Philadelphia Flyers Junior Hockey Club
The Philadelphia Flyers Junior Hockey Club (also known as the Philadelphia Flyers Elite or the USPHL Flyers) were a Tier III junior ice hockey team in the United States Premier Hockey League Premier Division. The franchise was originally based in Voorhees, New Jersey, at the Flyers Skate Zone. In 2017, the franchise was sold to Delaware Hockey, LLC and it became the Lightning Hockey Club with plans to play in the USPHL's 2017–18 season out of Newark, Delaware. The team was removed from the league's member list in September 2017 prior to ever playing a game.
| Philadelphia Flyers Junior Hockey Club | |
|---|---|
| City | Voorhees, New Jersey |
| League | USPHL Premier |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Home arena | Flyers Skate Zone, Voorhees[1] |
| Colors | Orange, Black and White |
| Owner(s) | Comcast Spectacor |
| General manager | Jared Beach |
| Head coach | Jared Beach |
| Affiliate | Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) |
The team was created in 2013 as one of the founding members of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) Premier Division, the highest level at the time for the league. It was owned and operated under the Philadelphia Flyers NHL team and parent owner Comcast Spectacor.[2]
History edit
The program was developed by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2013 to provide a junior-level program at the highest level of competition for aspiring hockey players in the Greater Philadelphia region.[3] After four seasons in the USPHL Premier Division, the ownership sold the USPHL Flyers to the Lightning Hockey Club. The new owners then relocated the team to Newark, Delaware, in 2017.[4] However, the team failed to make it to the start of their first season in Delaware.
In addition to entering the USPHL-Premier Division, the Flyers Skate Zone also announced that their Team Comcast 16U and 18U midget teams would participate in the USPHL 16U and 18U Divisions.[2] In 2016, Team Comcast left the USPHL for the Atlantic Youth Hockey League and were renamed Virtua Hockey.[5]
Season-by-season records edit
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Flyers Junior Hockey Club | |||||||||||
| 2013–14 | 48 | 28 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 59 | 176 | 141 | 707 | 4th of 9 USPHL-Premier | Lost in 1st round vs. Islanders Hockey Club |
| 2014–15 | 50 | 32 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 72 | 216 | 153 | — | 3rd of 11 USPHL-Premier | Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Bay State Breakers Won Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Islanders Hockey Club Lost Finals, 0–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen |
| 2015–16 | 44 | 24 | 15 | — | 5 | 53 | 158 | 150 | — | 6th of 12 USPHL-Premier | Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Boston Junior Bruins |
| 2016–17 | 45 | 17 | 22 | — | 6 | 40 | 131 | 175 | — | 8th of 10 USPHL-Premier | Lost Play-in Game, 1–3 vs. P.A.L. Junior Islanders |
References edit
- ^ Balassone, Grace (September 28, 2013). "Flyers Debut Premier League Junior Team". Philadelphia Flyers. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
- ^ a b "PHILADELPHIA FLYERS CREATE ELITE TEAM TO PLAY IN USPHL". The Junior Hockey News. Apr 9, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
- ^ George, John (Oct 2, 2013). "Flyers create 'elite' team — of amateurs". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
- ^ "Delaware Hockey LLC Purchases Philadelphia Flyers Premier Team". USPHL. May 1, 2017.
- ^ "Virtua to Put Name on Tier I and II Youth Hockey Club at Virtua Flyers Skate Zone". Team Comcast. March 29, 2016.
External links edit
- Flyers' official website
- Lightning official website