Short Shifts: 2024-25 EHL Season Officially Underway
First Showcase Takes Place Next Week
BOSTON, MA -- The first week of the 2024-25 Eastern Hockey League (EHL) season is in the books. Of the 21 EHL teams, 20 have played at least one game while a majority of the Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP) teams have also kicked off their regular-season campaigns.
In this week’s edition of Short Shifts, we’ll take a look at some first impressions left by teams around the league as well as players who have made an immediate impact in the early stages of the season.
Sprinting out of the gate
- Three EHL teams started the season with three wins: the Vermont Lumberjacks, the Pennsylvania Huntsmen and the New Jersey Bears. The Lumberjacks and Huntsmen are both 3-0-0.
- Vermont narrowly missed the playoffs last season, so they took care of business in the first week of this season with three wins over the Boston Dukes, including a 4-3 overtime win in their first game, followed by 6-3 and 5-0 victories.
- Brayson Bennett and Jackson Duquette, both returning players, are leading the team with six points each (3g, 3a).
- Pennsylvania opened their season with a 5-4 shootout win over the Bears, erasing a two-goal deficit in the third period. John Manzi tied the game, then scored the lone goal in the shootout.
- Then in a home-and-home against the Philadelphia Little Flyers, the Huntsmen won 7-1 on Wednesday and 3-2 on Thursday. In the latter game, Ryan Arendes scored the game-winner with just over two minutes left in the third period.
- Following their shootout loss to the Huntsmen, the Bears roared back with three straight wins; a 4-1 win over Philadelphia Hockey Club, followed by 8-3 and 10-5 victories over New York Apple Core.
- Owen House, a first-year EHL player out of Minnesota, currently leads the Bears and the EHL with 13 points through four games, recording six goals and seven assists.
First steps
- The Boston Jr. Eagles played its first EHL game on Wednesday and came away victorious, defeating the Bridgewater Bandits 5-2. Nick Haust led the offense with a pair of goals and an assist.
- Ian Moran, who played nearly 500 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, and Anaheim Ducks, secured his first EHL win as the Jr. Eagles' head coach.
- The Connecticut Nor’Easter and Providence Capitals are two teams under new names (previously the Chiefs and Providence Hockey Club), and they both have wins in their first week of the season.
- In the first EHL game of the year, the Nor’Easter defeated the Connecticut RoughRiders 8-4 where Michaiah Bascombe picked up a hat-trick plus an assist.
- The Capitals defeated the Seahawks Hockey Club 3-1 on Wednesday, Daniel Kroon had a goal and an assist, while goaltender Nick Hansen stopped 42 of the 43 shots he faced.
Around the EShow
- H.C. Rhode Island has an early lead in the Central Division, going 2-1-0 in its first week. Following a loss to the East Coast Wizards, they bounced back with a 5-1 win over the Capitals and a 3-2 victory against the RoughRiders.
- The Valley Jr. Warriors have also won two of its first three, knocking off the New Hampshire Avalanche by the score of 2-1 thanks to a 49-save performance from Ben O’Keefe, and a 3-2 win over the Boston Jr. Terriers.
- The New Jersey Bears and Providence Capitals played their first-ever games at the EHLP level, but the opposing teams spoiled their respective debuts.
- The Union Jr. Thunder defeated the Bears 3-1, while Providence tried for its first EHLP win on Tuesday, but fell short with a 6-5 OT loss to the Seahawks Hockey Club.
- It was a thrilling come-from-behind win for the Seahawks. Trailing 5-2 heading into the third period, they roared back with three unanswered goals, two of them coming from Huero Rivera. He also set up the overtime goal by Zander Zels to secure the win.
Anthony Di Paolo
Anthony Di Paolo covers the EHL for HNIB and can be followed on Twitter @DiPaolo_016
Anthony Di Paolo has been working in various levels of hockey over the last five years, ranging from juniors to the pros. Di Paolo spent four seasons as the Communications Director and play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Titans of the North American Hockey League (2016-2020), and is entering his fifth season in a similar role with the New Jersey 87’s of the Eastern Hockey League. Graduating from Seton Hall University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, the New Jersey native covered Division I athletics for his school’s radio station, WSOU, and spent two years writing for the Fischler Report, a newsletter run by U.S. Hockey Hall-of-Fame inductee Stan Fischler. In addition to writing features and player spotlights throughout the season, Anthony is a fixture on the weekly #EShow podcast.
