The new Jersey Jr Bears are a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior A ice hockey team from Flemington, Pennsylvania. They play in the South Conference of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). For the 2024-35 season the Bears are adding a team to the Premier (EHLP).
The players, ages 16–20, carry amateur status under Junior A guidelines and hope to earn a spot on higher levels of junior hockey in the United States and Canada, Canadian major junior, collegiate, and eventually professional teams.
The Philadelphia Junior Flyers were members of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL) from 2008 until 2013 when Tier III junior hockey leagues went through a reorganization, which included the AJHL re-branding itself as the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). In 2015, the EHL added a lower level of Tier III junior hockey for player development called the EHL-Elite Division and all the current EHL members, including the Jr. Flyers, were added to the EHL-Premier Division. In 2017, the league re-branded, dropping the Premier name from their top division and renamed the Elite Division to Premier.
The organization currently fields a team at the former Tier III Junior B level in the EHL Premier (and formerly in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League). It also currently fields youth hockey select teams at the Midget U18, Midget 16U, Bantam, Peewee, and Squirt and Mite levels.[1] [2]
The Jr. Flyers 18 and under team won the silver medal in the 2010 USA Hockey National Tournament in Chicago, Illinois.[3]
Prior to the start of the 2020-21 season the Junior Flyers were sold and became the Protec Jr. Ducks. Then prior to the start of the 2022-23 season the franchise was sold once more, moved to Flemington Pennsylvania and became the New Jersey Bears. The Bears were approved to add an expansion team to the EPHL.
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Junior Hockey League | |||||||||||
| 2008–09 | 42 | 19 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 41 | 124 | 148 | 4th of 6, South 8th of 12, AJHL | ||
| 2009–10 | 42 | 20 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 141 | 145 | 3rd of 6, South 6th of 12, AJHL | ||
| 2010–11 | 44 | 19 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 142 | 172 | 4th of 6, South 9th of 12, AJHL | ||
| 2011–12 | 44 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 51 | 179 | 144 | 5th of 12, AJHL | ||
| 2012–13 | 44 | 16 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 39 | 117 | 121 | 8th of 12, AJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Northern Cyclones | |
| Eastern Hockey League | |||||||||||
| 2013–14 | 44 | 19 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 113 | 107 | 3rd of 6, South Div. 10th of 17, EHL | Lost Round 1, 0–2 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights | |
| 2014–15 | 44 | 23 | 19 | — | 2 | 48 | 124 | 122 | 2nd of 5, South Div. 9th of 19, EHL | Lost Round 1, 0–2 vs. Hartford Jr. Wolfpack | |
| 2015–16 | 41 | 19 | 15 | — | 7 | 45 | 134 | 129 | 6th of 9, South Conf. 10th of 18, EHL-Premier | Lost Round 1, 1–2 vs. Hartford Jr. Wolfpack | |
| 2016–17 | 48 | 36 | 8 | — | 4 | 76 | 163 | 88 | 2nd of 4, Mid-Atlantic Div. 2nd of 8, South Conf. 2nd of 17, EHL-Premier | Won First Round, 2–0 vs. Hartford Jr. Wolfpack Won Quarterfinals, 2–1 vs. East Coast Wizards Won Semifinals, 2–0 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Won Finals, 3–2 vs. Philadelphia Little Flyers League Champions | |
| 2017–18 | 50 | 12 | 32 | — | 6 | 30 | 98 | 187 | 4th of 4, Mid-Atlantic Div. 7th of 8, South Conf. 15th of 16, EHL | Did not qualify | |
| 2018–19 | 46 | 20 | 22 | — | 4 | 44 | 160 | 172 | 3rd of 5, South Div. 5th of 8, Mid-Atlantic Conf. 11th of 18, EHL | Lost First Round, 0–2 vs. Philadelphia Revolution | |
| 2019–20 | 46 | 19 | 26 | — | 1 | 39 | 112 | 126 | 6th of 8, Mid-Atlantic Conf. 13th of 19, EHL | tbd First Round, 2–1 vs. Connecticut RoughRiders Playoffs cancelled | |
| Protec Jr Ducks | |||||||||||
| 2020–21 | |||||||||||
| 2021–22 | |||||||||||
| 2022–23 | |||||||||||
| New Jersey Bears | |||||||||||
| 2023–24 | 46 | 29 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 63 | 148 | 110 | 1st of 6, South Div 7th of 23, EHL | Lost Semifinal, 0-2 vs. Philadelphia Little Flyers | |
The Junior Flyers have produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA college and professional programs, including:[4]