Portland Junior Pirates Announce Expansion Plans

Published on January 30, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Portland Pirates News Release


BIDDEFORD, ME – The Portland Junior Pirates announced today the addition of a full-season competitive development team, for boys 18 & under (U18), that will begin play next September. This team is being launched in response to a growing demand from student-athletes and families in Maine and from surrounding states for an alternative to existing programs.

This year-round, tuition-based program will focus on individual player skill development and competitive team play to prepare players for junior and collegiate participation and will be a complement to the current year round Portland Junior Pirates, boys 20 & under (U20) team and boys 18 & under (U18) half – season team.

"We are excited to deliver this type of program in response to the requests we received from many hockey players and their families to have such a team," said President, Sean O'Brien. "The demand was loud and clear and after a lot of research and contemplation, we decided to respond by providing this opportunity, consistent with our mission of developing an elite level training program in Maine."

The team will play 55 games throughout New England and will be a member of the Eastern Minor Junior Hockey League (U18), the premier 18 & under full-season development league in New England. The league features nationally ranked teams, such as the Junior Bruins (Marlboro, MA) and the Boston Little Bruins (Marlboro, MA), in addition to the New England Jr. Coyotes (Enfield, CT), NY Apple Core (Long Beach, NY), Capital District Selects (Clifton Park, NY), Bridgewater Bandits (Bridgewater, MA), Lowell Jr. Lock Monsters (Lowell, MA), Valley Jr. Warriors (Lawrence, MA), Bay State Breakers (Rockland, MA), Boston Harbor Wolves (Boston, MA), and Long Island Gulls (New Hyde Park, NY). The team will also play in "showcase" tournaments that will appear on NCAA and NHL Scouts' recruiting schedules. The team will practice at the Portland Ice Arena (Tuesday & Thursday) in Portland and the Family Ice Center (Friday) in Falmouth from September through playoffs. The team will have approximately eighty on-ice practices throughout the season, an average of three per week.

In addition, Portland Pirates and Portland Junior Pirates Strength & Conditioning Coach, Dana White, will work with all of the players selected for the team. This program will include fitness testing and evaluation in the spring prior to starting their summer strength program. All players will then be provided a 12-week (June – August) individualized summer training program that will conclude with a follow-up fitness testing in the fall to determine individual results of the 12-week program. White will also conduct in-season team training sessions, once a week (Monday), at the Portland Sports Center in Portland.

"Dana White is a tremendous asset to our organization. Our players will benefit from him tremendously." said GM Jay Pecora. "The development he has provided our junior players this year is amazing. None of our players have trained the way that they have trained this year, and it shows."

"This natural extension of the junior team program has had success in other markets throughout New England and in the mid-west and we are confident that will be the case here with this new program", said Brian Petrovek, Portland Pirates Managing Owner/CEO. "Competitive student-athletes and families will have another option now to consider within the state of Maine and we're looking forward to providing it in a professional and responsible way under Sean and Jay's direction and leadership".

The team will also be integrated into the Portland Junior Pirates Community Service and Internship program in conjunction with the Portland Pirates Foundation. The Junior Pirates currently participate in community service projects such as "Goals for Success", the YMCA, the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, Goal's for Gary's House, along with various after school programs in addition to hands-on experience in the Portland Pirates' front office.

The team will also have the opportunity to participate in educational assistance programs, provided by Club Z Tutoring, the Portland Junior Pirates educational partner, which currently provides these services to the Junior Pirates players. Club Z Tutoring provides tutoring services for standardized tests (SAT, ACT, etc.) and individual subjects.

For more information, please contact Sean O'Brien or Jay Pecora, at the Portland Junior Pirates offices, 282 – 8484, or email them at info@portlandjuniorpirates.com.

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