Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a state in the New England and Northeast regions of the United States. Massachusetts has 14 counties and a total population of about 7 million and is 10,555 square miles making Massachusetts the nation's 15th most populous and 44th largest state in the US. The state name derives from the indigenous population, the Massachuset. The capital and largest city is Boston.

History of hockey in Massachusetts

see also: Massachusetts Amateur Hockey (1946-1968)

On February 15, 1879, Jamaica Plain beat the Harvard Freshmen 2-0 in an 11-aside game of ice hockey. This was the first documented game to take place in the United States. "Shinney" was played on the ice by students of Williams College in December 1883. The Harvard Hockey Club was established at the University on November 25, 1884. A month later, there was a hockey game played at Fall River between the Fall Rivers and the High School club, the latter team winning 3-1. The Salem Hockey Club traveled to Stoneham to face the Stoneham Hockey Club on February 22, 1889. Stoneham was victorious, 1-0. In February 1890, it was reported that the Harvard Hockey Club had challenged the Yale Hockey Club to a series of games.

The New England Skating Association held junior and senior ice polo tournaments in January 1891. The Harvards won the senior competition, while Cambridge High and Latin were the junior champions. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Ice Polo League was organized for the 1892 season. By 1895, the Interprepatory and Suburban Leagues were also in existence. Harvard's first official ice polo team was formed in 1896, and played a series of games against Brown University that year and in 1897. The Massachusetts Ice Polo League (which became the New England League in 1899) featuring Waltham, Newton AA, Dorchester, Felton AA, Wakefield, Roxbury AC, and the Cambridge Ice Polo and Hockey Team was first contested in 1897, and Cambridge went on a tour of Canada that March. Harvard switched to playing ice hockey in 1898.

The sport of ice hockey replaced ice polo in Massachusetts for the 1899-1900 season. The New England Ice Hockey League was formed, and the Interscholastic and Interprepatory leagues switched to hockey, while the Suburban League remained an ice polo competition for another year. The Boston Hockey League was formed for the 1909 season, with the first and second teams of the Brae Burn Country Club, the Boston Crescents, Winchester Country Club, Brookline Hockey Club, and the Boston Hockey Club competing. The Boston Arena opened in April 1910, giving the city an indoor ice rink at long last. The Boston League dissolved in 1911, and the Boston AA and Intercolonials played independent schedules. There were three active senior teams in Boston in 1914 - AA, Pilgrim AA, and the Irish-Americans. Boston AA joined the American Amateur Hockey League in 1914-15, but were beaten for the city title by the Arena Hockey Club. The Harvard Club also joined the AAHL in 1915-16, and the Boston Hockey League was re-established. A Boston Division of the AAHL was formed in 1916-17, AA, Arena HC, and Hockey Club comprising it.

Boston Arena HC and the Boston Navy Yard played in the United States National Hockey League in 1917-18. The Boston Arena was destroyed by a fire on December 18, 1918, so all games played in Massachusetts took place outdoors until 1920, when the Cambridge Pavilion rink opened. The Boston Arena Amateur Hockey League was contested, and won by Boston AA. Boston Shoe Trades Club and AA were founding members of the United States Amateur Hockey Association in 1920-21. AA, Pere Marquette, and Westminster competed in it the following year, and AA, Victorias, and Hockey Club participated in 1922-23. Victorias were replaced by Maple AA in 1923-24. The Boston Bruins became the first American team to join the National Hockey League in 1924-25. The USAHA disbanded in 1925, and Boston AA and Pere Marquette played in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League in 1925-26, while Worcester and Fitchburg played in the New England Hockey League.

The Boston Tigers and Springfield Indians were founding members of the Canadian-American Hockey League in 1926-27. The Tigers became the Cubs for 1930-31. Springfield went dormant in 1933, but returned in 1935. The Indians (known as the Kings from 1967-1974) later played in the American Hockey League in most years from 1936-1994. The Boston Olympics played in the Eastern Hockey League from 1940-1952. The Massachusetts amateur hockey scene was strong early on, with the Boston Hockey Club being chosen to represent the US in the 1931 World Ice Hockey Championships. The Boston All-Stars went on a European tour in 1932. The Old Colony Hockey League was contested from 1957-1966.

The Boston Braves played in the American Hockey League from 1971-1974. The Worcester IceCats (1994-2005), Springfield Falcons (1994-2016), Lowell Lock Monsters (1998-2006), Lowell Devils (2006-2010), and Worcester Sharks (2006-2015) have also competed in the AHL. The Brockton Wetzels were invited to play in Russia in November 1959. The High Lawn Jerseys played from 1962-1974 and the Berkshire Sabres were active from 1974-1976. The Braintree Eastern Olympics were an independent team that was active from 1965-1967. College hockey is very popular in Massachusetts, and there are currently 10 NCAA Division I programs in the state.

List of minor professional teams

• Springfield Indians - (CAHL) - (1926-1933, 1935-1936)
• Boston Tigers - (CAHL) - (1926-1930)
• Boston Cubs - (CAHL) - (1930-1936)
• Springfield Indians - (AHL) - (1936-1942, 1946-1951, 1954-1967, 1974-1994)
• Boston Olympics - (EHL) - (1940-1952)
• Springfield Indians - (EHL) - (1951-1953)
• Springfield Indians - (QHL) - (1953-1954)
• Worcester Warriors - (EHL) - (1954-1955)
• Springfield Kings - (AHL) - (1967-1974)
• Boston Braves - (AHL) - (1971-1974)
• Cape Cod Cubs - (EHL) - (1972-1973)
• Cape Cod Cubs - (NAHL) - (1973-1974)
• Cape Cod Freedoms - (NAHL) - (1974-1976)
• Cape Cod Freedoms - (EHL) - (1978-1979)
• Cape Cod Buccaneers - (ACHL) - (1981-1982)
• Fitchburg Trappers - (ACHL) - (1981-1982)
• Springfield Falcons - (AHL) - (1994-2016)
• Worcester IceCats - (AHL) - (1994-2005)
• Lowell Lock Monsters - (AHL) - (1998-2006)
• Lowell Devils - (AHL) - (2006-2010)
• Worcester Sharks - (AHL) - (2006-2015)
• Cape Cod Barons - (FHL) - (2011)
• Cape Cod Bluefins - (FHL) - (2011-2012)
• Berkshire Battalion - (FHL) - (2014-2015)
• Worcester Railers - (ECHL) - (2017-present)

List of NCAA Division I teams

• American International Yellow Jackets (1948-present)
• Bentley Falcons (1977-present)
• Boston College Eagles (1917-present)
• Boston University Terriers (1917-present)
• Harvard Crimson (1898-present)
• Holy Cross Crusaders (1966-present)
• Merrimack Warriors (1956-present)
• Northeastern Huskies (1929-present)
• UMass Minutemen (1908-present)
• UMass-Lowell River Hawks (1967-present)
• MIT Engineers (1898-1964) - DII/III 1964-1975
• Williams Ephs (1902-1964) - DII/III 1964-present
• Tufts Jumbos (1907-1960) - DIII 1986-present
• Amherst Mammoths (1908-1964) - DII/III 1964-present

American States

US Capital: Washington, D.C.

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