Springfield Pics

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox ice hockey team

| bg_color = background:#FFFFFF !important; border-top:#1a559b 5px solid !important; border-bottom:#c03340 5px solid !important;

| text_color = black

| team = Springfield Pics

| logo = Springfield PICS Logo.jpg

| city = West Springfield, Massachusetts

| league = USPHL

| conference =

| division =

| founded = 1993

| arena = Olympia Ice Center

| colors = Blue, red, white
{{color box|#1a559b}} {{color box|#c03340}} {{color box|white}}

| owner =

| GM = Robert Bonneau

| coach = Robert Bonneau

| website = [http://www.springfieldjrpics.com/ www.springfieldjrpics.com]

| name1 = Springfield Olympics{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/new-england-jr.-falcons-10509.html |title=New England Jr. Falcons Statistics and History |publisher=HockeyDB|accessdate=August 25, 2015}}

| dates1 = 1993–1995

| name2 = New England Jr. Whalers

| dates2 = 1995–1997

| name3 = New England Jr. Coyotes

| dates3 = 1997–2004

| name4 = New England Jr. Falcons

| dates4 = 2004–2009

| name5 = Springfield Pics

| dates5 = 2009–present

}}

The Springfield Pics are an American junior ice hockey organization playing in West Springfield, Massachusetts at the Olympia Ice Center. They field two Tier III teams and a number of Youth teams.

History

The franchise was founded as the Springfield Olympics (or Pics for short) as charter member of the Tier III Junior A Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) in 1993. The team would relocate across the Massachusetts-Connecticut border to Enfield, Connecticut in 1995 and were renamed the New England Jr. Whalers named after the local National Hockey League team in Hartford. After the Hartford Whalers moved to Carolina in 1997, the franchise was renamed the New England Jr. Coyotes and later the Jr. Falcons after the local Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. During this time, the organization also fielded a team in the Tier III Empire Junior B Hockey League (EmJHL) (later the Empire Junior Hockey League).

In the 2009 off-season, the Jr. Falcons EJHL and EmJHL teams merged with the Springfield Pics of the Continental Hockey Association (CHA) and the Bay State Bucs Midget team, members of the NEMHL.Press release announcing merger http://www.springfieldjrpics.com/juniormerger.html This led the now merged Pics organization to field teams in the EJHL, EmJHL, and CHA.

USPHL Premier Division

In 2013, many Tier III junior hockey leagues were re-organized in the northeastern United States and the Springfield Pics became founding members of the new United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). Their former Junior A team (USA Hockey dropped Junior A and B designations in 2011) which had participated in the EJHL joined the USPHL Elite Division for the 2013–14 season. In their first year in the USPHL-Elite League the Pics finished second and then went on to win the playoffs. The playoff win propelled the team to the 2014 USA Hockey Tier III Junior Nationals where they won their pool before losing the semifinal game to the eventual National Champions, the Boston Jr. Bruins.{{cite web |url=http://nationals.usahockey.com/page/show/1152245-schedule-and-stats-2014- |title=2014 Tier III Nationals |publisher=USA Hockey |accessdate=August 25, 2015}} The Elite Division team was promoted to the Premier Division prior to the 2014–15 season.

USHPL USP3 Division

Their former Junior B team from the EmJHL joined the USPHL Empire Division for the 2013–14 season. In 2015, the Empire Division became the USP3 Division.

Former Junior B ESHL team

Their second Junior B team last competed in the Eastern States Hockey League (formerly the CHA). Following the 2013 re-organization, this team was eliminated in favor of Under 18 and Under 16 teams which play in corresponding USPHL leagues.

Season-by-season records

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
SeasonGPWLTOTLPtsGFGARegular Season FinishPlayoffs
align="center" bgcolor="#bbaaaa"

|colspan="12"|New England Jr. Falcons

2004–0550182372451601595th of 7, South
10th of 13, EJHL
Won Play-in game, 3–0 vs. Green Mountain Glades
Lost Quarterfinals, 0–1–1 vs. Boston Jr. Bruins{{cite web | url=http://www.ushr.com/news/20050314/824?label=EJHL-Playoffs,-Updated-Daily | title=EJHL Playoffs, Updated Daily | Amateur Hockey News | March 14, 2005 }}
2005–0645221652511751751st of 7, South
T-4th of 14, EJHL
Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Valley Jr. Warriors
Lost Semifinal game, 1–3 vs. Boston Jr. Bruins{{cite web | url=http://www.ushr.com/news/20060320/1478?label=EJHL+Semifinals+Tonight | title=EJHL Semifinals Tonight | Amateur Hockey News | March 20, 2006 }}
2006–0745162243391451805th of 7, South
11th of 14, EJHL
Did not qualify
2007–0844122453321251737th of 7, South
12th of 14, EJHL
Did not qualify
2008–0945162234391281495th of 7, South
10th of 14, EJHL
Did not qualify
align="center" bgcolor="#bbaaaa"

|colspan="12"|Springfield Pics

2009–1045162342381501795th of 7, South
10th of 14, EJHL
Did not qualify
2010–1145251622541821564th of 7, South
6th of 14, EJHL
Won First Round, 2–0 vs. Rochester Stars
Lost Quarterfinals, 1–2 vs. Boston Jr. Bruins
2011–1245202302421661755th of 7, South
10th of 14, EJHL
Lost First Round, 0–2 vs. Green Mountain Glades
2012–134524174521371184th of 7, South
8th of 14, EJHL
Lost First Round, 0–2 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs{{cite web |url=http://www.applecorejunior.com/ARCHIVES2012_2013/EJHL_NEwFlaash2012-2013.htm |title=New York Apple Core EJHL Tier II |access-date=2015-08-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045501/http://www.applecorejunior.com/ARCHIVES2012_2013/EJHL_NEwFlaash2012-2013.htm |archive-date=2016-03-04 }}
2013–1440326266212922nd of 10, North
2nd of 18, USPHL Elite
Won First Round, 2–0 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs-Elite
Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Bay State Breakers-Elite
2–0–1 in Round Robin
(W, 5–0 vs. Hampton Roads Whalers; T, 4–4 vs. Jersey Hitmen; W, 5–0 vs. Florida Eels)
Won Championship game, 3–2 vs. Jersey Hitmen-Elite
Elite Division Champions
2014–155093742210523911th of 11,
USPHL Premier
Did not qualify
2015–1644113032512318711th of 12,
USPHL Premier
Did not qualify
2016–174519224421381747th of 10,
USPHL Premier
Won Play-in Game, 4–0 vs. Okanagan Eagles
Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Jersey Hitmen
Lost Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Islanders Hockey Club
2017–184425181511491447th of 9, North Div.
20th of 44, Premier
Lost First Round, 1–2 vs. Islanders Hockey Club-Premier
2018–194424173511391052nd of 7, North East Div.
25th of 52, Premier
First Round bye
Lost Nationals qualifiers, 0–2 vs. Syracuse Stars-Premier
2019–204429141591671082nd of 6, North East Div.
17th of 52, Premier
First Round bye
Won Nationals qualifiers, 2–0 vs. Connecticut Jr. Rangers-Premier
0–1–0 USPHL-Premier Nationals round-robin Pool B
(L, 1–5 vs. Vengeance; vs. {{abbr|Rush|Charlotte Rush}}; vs. {{abbr|Havoc|Hudson Havoc}})
Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–214423183491301274th of 9, New England Div.
31st of 62, Premier
Lost First Round series, 1–2 vs. Bridgewater Bandits
2021–224425172521351255th of 9, New England Div.
28th of 64, Premier
Lost First Round series, 1–2 vs. Boston Jr. Bruins
2022–234423192481441505th of 9, New England Div.
36th of 69, Premier
Lost First Round series, 0–2 vs. Bridgewater Bandits
2023–244421212441491565th of 7, New England Div.
36th of 61, Premier
Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Gatineau Universel
2024–254432820682051102nd of 9, New England Div.
11th of 71, Premier
Won Div. Quarterfinals, 2-0 vs. Junior Bruins
Won Div Semifinals 2-0 Northern Cyclones
Won Div Finals 2-0 Islanders HC
Divisional Round Robin 2-1
(W Squatch 9-4)(L Fresno 2-4)(W Metro 6-0)
2nd of 6 - Pool 1
Lost National Semifinal 2-6 Vernal Oilers

USA Hockey Tier III National Championships

Round robin play in pool with top 4 teams advancing to semifinal.

class="wikitable"
YearRound RobinRecordStandingSemifinalChampionship Game
align=center

| 2014

L, Northern Cyclones (EHL) 3-4
W, Flint Jr. Generals (NA3HL) 6-0
W, Bellingham Blazers (NPHL) 8-2
2-0-11st of 4
Pool B (White)
L, Boston Jr. Bruins (USPHL-Premier) 6-0

References