Thunder Bay Flyers

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Thunder Bay Flyers
City: Thunder Bay, Ontario
League: Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League/
United States Hockey League
Operated: 1980-2000
Home Arena: Fort William Gardens
Colors: 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
Franchise history
1980-1984: Thunder Bay Kings
1984-2000: Thunder Bay Flyers

The Thunder Bay Flyers were a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Contents

[edit] History

After the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League folded in 1984, 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 Minnesota 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, with great success. From entering the league in 1984-85 to their exit after the 1999-2000 season, the Flyers are credited with four Anderson Cup regular-season titles in five years (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992) and two straight Clark Cup playoff championships in 1988 and 1989. No team under the leadership of Dave Siciliano (who coached in Thunder Bay from 1986-1993) finished lower than fourth or won less than 31 games out of a 48-game season.

Although their regular season were in the USHL, they 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 Flyers won the Dudley Hewitt Cup in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, and 1995 to compete for the National title. 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

  • Thunder Bay City Champions: 1982, 1983, 1984
  • Anderson Cup USHL Regular Season Champions: 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992
  • Canadian National Centennial Cup Championships: 1989, 1992
  • Clark Cup USHL Champions: 1988, 1989
  • Dudley Hewitt Cup Central Canadian Champions: 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995

[edit] Centennial Cups/Royal Bank Cups

[edit] 1988

Round Robin
Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) 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

[edit] See also


Preceded by
Notre Dame Hounds		 Centennial Cup Champions
1989		 Succeeded by
Vernon Vipers
Preceded by
Vernon Vipers		 Centennial Cup Champions
1992		 Succeeded by
Kelowna Spartans