THE BRIDGEWATER BANDITS

The Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF) is the premiere AAA hockey league in New England.  The EHF provides 25 Bandit teams (from Mites to Midgets) with the opportunity to compete with other area teams at the highest levels, both AAA and Elite AAA.  It is the league’s mission to instill every team’s players and coaches with a competitive spirit that is backed by good sportsmanship.

The Bridgewater Ice Arena (BIA), which is a privately owned and operated twin-sheet facility, is located at the epicenter of New England Hockey.  All practices, skills sessions and home games for Bandits teams are located at the BIA. Furthermore, the days and times of practices remain consistent throughout the entire season, ensuring easy hockey/home management.

We provide our Bandits EHF teams with a full-time administrative staff to handle team logistics and other bureaucratic facets of the game.  This provides the coaching staff with ample time to prepare for practices and games as well as to focus on individual player development.

Over the years, the Bandits have also had numerous successes at local and national tournaments. In addition, many individual players have gone on to play hockey at Division I schools and beyond. The Bridgewater Bandits have a long, successful history in the Eastern Hockey Federation, and we look forward to you and your family becoming a part of our tradition as an elite member of one of the most competitive hockey programs in the country.

The New England Girls League (NEGHL) is the premiere girl’s hockey league in the country.  The Lady Bandits play against such teams as the Minuteman Flames, the CT Polar Bears and the Assabet Valley Patriots.  The Bandits currently have teams competing from the U10 to the U12 level, but our commitment to the growth of women’s hockey means that the Bridgewater Bandits will again be expanding its Lady Bandit program to include U10B, U14 and U16 teams.

As a part of the Lady Bandits program, the player’s receive a week long summer training session, hosted by Hub City Hockey as well as a summer goalie camp, instructed by Mike Doneghey.  During the season, teams are provided with two practices per week (U16 one practice), 1-2 full ice league games per week and one strength training session per week.  The cost of tuition includes: home games, playoffs, all practices, home and away socks and jerseys, league fees, practice jerseys, referees, timekeepers and team administration. 

All practices and home games are located at the Bridgewater Ice Arena and practice times remain consistent throughout the season, ensuring easy hockey/home management.  The 2010-2011 Lady Bandit season is guaranteed to be a success as our coaches, including Rich Alger, Danielle Taylor, Jim Crites, Danielle Aud and Steve Molind are dedicated to improving the opportunities for girl hockey players.  We look forward to you and your family joining our program.

The Empire Junior Hockey League (EJBHL) is comprised of 22 competitive Junior ‘B’ teams from throughout the Northeast.  The League is divided into two conferences (Eastern and Western).  The Junior ‘B’ program continues to improve since the Bandits first joined the League for the 1999-2000 season.  The Bandits are a perennial playoff team and in 2009-2010 season finished 3^rd in the extremely competitive Eastern Division.

The Empire Junior ‘B’ team is a great platform for players looking to eventually advance to the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL), United States Junior Hockey League (USHL), and the North American Junior Hockey League (NAHL).  In the Bandits organization players are often scouted from within, as Coach Doneghey (Head Coach of the EJ Bandits) is also the Assistant Coach of the Empire team.  Coach Doneghey works closely with the Empire players in order to help develop them into candidates for the Junior ‘A’ Bandits.

For the 2010-2011 season, former Head Coach of the Empire Bandits Rich Alger will be replaced by Scott Drevitch.  (Drevitch will also be the Assistant Coach of the EJHL team).  Scott Drevitch played professional hockey for over 19 years in the American Hockey League (AHL), International Hockey League (IHL) and several top leagues throughout Europe.  Drevitch played college hockey at both the University of Maine and UMASS Lowell.   

The home rink for the Junior Bandits is the Bridgewater Ice Arena (BIA) – a twin surface, state of the art hockey facility, located minutes from Boston, Providence and Cape Cod.  BIA features a weight training facility, a professionally staffed pro shop and a full service restaurant.

We look forward to you and your family joining our program.

The Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) was founded in 1993 and is comprised of 14 competitive teams from across the Northeast.  The league is divided into two divisions (Northern and Southern).  The EJHL is the premiere Junior ‘A’ League in New England and the Bandits are always formidable competitors, having finished in 2^nd place in both the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons.

In the 2009 season alone, the EJHL placed over 140 players in Division I and III schools.  Other players have gone on to even further successes in the AHL and NHL.  For example, Matt Gilroy, last year’s Hobey Baker award winner and current New York Ranger defenseman is a product of the EJHL. 

Mike Doneghey joined the Bandit program as Head Coach of the Junior ‘A’ program in 2004 and has had great success in both winning percentage and player recruitment.  Mike Doneghey attended Merrimack College, where he played goalie and graduated with a degree in sociology.  Doneghey continued his post-college hockey career in France before returning to the States to become Head Coach of Fairfield University.  He was also an Assistant Coach at the University of New Hampshire and Associate Head Coach at Merrimack College.  (Last year Coach Doneghey was honored with the EJHL coach of the year award).  In addition to coaching the Junior Bandits, Doneghey was recently named a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL).

The home rink for the Junior Bandits is the Bridgewater Ice Arena (BIA) – a twin surface, state of the art hockey facility, located minutes from Boston, Providence and Cape Cod.  BIA features a weight training facility, a professionally staffed pro shop and a full service restaurant.

We look forward to you and your family joining our program.