Thunder Bay Flyers
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| Thunder Bay Flyers | |
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| City: | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| League: | Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League/ United States Hockey League |
| Operated: | 1980-2000 |
| Home Arena: | Fort William Gardens |
| Colours: | Red, Black, Gold, and White |
| Head Coach: | Jim Montroy, Mario Minoletti, Paul Mitchell, Dave Siciliano, Rick Adduono, Larry Wintoneak, Dave Bragnalo, Doug Colbon, Gary Wenzel, and Todd Jones |
The Thunder Bay Flyers were a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
- Thunder Bay Kings 1980 - 1984
- Thunder Bay Flyers 1984 - 2000
Contents |
[edit] History
After the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League folded in the early 1980s, hockey players of the Hockey Northwestern Ontario region were left with few choices on where to play. Many players made the jump to the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League or the current version of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, some even made the jump to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Due to the region where Thunder Bay is, the league is closer to Manitoba and Michigan than the closest franchises in the other Ontario Tier II Junior "A" Leagues.
With no leagues for the abundancy of top level players in Northwestern Ontario, to help stop the exporting of players to other regions, the Thunder Bay Flyers of the dead Thunder Bay League were kept alive. With no cost effective regional leagues to travel to play in, the closest being in Manitoba, the Flyers jumped the border -- they played in the top tier of American junior hockey, the United States Hockey League.
Although their regular season were in the USHL, the came back to Canada for the playoffs to compete against the OPJHL and the NOJHL for the right to represent Ontario at the Centennial Cup. The Ontario championship, commonly known as the Central Canadian Championship, is the Dudley Hewitt Cup. The Flyers won the Dudley Hewitt Cup in 1983, 1988, 1989, 1991, and 1995 to compete for the National title. The Flyers also earned a birth in the Nationals in 1992, but did not compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup. Although there is no definitive information on what happened, it seems that the Powassan Hawks won the Dudley Hewitt Cup in '92, but then competed against the Flyers after the Cup to determine who would go on to the Centennial Cup -- the Flyers came out on top. The Flyers have also won 2 National titles. They won the 1989 Centennial Cup, defeating the Summerside Western Capitals then of the Island Junior Hockey League 4-1 in the final game, and they won the 1992 Cup, destroying the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League 10-1 in the Cup final after smoking the Halifax Mooseheads (Maritime Junior A Hockey League) 8-1 in the semi-final.
The Flyers played their last game in 2000. The end of the Flyers sparked the creation of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. The SIJHL was created in 2001 to continue the tradition of the old Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League -- a multiple team, self-dependent, local Junior "A" hockey League. The league has been successful since its founding with its top team being the Fort William North Stars.
[edit] Season-by-Season Records
United States Hockey League 1984-2000
Season GP W L T OTL Pts Pct GF GA Result 1984-85 48 20 25 0 3 43 0.417 250 252 7th Overall 1985-86 48 15 32 0 1 31 0.312 210 300 8th Overall 1986-87 48 35 10 1 2 73 0.740 312 180 2nd Overall 1987-88 48 40 7 1 0 81 0.844 340 168 1st Overall 1988-89 48 40 6 2 0 82 0.854 340 189 1st Overall 1989-90 48 31 16 1 0 63 0.656 277 210 3rd Overall 1990-91 48 36 10 2 0 77 0.771 293 176 1st Overall 1991-92 48 36 11 1 0 74 0.760 265 173 1st Overall 1992-93 48 31 14 2 1 65 0.667 243 163 4th Overall 1993-94 48 26 20 1 1 54 0.552 214 203 6th Overall 1994-95 48 27 18 1 2 57 0.573 216 184 5th Overall 1995-96 46 13 29 1 3 30 0.293 136 202 11th Overall 1996-97 54 19 33 0 2 40 0.352 186 251 6th in North 1997-98 56 20 31 0 5 45 0.357 165 227 5th in North 1998-99 56 19 30 0 7 45 0.339 164 247 2nd in Central 1999-00 58 18 39 0 1 37 0.310 164 254 6th in East 798 426 331 13 28 0.534 3775 3379
[edit] Championships
- Central Canadian Dudley Hewitt Cup Championships: 1983, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1995
- Canadian National Centennial Cup Championships: 1989, 1992
[edit] Centennial Cups/Royal Bank Cups
[edit] 1983
- Quarter-finals
- North York Rangers (OHA) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 4 games to 0
[edit] 1988
- Round Robin
- Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJAHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 7-4
- Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 9-7
- Halifax Lions (MJAHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 6-4 (OT)
[edit] 1989
- Round Robin
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Vernon Lakers (BCJHL) 8-2
- Summerside Capitals (IJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 5-4
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Moncton Hawks (MJAHL) 6-2
- Final
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Summerside Capitals (IJHL) 4-1
[edit] 1991
- Round Robin
- Halifax Jr. Canadians (MJAHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 5-4
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL) 10-4
- Vernon Lakers (BCJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 3-2
- Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 5-4
[edit] 1992
- Round Robin
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated St. James Canadians (MJHL) 7-4
- Vernon Lakers (BCJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 5-4 (2OT)
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Winkler Flyers (MJHL) 9-2
- Halifax Mooseheads (MJAHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 9-3
- Semi-final
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Halifax Mooseheads (MJAHL) 8-1
- Final
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Winkler Flyers (MJHL) 10-1
[edit] 1995
- Round Robin
- Winnipeg South Blues (MJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 6-4
- Calgary Canucks (AJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 6-0
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Gloucester Rangers (CJAHL) 5-2
- Thunder Bay Flyers defeated Joliette National (LHJAAAQ) 5-2
- Semi-final
- Calgary Canucks (AJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Flyers 5-3
[edit] Notable Alumni
- David Bruce
- Greg Johnson
- Ryan Johnson
- Sean Pronger
- Patrick Sharp
