Maine Mariners

It was officially announced that professional hockey was making a triumphant return to Maine in June of 2017. Comcast Spectacor purchased the dormant ECHL membership of the Alaska Aces and relocated it to Portland. With Philadelphia Flyers brass Paul Holmgren and Danny Briere at the helm, the Mariners were “re-born” when they got their name by winning a fan vote three months later. The name pays homage to Portland’s rich hockey tradition and it’s first pro hockey franchise. The Mariners follow in the footsteps of the AHL franchises of the same name (1977-92) and more recently the Portland Pirates (1993-2016), as they pave their own path at the Cross Insurance Arena. For more information on the history of hockey in Maine, click here . After two seasons as the ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, the Mariners announced on June 30th, 2021, that they would become an affiliate of the Boston Bruins, completing the New England sports affiliate trifecta. With no hockey in 2020-21 due to the pandemic, the Mariners returned (again) in 2021-22 under first-year head coach Ben Guite, and went on to make their first playoff appearance in team history, losing in the North Division Semifinals to the Reading Royals in six games. Terrence Wallin, who rose from player to Head Coach in a five-year span, took over for Guite in 2022-23 and spent three seasons at the helm, including two more playoff appearances. In September of 2024, the franchise was officially acquired by North Conway, New Hampshire native Dexter Paine, marking a change in ownership entering the sixth season. New Head Coach & General Manager Rick Kowalsky led the team to its best ever season in 2025-26, finishing with 93 points and winning its first ever playoff series,