Tampa Bay Juniors

Tampa Bay Juniors
CityEllenton, Florida
LeagueUnited States Premier Hockey League
Premier Division
DivisionFlorida
Founded2008
Home arenaEllenton Ice and Sports Complex
ColorsBlue and white
   
Franchise history
2008–2010Jacksonville IceDogs
2008–2011Tampa Bay Bolts
2011–presentTampa Bay Juniors
Championships
Division titles2010, 2018, 2025

The Tampa Bay Juniors are a Tier III junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Premier Hockey League's (USPHL) Premier Division. The Juniors play their home games at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex in Ellenton, Florida.

History

In 2008, the Tampa Bay Bolts were founded as a junior team playing out of the Southeast Junior Hockey League.[1] That same year, the Jacksonville Ice Dogs were also founded as members of the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League.[2] In 2010, the Ice Dogs relocated to the Tampa Bay area and merged with the Bolts. A year later, the club rebranded as the Tampa Bay Juniors with the now-unified club following the rest of the SEJHL teams into the EJHL South, now a division of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

In 2013, junior hockey in America saw a sizable amount of realignment. All of the teams from the EJHL South left to join the newly-formed United States Premier Hockey League in the Elite division. Additionally, the club also founded a second developmental team that played out of the Empire Division. In 2016, the USPHL announced plans to found a Tier II division beginning with the 2017–18 season.[3] The decision resulted in the league dissolving the Empire Division (which had been renamed US3PHL) as well as encouraging many of its lower-level teams to promote themselves. The Junior were one of several dozen clubs to take advantage of this change and become a full Tier III club for the first time, joining the Premier Division in 2017.

Season-by-season records

Tampa Bay Bolts

Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA Regular Season Finish Playoffs
Southeast Junior Hockey League
2008–09 24 6 16 0 2 14 67 135 7th of 8, SEJHL Missing information
2009–10 28 14 14 0 0 28 100 91 4th of 7, SEJHL Lost Round Robin Championship (0–3–0)
2010–11 33 12 21 0 0 24 111 182 3rd of 5, SEJHL Did not qualify

Jacksonville Ice Dogs/Tampa Bay Bolts

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Regular Season Finish Playoffs
Metropolitan Junior Hockey League
2008–09 34 25 8 1 51 210 83 4th of 10, Southern Div.
12th of 28, MJHL
Won Round Robin Div. Quarterfinal, ?
Won Div. Semifinal, ? (Atlanta Jr. Knights)
Won Div. Final, ? (Hampton Roads Whalers)
Won Keegan Cup Semifinal, ? (Walpole Express)
Lost Keegan Cup Championship, ? (Central Penn Panthers)
2009–10 35 25 9 1 51 199 120 1st of 5, Florida Div.
t-7th of 23, MJHL
Lost Div. Preliminary, 0–2 (Florida Eels)
Won Div. Elimination game, 4–3 (Palm Beach Hawks)
Won Div. Final, 3–0 (Florida Eels)
Lost Keegan Cup Quarterfinal, 4–5 (OT) (Suffolk Juniors)
Lost Fifth place game, 2–4 (Long Island Royals)
2010–11 37 17 18 2 36 137 157 4th of 8, Southern Div.
14th of 25, MJHL
Missing information

Tampa Bay Juniors

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Regular Season Finish Playoffs
EJHL South
2011–12 40 19 19 2 40 162 205 4th of 8, EJHL South
19th of 29, EJHL
Won Div. Preliminary, 6–4 (Hampton Roads Whalers)
Lost Div. Semifinal, 2–5 (Atlanta Jr. Knights)
Lost Elimination game, 0–12 (Florida Jr. Blades)
2012–13 40 19 17 4 42 189 132 4th of 9, EJHL South
16th of 31, EJHL
Did not qualify
USPHL Elite
2013–14 40 18 17 5 41 145 151 t-4th of 8, Southern Conf.
t-9th of 18, USPHL Elite
Won First Round series, 2–0 (Palm Beach Hawks)
Lost Quarterfinal series, 1–2 (Florida Eels)
2014–15 40 22 14 4 48 139 121 4th of 9, South Div.
8th of 18, USPHL Elite
Won Div. Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Florida Eels)
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–1 (Atlanta Jr. Knights)
Lost Final Four Round-Robin, 3–2 (Hampton Roads Whalers), 0–4 (Boston Junior Bruins), 1–11 (Syracuse Stars)
2015–16 40 9 28 3 21 114 194 9th of 10, South Div.
17th of 20, USPHL Elite
Did not qualify
2016–17 44 23 19 2 48 184 151 5th of 9, Southern Div.
15th of 27, USPHL Elite
Lost Div. Quarterfinal series, 0–2 (Florida Eels)
USPHL Premier
2017–18 44 30 13 1 61 231 168 1st of 5, Florida Div.
t-10th of 44, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Florida Jr. Blades)
Lost Pool Gold Round Robin, 1–6 (Hampton Roads Whalers), 1–4 (Minnesota Moose), 3–2 (Northern Cyclones)
2018–19 44 15 24 5 35 121 165 3rd of 5, Florida Div.
t-38th of 52, USPHL Premier
Lost Div. Semifinal series, 1–2 (Florida Eels)
2019–20 44 21 20 3 45 173 151 2nd of 5, Florida Div.
t-29th of 52, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Charleston Colonials)
Remainder of postseason cancelled
2020–21 44 29 13 2 60 182 144 2nd of 5, Florida Div.
t-15th of 62, USPHL Premier
Lost Div. Semifinal series, 1–2 (Charleston Colonials)
2021–22 44 31 10 3 65 186 128 2nd of 5, Florida Div.
t-11th of 64, USPHL Premier
Lost Div. Semifinal series, 1–2 (Florida Jr. Blades)
2022–23 44 25 18 1 51 151 146 3rd of 6, Florida Div.
t-32nd of 70, USPHL Premier
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Atlanta Mad Hatters)
Won Seeding Round, 0–4 (Northern Cyclones), 4–2 (Las Vegas Thunderbirds)
Lost Eighthfinal, 1–5 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights)
2023–24 44 28 16 0 56 154 142 3rd of 6, Florida Div.
24th of 61, USPHL Premier
Lost Div. Semifinal series, 1–2 (Florida Eels)
2024–25 42 33 7 2 68 228 108 1st of 6, Florida Div.
t-11th of 73, USPHL Premier
Won Div. First Round, 3–0 (Florida Jr. Blades)
Won' Div. Winners Semifinal, 4–0 (Florida Eels)
Won' Div. Final, 3–2 (Bold City Battalion)
Won' Division 1 Round-Robin, 5–4 (Fresno Monsters), 1–2 (OT) (Metro Jets), 5–2 (Minnesota Squatch)
Lost Semifinal, 3–7 (Vernal Oilers)

References

  1. ^ "Tampa Bay Bolts". Tampa Bay Bolts. Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  2. ^ "News". Tampa Bay Juniors. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  3. ^ "USPHL Announces New Tuition Free Hockey Division for 2017-18 Season". Junior Hockey News. October 6, 2016.