Niagara Falls Thunder

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Niagara Falls Thunder
City: Niagara Falls, Ontario
League: Ontario Hockey League
Operated: 1988-96
Home Arena: Niagara Falls Memorial Arena
Franchise history
1953-60: Hamilton Tiger Cubs
1960-74: Hamilton Red Wings
1974-76: Hamilton Fincups
1976-77: St. Catharines Fincups
1977-78: Hamilton Fincups
1978-84: Brantford Alexanders
1984-88: Hamilton Steelhawks
1988-96: Niagara Falls Thunder
1996-Present: Erie Otters

The Niagara Falls Thunder were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1988 to 1996. The team was based in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Contents

[edit] History

Niagara Falls became home to its third OHL franchise in 1988 upon the relocation of the Hamilton Steelhawks. The new team was named the Niagara Falls Thunder. The team filled the void left behind when the Niagara Falls Flyers departed for North Bay in 1982.

The Thunder picked up on the winning note of the Steelhawks' last season in Hamilton. Coach Bill LaForge returned with a strong core of players that lead the team to a second place finish in 1988-89. Niagara Falls reached the OHL finals the first year in their new home city, losing to the Peterborough Petes.

Many players graduated from the OHL after that season and the Thunder began to rebuild for 1989-90. Shortly into the season, growing tensions between team owner Rick Gay and coach Bill LaForge led to the coach being fired. LaForge was never forgiven by the fans for perhaps costing the team a chance of the Memorial Cup in 1989.

The Thunder hired the younger and up-and-coming Oshawa Generals' assistant coach George Burnett to take over. The team rallied from out fo the playoffs to 6th place. Niagara Falls continued its momentum into the third round of the playoffs knocking off the first place London Knights before losing to the Kitchener Rangers.

The Thunder finished the next two seasons in second place, and made it to the third round of the playoffs both years, a feat they managed four years in a row. Coach Burnett was voted Coach of the Year for 1990-91 and 1991-92. Both years their playoff nemesis, the Soo Greyhounds, eliminated them in the semi-finals.

Many players graduated in 1992 for professional careers, and Coach Burnett was promoted to the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL. He won the Calder Cup with the team in 1992-93.

The team never regained its strength of the first four seasons. After three poor seasons on the ice from 1992-93 to 1994-95 game attendance was dropping. This, combined with an aging arena and no new arena deal in sight, resulted in the Thunder moving to Erie, Pennsylvania to play as the Otters.

[edit] Coaches

George Burnett was voted the OHL Coach of the Year in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons, winning the Matt Leyden Trophy in only his first and second full seasons as a head coach in the OHL.

  • 1988-89 - Bill LaForge
  • 1989-90 - B.LaForge, G.Burnett
  • 1990-91 - George Burnett
  • 1991-92 - George Burnett
  • 1992-93 - Larry Marson
  • 1993-94 - L.Marson, Randy Hall, C.Johnstone
  • 1994-95 - Chris Johnstone
  • 1995-96 - Chris Johnstone

[edit] Players

[edit] Award Winners

[edit] NHL Alumni

[edit] Yearly Results

[edit] Regular Season

Season Games Won Lost Tied Points Pct % Goals
For		 Goals
Against		 Standing
1988-89 66 41 23 2 84 0.636 410 319 2nd Emms
1989-90 66 23 39 4 50 0.379 278 355 6th Emms
1990-91 66 39 18 9 87 0.659 335 259 2nd Emms
1991-92 66 39 23 4 82 0.621 307 254 2nd Emms
1992-93 66 29 30 7 65 0.492 299 274 5th Emms
1993-94 66 21 41 4 46 0.348 277 352 8th Emms
1994-95 66 18 40 8 44 0.333 231 298 4th Central
1995-96 66 29 30 7 65 0.492 248 238 3rd Central

[edit] Playoffs

  • 1988-89 Defeated Windsor Spitfites 4 games to 0 in first round.
    Earned bye through quarter-finals.
    Defeated London Knights 4 games to 3 in semi-finals.
    Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 2 in finals.
  • 1989-90 Defeated London Knights 4 games to 2 in first round.
    Defeated Owen Sound Platers 4 games to 2 in quarter-finals.
    Lost to Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 1 in semi-finals.
  • 1990-91 Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 2 in first round.
    Defeated Windsor Spitfites 4 games to 0 in quarter-finals.
    Lost to S.S. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 0 in semi-finals.
  • 1991-92 Defeated Detroit Compuware Ambassadors 4 games to 3 in first round.
    Defeated London Knights 4 games to 1 in quarter-finals.
    Lost to S.S. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 1 in semi-finals.
  • 1992-93 Lost to Owen Sound Platers 4 games to 0 in first round.
  • 1993-94 Out of playoffs.
  • 1994-95 Lost to Owen Sound Platers 4 games to 2 in division quarter-finals.
  • 1995-96 Defeated Owen Sound Platers 4 games to 2 in division quarter-finals.
    Lost to Guelph Storm 4 games to 0 in quarter-finals.

[edit] Arena

The Niagara Falls Thunder played home games at Niagara Falls Memorial Arena from 1988 to 1996.

Ontario Hockey League
Current Teams : Barrie Colts | Belleville Bulls | Brampton Battalion | Erie Otters | Guelph Storm | Kingston Frontenacs | Kitchener Rangers | London Knights | Mississauga IceDogs | Oshawa Generals | Ottawa 67's | Owen Sound Attack | Peterborough Petes | Plymouth Whalers | Saginaw Spirit | Sarnia Sting | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sudbury Wolves | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | Windsor Spitfires
Defunct Teams : Brantford Alexanders | Cornwall Royals | Detroit Compuware Ambassadors | Detroit Junior Red Wings | Detroit Whalers | Guelph Platers | Hamilton Dukes | Hamilton Steelhawks | Kingston Canadians | Kingston Raiders | Newmarket Royals | Niagara Falls Thunder | North Bay Centennials | Owen Sound Platers | Toronto Marlboros
CHL | Memorial Cup | WHL | QMJHL | OHL | OHL History | OHL Standings | J. Ross Robertson Cup
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