In an announcement by General Manager and President of Hockey Operation Daniel Briere at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Wednesday morning, the Maine Mariners have officially become the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) affiliate of the Boston Bruins and Providence Bruins.
The affiliation ends the relationship that the Mariners had with the New York Rangers, who have been bought by the Jacksonville Icemen to be their new ECHL team which was announced on Tuesday. Maine began play in the ECHL for the 2018-19 season, but did not play this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Portland Pirates previously played at the Cross Insurance Arena in the American Hockey League from 1993-2016. The Mariners have gone 69-63-2 over their first two full seasons (2018-19, 2019-20).
The old Mariners brand was previously the Boston Bruins farm club from 1987-1992 in the AHL, before that team left to go to Providence. The new affiliation completes the Boston/Portland trifecta with now the Mariners (Bruins), Sea Dogs (Red Sox), and the Maine Celtics/Red Claws (Celtics).
