The Maine Mariners will continue its affiliation with the Boston Bruins and Providence Bruins until at least the 2027-2028 season.
The Mariners announced the three-year extension last week.
The Maine Mariners are part of the ECHL, a minor league organization that helps players drafted by professional hockey teams develop their skills. Mariners players have the opportunity to move up to Providence and then Boston.
The organization has had a partnership with both teams since 2021.
“These five years with the Boston Bruins has been a long-term commitment by the Bruins to the Maine Mariners and is positive for both us and the fans,” said owner Dexter Paine Paine.
Boston and Providence are expected to sign between six and eight players that will play most of the upcoming season with the Mariners, said Paine.
The partnership between Maine and Boston can trace its roots to the 1980s, when the Mariners were in the American Hockey League and affiliated with the Bruins for five seasons before leaving in 1992.
The Pirates then played at Portland as an AHL team from 1993 to 2016. ECHL’s Mariners have played at Portland since 2018.
The Maine Mariners open their season on Oct. 18 on the road against the Worcester Raiders. Opening Day is the following day against the Reading Royals.
This article was updated at 3:47 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2025 to correct the name of the ECHL.