"We are thrilled to extend our affiliation agreement with the Maine Mariners," said Providence Bruins General Manager Evan Gold. "The collaboration between Boston, Providence and Maine has been instrumental in helping our prospects improve not only their hockey skillsets on the ice, but also their work ethic and approach to becoming professionals off the ice. We are excited to continue to partner with the Mariners' coaching staff and front office as we strive to provide the best development opportunities for our players."
"The Mariners are ecstatic to extend our affiliation with the Boston Bruins," said Mariners Vice President of Business Operations Adam Goldberg. "Beyond the obvious geographical connection between Maine and Boston, both of our organizations take great pride in professionalism and performance. It is an agreement for our players' development, our staff's relationships and most importantly for our fans. Maine is Bruins Country."
The Mariners will remain affiliated with the Providence Bruins at the AHL level. Providence represents the original Maine Mariners AHL franchise. The AHL's Mariners were Bruins affiliates from 1987 until 1992, when the franchise was relocated to Rhode Island.
The affiliation extension with the Mariners continues the "trifecta" of Portland-Boston affiliations, with the Portland Sea Dogs and Maine Celtics (formerly Maine Red Claws) having existing agreements with the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics, respectively.
The Bruins have had an ECHL affiliate since 1991. They've partnered up with the Johnstown Chiefs (1991-93, 2007-08), Charlotte Checkers (1993-94, 1995-98), Greenville Grrrowl (2001-02), Reading Royals (2009-12), South Carolina Stingrays (2012-15), and most recently, the Gwinnett/Atlanta Gladiators (2015-20). The Mariners represent their geographically closest ECHL affiliate.
