
Cameron Askew
(A) |
RW | R | 27 | 2021 | Boston, Massachusetts | Mariners |
| 3 | 
|
Gabriel Chicoine
|
D | L | 28 | 2022 | Saint-Dominique, Quebec | Mariners |
| 4 |
|
Wyllum Deveaux
|
LW | L | 24 | 2023 | Sackville, Nova Scotia | Mariners |
| 28 |
|
Connor Doherty
(C) |
D | L | 31 | 2021 | Holden, Massachusetts | Mariners |
| 42 |
|
Tyler Drevitch
|
C | L | 29 | 2023 | Middleborough, Massachusetts | Mariners |
| 25 |
|
Gabe Guertler
|
C | L | 29 | 2023 | Plantation, Florida | Mariners |
| 9 |
|
Brooklyn Kalmikov
|
LW | L | 23 | 2023 | St. John's, Newfoundland | Mariners |
| 2 |
|
Andrew Peski
(A) |
D | R | 27 | 2021 | Orleans, Ontario | Mariners |
| 5 |
|
Alex Sheehy
|
D | R | 26 | 2023 | North Salem, New York | Mariners |
| 29 |
|
Chase Zieky
|
RW | R | 28 | 2023 | Avon, Connecticut | Mariners |
References[]
- ↑ Springfield investors step up to save hockey for city (May 4, 2016).
- ↑ Portland blindsided by Pirates' plan to leave for Springfield after 23 seasons in Maine (May 4, 2016).
- ↑ Pignatiello, Jim (June 15, 2016). Springfield Thunderbirds announced as name, mascot of city's AHL franchise. MassLive.com.
- ↑ Effort underway to bring pro hockey back to Portland. Portland Press Herald (May 11, 2016).
- ↑ Group pulls plug on effort to return pro hockey to Portland later this year. Portland Press Herald (January 11, 2017).
- ↑ Four groups submit proposals to return pro hockey to Portland (March 1, 2017).
- ↑ Negotiations to begin with two groups to bring ECHL team to Portland. Portland Press Herald (March 8, 2017).
- ↑ Portland lands a pro hockey team for the fall of 2018. Portland Press Herald (June 15, 2017).
- ↑ Comcast Spectacor buys another hockey team; ex-Flyer Danny Briere to run show. Philadelphia Daily News (June 15, 2017).
- ↑ Wild Blueberries now finalist for name of Portland’s ECHL team. Yahoo Sports (August 17, 2017).
- ↑ Maine Mariners making a return to Portland. WCSH (September 29, 2017).
- ↑ Maine Mariners Reveal Logo (November 29, 2017).
- ↑ Maine Mariners announce affiliation with New York Rangers (April 9, 2018).
- ↑ Portland welcomes back pro hockey, ECHL style. The Portland Herald (October 13, 2018).
- ↑ NORTH DIVISION ELECTS SUSPENSION OF PLAY FOR 2020-21 SEASON (November 18, 2020).
- ↑ MARINERS ANNOUNCE AFFILIATION AGREEMENT WITH BOSTON BRUINS (June 30, 2021).
- ↑ RILEY ARMSTRONG LANDS AHL COACHING JOB (August 2, 2021).
- ↑ Flyers announce additions & promotions to hockey operations staff (August 2, 2021).
- ↑ BEN GUITE NAMED MARINERS HEAD COACH (August 3, 2021).
- ↑ MAINE MARINERS CLINCH FIRST EVER PLAYOFF BERTH - Maine Mariners (en-US).
- ↑ MARINERS SEASON COMES TO AN END IN SIX GAMES.
- ↑ MARINERS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH WITH HUGE THIRD PERIOD.
- ↑ HISTORIC MARINERS SEASON ENDS IN READING.
- ↑ ECHL playoffs: Royals win Game 6, 2-1, to eliminate Mariners.
- ↑ HISTORIC MARINERS SEASON ENDS IN READING.
- ↑ Maine Mariners roster. Maine Mariners.
- ↑ Maine Mariners playing roster. eliteprospects.com.
External links[]
| Boston Bruins | |
|---|---|
| The Franchise | Franchise • Original Six • Team History • All-time Roster • Seasons • Players • Records • GMs • Head Coaches |
| Arenas | Boston Arena • Boston Garden • TD Garden |
| Head Coaches | Ross • Denneny • Patrick • Weiland • Clapper • Boucher • Patrick • Schmidt • Watson • Sinden • Johnson • Guidolin • Cherry • Creighton • Cheevers • Goring • O'Reilly • Milbury • Bowness • Sutter • Kasper • Burns • Keenan • Ftorek • O'Connell • Sullivan • Lewis • Julien • Cassidy • Montgomery |
| Retired Numbers | 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 15 • 16 • 22 • 24 • 77 • 99 |
| Affiliates | Providence Bruins • Maine Mariners |
| Rivals | Montreal Canadiens • Toronto Maple Leafs • Philadelphia Flyers • New York Rangers |
| Stanley Cups | 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, 2011 |
| ECHL (2024–25) | |||||||||||||||||
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| This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Maine Mariners (ECHL). The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Ice Hockey Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA). |