Portland Junior Pirates

SACO, ME -Behind every successful team is a strong feeder program. Entering its 5^th year of operation the Portland Junior Pirates Junior “A” squad has sent over 40 players onto NCAA Division I and Division III programs, averaging out to 10 players per season. One might ask how the Junior Pirates keep restocking the shelves with young talent. Enter the PJP Junior “B” hockey club, who are in their 4^th season as the primary feeder to the highly successful Junior “A” club.

The inaugural season for the Junior “B” club was 2004-2005. During that season, the team played an independent schedule against top Midget AAA and Junior “B” competition from around the country and Canada. Three players off that first team advanced to higher levels of hockey; the most notable was 15 year old P.O. Michaud  (Mont Joli, PQ) who came here determined to impress US college hockey scouts.  After one season with the Junior “B” team, P.O. advanced onto the Junior A club for two seasons and this fall is enrolled and skating for the Crimson at Harvard University (ECAC-DI). The other two players who advanced off that original Junior “B” club was P.A. Joncas, another Quebec native who was drafted and currently captains the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL; the other was South Portland, ME native Max Doyon, who after a year at prep school advanced to the PJP Junior A squad and is currently at Suffolk University (ECAC Northeast DIII).

Year two for the Junior “B” Pirates saw the club join the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League, which is one of the oldest and most respected Junior “B” circuits in the U.S. The Junior Pirates were by far the youngest team in the league and that’s exactly what General Manager Jay Pecora and President/Head Coach Sean O’Brien wanted. “Our main goal with establishing the Junior ‘B’ team was, and still is today, to have a team of players with strong upside and potential and develop them not only for our Junior ‘A’ team, but for collegiate hockey. Most of the players we have developed on the ‘B’ team have been younger players. This affords them the opportunity to properly develop over time, move on to the ‘A’ team, and then be properly prepared to compete at the collegiate level,” said Pecora.

The ‘05-‘06 season was highlighted by the play of 5 exceptional young players as Kelen Corkum (’90- Newburyport, MA), Mark Anthoine (’90- Lewiston, ME), Nick Broadwater (‘89- Portland, ME), Dan Smith (‘89- Kennebunk, ME) and Tyler Fleurent (’90- Biddeford, ME) garnered the spotlight and led the team.  Subsequently, Corkum was selected to the USA National Team Development Program U-17 team based in Ann Arbor, MI and later that summer made a verbal commitment to play his college hockey for the University of Maine Black Bears in the fall of ’08. Anthoine advanced to the Pirates Junior “A” team and dazzled college recruiters during the ‘06-‘07 season. As a result, in February, Anthoine announced his verbal commitment to the University of Maine also, either in the fall of ’08 or ’09. He currently is a key member of the Chicago Steel of the USHL. Broadwater and Smith are enjoying their second seasons and Fleurent is enjoying his first season with the Junior Pirates “A” team. Broadwater, Smith, and Fleurent each continue to receive interest from numerous colleges.

The ‘06-‘07 season saw two milestones reached for the Junior “B” club as they finished in 3^rd place in the MJHL Northern division and qualified for the playoffs. Wins and losses aside, the true definition of success was placing 8 players on the’ 07-‘08 Junior Pirates “A” club, who currently sit in first place in the North Division in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with a 19-6-0-3 record.   Mike Tarajos (‘88 Arundel, ME), Kyle Weiland (‘88 Hampden, ME), Kevin McDonough (‘88 Hollis, ME), Dan Ramirez (88’ Miami, FL), Bobby Hannah (‘88, Burbank, CA), Jamie Plamondon (‘89 Biddeford, ME), John Melancon (‘89 Old Orchard Beach, ME), and Kevin Smith (‘89 Auburn, ME), “Our Junior ‘B’ team is only as good as the number of players we advance; we have become the # 1 developer of talent in Maine, hands down,” stated O’Brien.  

Pecora and O’Brien only anticipate that the number of players moving on will continue to expand as the whole program continues to flourish. But the fact that the Junior Pirates have recently moved into their new residency at the MHG Ice Centre in Saco, ME has piqued their optimism that they will continue to not only be the top developer of talent in Maine, but arguably perhaps in the country. “Having our own premise, the sky is the limit with development and promoting players on to the next level. We’d like to think that the strength and success of our program is hinged on our track record of moving players on, but having this beautiful, new facility in place will further elevate this program to another level,” mentioned Ryan McGrath, PJP recruiting coordinator and Junior “A” assistant coach.

With the track record of development and promotion, a new facility, and a strong Junior Pirates youth program in place as a potential feeder as well, the Junior “B” team will continue to be a program that will be essential within the Junior Pirates umbrella.

For more information about the Junior Pirates, please contact the PJP office at 207-282-8484 or by e-mail at info@portlandjuniorpirates.com.