What Hockey Team Is in Massachusetts? (NHL, AHL, College, Juniors)


Did you know that Massachusetts is home to the oldest active NHL team in America?

That’s right, the Bay State got their NHL team 100 years ago, in 1924!

Massachusetts is famous for being one of the top hockey states in the United States and for good reason. The state has below-freezing winters which are perfect for outdoor hockey, they’ve got one of the largest NHL fan bases, and they have the most robust college hockey systems in America.

The question is, what hockey teams are in Massachusetts?

In this article, I’ll show you what pro hockey teams are in Massachusetts and what college and junior teams compete in the state (including multiple D1 hockey teams).

Pssssst! Are you curious about hockey teams in other U.S. states? You can learn more by checking out our other posts: What Hockey Team Is in Florida, What Hockey Team Is in Michigan, and What Hockey Team Is in New York.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Massachusetts:

Massachusetts has three professional hockey teams: Boston Bruins (NHL), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL), and Worcester Railers (ECHL). Some of the top NCAA D1 college hockey teams include Boston University, Northeastern University, and Harvard University. The top junior hockey team is Northeast Generals (NAHL Tier II).

Does Massachusetts Have a Hockey Team?

So, does the Bay State have a hockey team?

The top hockey team in Massachusetts is the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Massachusetts also has two other professional teams: The Springfield Thunderbirds—a high-level pro hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Worcester Railers—a mid-level pro hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).

Some of the top NCAA D1 college hockey teams in Massachusetts include Harvard University, Boston University, and Northeastern University.

The top junior ice hockey team in Massachusetts is the Northeast Generals, a Tier II team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

How Many Hockey Teams Are in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts arguably has the most expansive hockey system in America. In total, the state has 3 professional hockey teams, 41 college hockey teams, 17 junior ice hockey teams, and hundreds of high school hockey teams.

Does Massachusetts Have an NHL Team?

So, will you find an NHL hockey team in Massachusetts?

Absolutely! Massachusetts is home to one of the longest-serving and most popular NHL franchises: The Boston Bruins.

The Bruins compete in the Atlantic Division of the NHL’s Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1924, which makes them the third oldest active NHL team. They’re also the oldest American NHL team.

The team is also a member of the Original Six, along with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens.

The Bruins have won a total of six Stanley Cup championships (tied with the Blackhawks for fourth-most of any franchise). Their last championship was in 2011 when the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games.

Some of the most famous Boston Bruins players include:

  • Bobby Orr
  • Raymond Bourque
  • Phil Esposito
  • Eddie Shore
  • Patrice Bergeron (Active)
  • Brad Marchand (Active)
  • Johnny Bucyk
  • Milt Schmidt
  • Terry O’Reilly
  • Cam Neely
  • Zdeno Chara

What Hockey Teams Are in Massachusetts?

So, what hockey teams are in Massachusetts? And, is Massachusetts a hockey state? Without a doubt, The Bay State is a hockey state. 

In total, the state has three professional ice hockey teams and 41 college hockey teams, and several other high-level hockey teams as listed below:

NHL

Massachusetts has one team in the National Hockey League (NHL): The Boston Bruins.

So, where do they play? The Bruins play their home games at the TD Garden located at 100 Legends Way, Boston, MA 02114 in downtown Boston.

AHL

Massachusetts has one professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). This is a high-level professional hockey league just one step below the NHL. 

What is the name of the Massachusetts AHL team? The Springfield Thunderbirds. They’re the affiliated minor league farm team for the St. Louis Blues.

So, where do they play? The Thunderbirds play their home games at MassMutual Center located at 1277 Main St, Springfield, MA 01103.

ECHL

Massachusetts has one professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). This is a mid-level professional hockey league just one step below the AHL. 

What is the name of the Massachusetts ECHL team? Worcester Railers. The Railers are the affiliated farm team for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders and the NHL’s New York Islanders.

So, where do they play? The Railers play their home games at DCU Center located at 50 Foster St, Worcester, MA 01608.

D1 College Hockey

Massachusetts has the most robust high-level college hockey in America. The state has a total of 29 (D1, D2, D3) varsity college hockey teams that compete within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The state also has 12 (D2, D3) varsity college hockey teams that compete within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

Massachusetts NCAA D1 College Hockey Teams:

  • American International College (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • Bentley University (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • Boston College (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • Boston University (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • College of the Holy Cross (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • Harvard University (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • Merrimack College (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • Northeastern University (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • Stonehill College (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • University of Massachusetts – Amherst (NCAA Men’s D1)
  • University of Massachusetts – Lowell (NCAA Men’s D1)

D2 College Hockey

Massachusetts has nine D2 college hockey teams.

Massachusetts NCAA D2 College Hockey Teams:

  • Assumption University (NCAA Men’s D2)

Massachusetts ACHA D2 College Hockey Teams:

  • Westfield State University (ACHA Men’s D2)
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (ACHA Men’s D2)
  • College of Holy Cross (ACHA Men’s D2)
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell (ACHA Men’s D2)
  • Boston College (ACHA Men’s D2)
  • Suffolk University (ACHA Men’s D2)
  • Bridgewater State University (ACHA Men’s D2)
  • Merrimack College (ACHA Men’s D2)

D3 College Hockey

Massachusetts has twenty-one D3 college hockey teams.

Massachusetts NCAA D3 College Hockey Teams:

  • Amherst College (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Anna Maria College (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Babson College (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Curry College (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Endicott College (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Fitchburg State University (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Framingham State University (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Nichols College (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Salem State University (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Suffolk University (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Tufts University (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • University of Massachusetts – Boston (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Western New England University (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Williams College (NCAA Men’s D3)
  • Worcester State University (NCAA Men’s D3)

Massachusetts ACHA D3 College Hockey Teams:

  • Springfield College (ACHA Men’s D3)
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute (ACHA Men’s D3)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (ACHA Men’s D3)
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology(ACHA Men’s D3)

Juniors

While Massachusetts is better known for its college hockey, it has one of the most diverse varieties of high-level junior ice hockey teams in America. Massachusetts has a total of 17 junior hockey teams spread across the North American Hockey League (NAHL), North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), and United States Premier Hockey League’s (USPHL) three divisions: National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), Premier, and Elite:

  • Northeast Generals (NAHL – Tier II)
  • Boston Advantage (USPHL – NCDC Tier II)
  • Boston Junior Bruins (USPHL – NCDC Tier II)
  • Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL – NCDC Tier II)
  • South Shore Kings (USPHL – NCDC Tier II)
  • Bay State Bobcats (NA3HL – Tier III)
  • Northeast Generals (NA3HL – Tier III)
  • Boston Advantage (USPHL – Premier Tier III)
  • Boston Junior Bruins (USPHL – Premier Tier III)
  • Boston Junior Bruins (USPHL – Elite Tier III)
  • Bridgewater Bandits (USPHL – Premier Tier III)
  • Bridgewater Bandits (USPHL – Elite Tier III)
  • Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL – Premier Tier III)
  • Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL – Elite Tier III)
  • South Shore Kings (USPHL – Premier Tier III)
  • Springfield Pics (USPHL – Premier Tier III)
  • Springfield Pics (USPHL – Elite Tier III)

Is There High School Hockey in Massachusetts?

Yes, there is high school hockey in Massachusetts. The state’s high school hockey is governed by Massachusetts High School Hockey (MHSH). The official website is MassHSHockey.The MHSH is one of the biggest state high school hockey organizations in the country.

The league is sanctioned by USA Hockey and has a few hundred teams. There are a total of four men’s divisions (D1, D2, D3, D4) and two women’s divisions (D1, D2).

Is Hockey Popular in Massachusetts?

So, do they play hockey in Massachusetts?

They certainly do! In fact, it might be the most popular hockey state in America.

To find out, let’s look at some data to find out!

In 2022, WalletHub crunched the numbers to determine which hockey cities were best for fans of the sport. In the study, WalletHub ranked the top 72 cities in the U.S. They worked with 21 key indicators of what made a city a “good” hockey city. Different indicators included stadium capacity, ticket prices, and the performance of major teams, among many others. 

Massachusetts had just the 2nd most cities of any state in the top 72 (tied with Michigan at 8 cities):

  • Boston (#1)
  • Amherst (#47)
  • Springfield (#54)
  • Cambridge (#55)
  • Lowell (#59)
  • Waltham (#60)
  • North Andover (#66)
  • Worcester (#68)

So, is hockey famous in Boston? 100%! Massachusetts is arguably the greatest state in America for hockey fans and hockey players.

Are you curious to know more about hockey in other states across the U.S.? Don’t forget to check out our other full guide: Hockey Teams in Every U.S. State: Complete NHL & College List (2023).

Sources

https://www.nhl.com/bruins

https://www.springfieldthunderbirds.com/

https://railershc.com/

https://www.ncsasports.org/mens-hockey/colleges

https://blog.hockeymap.com/2018/08/acha-college-hockey-teams-map-list.html  ,,.

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