Maine's minor league hockey team to affiliate with Bruins

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A Maine-based minor league hockey team is close to announcing a new affiliation with the Boston Bruins.

The Portland Press Herald reported on Tuesday that it had confirmed the affiliation between the Maine Mariners of Portland and the National Hockey League franchise. The Portland team had been affiliated with the New York Rangers.

The Mariners are expected to make the new affiliation official with an announcement on Wednesday at the team's home arena, the Press Herald reported.

The affiliation would mean three Boston sports franchises have minor league affiliates in Portland, which is Maine's largest city. The Portland Sea Dogs are affiliated with baseball's Boston Red Sox and the Maine Celtics, who were until recently called the Maine Red Claws, are a farm team of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association.

The Maine Mariners play in the ECHL. A team with the same name played in Portland from 1977 to 1992 and was also affiliated with the Bruins for a time.