When trying to describe the Eastern Hockey Federation and why it was formed, an AP class in school might be a solid analogy.

Much like a school will form a special class for the elite mathematicians or writers, in the early 2000s, the local youth hockey community was in dire need of change. There there several youth organization and leagues but none where the top players age the age level could practice and play together consistently.

"I never took any of those [AP classes]," joked Brian Boyle, an EHF and South Shore Kings alum now with the New Jersey Devils, in a recent interview with USPHL.com and FedHockey.com. "But yeah, it was best on best, around the whole state, and then at the end of the year, my Dad, other coaches - and they still do it - they put together teams in the summertime and they travel around and these kids get to experience life and they play in these high competition games.

“It was an unbelievable opportunity looking back. As a parent now, I can understand it's a ton of time and effort that those coaches gave to us kids,” Boyle added. “It's a great league and hopefully something that continues to go strong and keeps pumping out great players."

With so much raw hockey talent coming out of the Interstate 95 belt that runs through New England, a league dedicated to developing and nurturing the elite group of that talent to the next level was long overdue.

So, in 2004, a group of youth hockey program directors joined together to discuss creating a better youth hockey model for kids and families in the area in which the programs could provide great coaching and practices for players during the week and quality game completion every weekend.

The primary goal of the league was, and remains, "to foster and govern an elite amateur minor hockey league comprising the top youth hockey organizations in the region."

In a recent interview with FedHockey.com and USPHL.com, local sports attorney and former Boston College player Jerry Buckley - who became EHF League President, a title he held from 2004-18 - recalled the birth of what has become arguably the top developmental youth hockey league of its kind in the United States.

“When the league started in 2004, I knew several of the program directors and current coaches as I had coached the 1987 Jr Eagles team while I was in law school at BC. So when I heard what the program directors were looking to do I wanted to help," added Buckley, who remains with the EHF as a consultant. “Hockey has been great to me so I was really excited about being involved in creating a positive environment for the kids and families to not only develop into strong players but to have fun doing it.”

“The 10 directors of the EHF organizations started the league and brought me in to build out the infrastructure of the league. It was actually during the 2004-05 NHL lockout and I was brought in to help organize the league, get a website up, scheduling and other league operations,” Buckley added. “I thought after the year I’d stop and just fully focus back to my job as an NHL agent, but I saw so much promise and potential that I’ve stayed involved with the league since."

The original EHF consisted of Bay State Breakers, Boston Jr. Eagles, Boston Jr. Terriers, Bridgewater Bandits, Middlesex Islanders, Minuteman Flames, Providence Capitals, South Shore Kings, and Top Gun.

"It started with 10 organizations at the Elite level and then it’s added second and third levels, so we can give the same development model and experience to a bigger group of players," Buckley explained. “Kids develop at different times, so it was important to have a model to fit each kid.”

There is also a model in place to fit each team, through the springtime parity tournaments.

"If you have parity - and we work hard to achieve that - you can really be strong," Buckley said. "We strive to have each game every weekend be a really close game, because that just makes the kids better players and makes them want to play more."

Growing and benefiting more players

At the time of its formation, there was some competition from other leagues, but as Buckley pointed out, the determination and passion for hockey by the original owners was exactly what the EHF needed in its infancy stages to propel it to the next level and distinguish it from any other league of its kind.

"There was some competition at first, but the league really just focused on creating the best development model we could and believed if we did that the parents would see it and jump on board which they did," Buckley said. "A lot of these directors own their own non-hockey businesses and love hockey because they or their kids were playing. So they'd rent ice at a local rink, but now they've become huge organizations where almost all of them basically own or control their own facilities, whether it be Foxboro, Marlborough, Salem (N.H.), and they also now have full time staffs.

“These guys could easily make more money with non hockey investments but they love the game of hockey and love developing the game in this area so they invested in it with with rinks and people,” Buckley added. “When they see the likes of Keith Yandle, Jack Eichel, Kevin Hayes, Brian Boyle, Noah Hanifin, Colin White and so many others who have success at the World Juniors, NCAA hockey, and make it to the NHL, everyone involved with the league  - be they directors and/or coaches - take a lot of pride in it. They also take as much pride in the kids that through their hockey skills have helped them get into Ivy or NESCAC league schools."
 

Select company

The Eastern Hockey Federation first planned to merge with the split-season Mass. Midget Selects League in 2017, before the United States Premier Hockey League brought all of the parties together through a massive merger announced in the Spring of 2018.

"I think it will be great to have a larger and more full time staff to oversee everything and utilize all the assets we have and can offer to the kids," Buckley said. "I look forward to watching everyone involved reap the benefits of this merger but most importantly for us to continue to develop top local players and help them reach the next level."

"It made more sense over the years to put all the best teams together that you could, and have one very strong division or league. We came to the table with a fair amount of very good teams and then the USPHL had a few good midget teams, which kind of rounded it out. Then there was a consensus there that we were better off together than banging heads," added Pat Bohan, executive director of the Greater Boston Junior Bruins. "Then, if there are secondary teams so to speak, have a home for those guys too.

“The Mass Select League were kind of a league of haves and have nots if you will. It was definitely a clear dividing line and it wasn't doing us any good to have some of our top teams play some of the weaker teams,” Bohan added. “You'd have to worry about people getting embarrassed, upset and even hurt, so we didn't want that type of environment. We eventually went to the two divisions and we had better competition and games. It worked well for us and we continued to add some of the other teams to create competitive divisions and games.”

The high skill level and parity of the EHF Selects combines well with the infrastructure of the USPHL, according to Bohan.

"I think the USPHL has a lot more entrepreneurs, whereas the EHF - myself included - we're more old school youth hockey guys who are just trying to keep it affordable and provide better competition and development for the older players," Bohan added. "So there was a meeting of the two cultures with us being the Mom and Pop's and USPHL the entrepreneurs. They certainly have a lot more resources as far as advertising, social media, marketing and a very professional website, so it just made sense for us in order to give our kids as much exposure as we could partnering with someone like that.”

The geographical landscape of this new league alignment served as another great attraction for elite players - and their parents - to come to the EHF Selects and hone their craft.

"One thing we have a great opportunity with in New England, is that there's a lot of strong hockey right in our backyard, whereas you find in other parts of the country, you get teams that are traveling all over the place just to find competitive games," Cape Cod Whalers Executive Director Rick Coan said. "We're fortunate we don't need to do that. Time is too short and spending too many hours traveling isn't worth it You see these teams getting on a bus coming up from the mid-Atlantic region or other parts of the northeast or the Midwest coming into play here. Boy, that's a tough road, especially for a young man and young families!

“So we're fortunate with this league structure that provides an opportunity to play some great hockey locally. Also, to be close to ECAC hockey and Hockey East and all the universities creating all sorts of opportunities, [we’re able to] be seen right here because we don't need to be traveling all over the place,” Coan added. “The landscape is a good spot and the league takes advantage of it."
 

Alumni returning to make league better

Another pivotal moment and where the EHF really took a turn towards the league it is today was when EHF alumni that had played and at times were playing in the NHL, started to come back and coach EHF teams.

"The coaches that started to get behind our benches and pro players and alumni we've produced is really what took us to the next level," Buckley said. "If you step into any of our rinks, you're likely going to see a Division 1 or an NHL guy coaching most of the teams. Off the top of my head, Mike Sullivan (two-time Stanley Cup Champion and Pittsburgh Penguins head coach), has coached in the league; Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey Devils Assistant GM), has coached in the league, Randy Wood (former Yale star NHLer) has coached in the league, Marty McInnis (former Boston College, Boston Bruin and NHLer), John Joyce (Islanders draft pick and Boston College star), Ian Moran (former BC star, Bruin and NHLer), Mike Mottau (former BC star, Bruin and NHLer), Jimmy Fahey (former Northeastern star and NHLer), Joe Hulbig (former Providence College star, Bruin), and I could just go on and on and on."

Chances are the current EHF alumni playing and starring at the NHL level will do the same, and that will only increase the star power behind the bench and in the future on the ice for the EHF.

"That competition is great and it's nice to be able to play in a league like that," current Bruins forward and South Shore Kings alum Ryan Donato told FedHockey.com and USPHL.com recently. "You have the best players from prep schools and high schools and a league where you can challenge yourself, so you have the best chance to play college hockey and then even make it to the NHL."