t all started in the early 1990’s with a venture called ‘Flanagan Hockey School’. No one could have expected what would come from this idea put together by brothers Bill and Joe Flanagan. Bill played four seasons at RPI, while Joe played his college hockey at UNH. Joe would go on to a professional career that saw him become a two-time ECHL All-Star and League MVP before joining Bill behind the bench at the high school level.
It was during Joe’s playing days when the name ‘Cyclones’ came to the forefront. During a stellar 1992-93 season in which Joe scored 93 points for the ECHL’s Birmingham Bulls, a call came. That call was from the IHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones. Joe played nine games with the Cyclones that season, in the process falling in love with the name of the organization.
Later in the 1990’s, the ‘Flanagan Hockey School’ led to a transition to coaching. The brothers coached a split-season Midget team comprised of some of the top players from the area. That team needed a name, and there was only one that was in Joe and Bill’s minds; The Cyclones. Thus, the ‘Northern Mass Cyclones’ were born. The team played in the top showcases around the nation, eventually taking down the fabled HoneyBaked program. All of this came as Bill and Joe helped lead Austin Prep in Massachusetts to numerous successful seasons on the ice.
They purchased an old building in Dracut, Massachusetts. They renovated the building, retrofitting it and building a sheet and a half of ice. For the next four years, the Northern Mass Cyclones were based out of this building. It is where the full youth program you see today was launched. In addition, the Cyclones operated a junior team out of the facility.
Building that junior team was not easy. Bill and Joe spent countless nights working hard and calling perspective players to build good, competitive teams. It wasn’t just picking up the phone and calling players, either. Bill and Joe spent countless hours in rinks around New England watching and meeting with players. If that wasn’t enough, they spent time having face-to-face meetings with families to help the process.
That hard work paid off, as the Cyclones were strong right out of the gate. Not only were they winning games, but they were also advancing players to the NCAA level. That included numerous players leaving the program to play Division 1 college hockey following their junior career.
Those early teams built an identity. They were hard-working, gritty, blue-collar teams that battled hard every night. That identity, forged in the early 2000’s, has stayed strong to this day. The Cyclones began looking for kids who worked hard and were looking for the privilege of playing hockey at a higher level. Those players are still valued greatly today, and form the backbone of the Cyclones junior program.
While in Dracut, the Flanagans met up with current partner Wes Dolloff. Together, they built Cyclones Arena in 2004. That was the next step in the rise of this organization.
Not only were, and still are, the Flanagans in the trenches as owners who coached, they were also involved in the design process for the Arena. Brick-by-brick, they helped build the building that now houses the entire Cyclones brand. Speaking of brand, when the Cyclones officially moved to Hudson in 2004, they dropped the ‘Mass’ from their name. Officially the Northern Cyclones, the organization got to work from their new home.
It was not easy work. To expand to where they are today, the Cyclones had to deal with pushback and adversity. Breaking into the circle of New England junior hockey was not easy. The Cyclones, led by Bill and Joe, had to work hard to play in the best leagues and get the best opportunity for their players. It was tough to break in, but they handled the adversity and continued to push.
They persevered to get to this point, a point where they can offer ice time, educational guidance, a proper development model and a clear path to the NCAA.
The Cyclones began their full-season Midget team in 2013, starting with the 16U group. That has evolved into Cyclones Academy, which has two 18U and 16U teams, along with a 15U group.
That hard work truly has paid off. At the tier-2 junior level, the Cyclones have made the playoffs in all three seasons in the USPHL’s NCDC conference. They also led the nation in college advancements in 2019, an achievement that proves this organization is the gold standard.
The Cyclones have won four tier-3 Junior Championships, winning the AJHL in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons and the EHL in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. They also advanced to Nationals in 2020 at the USPHL Elite level.
At the youth and Academy levels, the Cyclones have emerged as the premier hockey organization in New England. The program has won countless New Hampshire State Championships at the Youth and Midget levels, and also produced a successful Girls program.
Family has also been important for the Flanagan’s along the way. Bill’s daughter Kali Joe’s daughter Baye both grew up in the Cyclones program, starting at the youth level. Both played Division 1 College hockey, with Kali attending Boston College and Baye attending Merrimack College. Kali would also win an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA in 2018
