BOSTON, Mass. -- The Eastern Hockey League kicks off its second season Friday afternoon, Sept. 12, when the Boston Bandits travel to the Boston Junior Rangers for an intra-division match-up at Breakaway Ice in Tewksbury, Mass (1pm start time).

The game will be the first of 436 EHL regular season contests that include four, league-wide Showcases and hundreds of scouting opportunities for EHL players.  Last year the EHL placed more than 150 players with NCAA Division I and III colleges and universities, and plans for 2014-15 are to exceed that number.

The EHL will have a little different look this season as the New England Wolves were added to the league, replacing the New Hampshire Lakers who were dormant last year.   The East Coast Wizards were also added as an expansion franchise, bringing the number of EHL teams to 19 for the season.  The Washington Jr. Nationals franchise were replaced by the Vermont Lumberjacks who will be playing out of the Burlington, Vt., area.  The league has split it teams into a four-divisional set-up which was created to keep travel costs down while helping perpetuate local rivalries.

Opening weekend continues Saturday and Sunday as the Connecticut Oilers travel to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights for a pair of games, the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs travel to the Lumberjacks and the Junior Rangers travel to the Wizards.