The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is a

junior A Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

league and a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and

Hockey Canada Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...

. The league operates in the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

province of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

states of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Winners of the SIJHL playoffs compete for the

Dudley Hewitt Cup The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...

against the winners of the

Ontario Junior Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best ...

and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The winner of the

then moves on to compete for the Centennial Cup, the Canadian Junior A championship.

History

Background

Founded in 2001, the SIJHL is successor of several former

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...

junior A hockey leagues and teams. The

Fort William War Veterans A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

were the first representatives of the Thunder Bay region, winning the 1922 Memorial Cup as Canadian National Junior A Champions. Although there is not abundant information on the subject, the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League may date back to the War Veterans and existed until 1980. From 1980 until 2000, the region (

Hockey Northwestern Ontario Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO) is the governing body of all ice hockey in Northern Ontario, Canada. Hockey Northwestern Ontario is a branch of Hockey Canada. Jurisdiction Empowered by Hockey Canada, Hockey Northwestern Ontario has control of ...

) was represented by a single team at the junior A level: the

Thunder Bay Flyers The Thunder Bay Flyers were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. History On July 6, 1980, the Degagne Buccaneers and Thunder Bay North Stars were informed by the TBAHA that they would not be permitted to field teams i ...

. The Flyers played their regular season games in the

United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...

(USHL), a

USA Hockey USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the Sport governing body, governing body for organized ice ...

junior A league, and returned to Canada for the playoffs. The Flyers won the

as Central Canadian Junior Champions in 1989, 1991, 1992, and 1995. The Flyers were also National Champions in 1989 and 1992, winning the Centennial Cup. The Flyers folded after the 1999–2000 USHL Season. The Northwestern Ontario region has also been represented in the past in the

Manitoba Junior Hockey League The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The MJHL consists of thirteen teams all based ...

. From 1968 until 1982, the city of

Kenora Kenora (), previously named Rat Portage (french: Portage-aux-Rats), is a city situated on the Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Canada, close to the Manitoba boundary, and about east of Winnipeg by road. It is the seat of Kenora District. The his ...

, was represented by the Kenora Muskies/Thistles and in the mid-1980s, Thunder Bay had an entry with the Thunder Bay Hornets. The folding of the Thunder Bay Flyers led to the rebirth of junior A hockey in the Thunder Bay region. The league started under the "Superior International" label in 2001 with five teams, including the

Dryden Ice Dogs The Dryden Ice Dogs are a junior A ice hockey team from Dryden, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History At 49° 47′ North, the Ice Dogs were the most northern junior A team in Ontario until ...

, First Nation Featherman Hawks,

Fort Frances Borderland Thunder The Borderland Thunder are a defunct Junior "A" ice hockey team from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History Despite four successful season in the SIJHL and a league title, the ...

Thunder Bay Bulldogs The Thunder Bay Bulldogs were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from the Port Arthur section of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History The Thunder Bay Bulldogs, sometimes referred to ...

, and the Thunder Bay Wolves.

2006 Dudley Hewitt Cup

In 2006, the

Fort William North Stars The Thunder Bay North Stars are a junior A ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They are a member of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History After the fall of the Thunder Bay Flyers in 2001, the Superior Internation ...

won the

with a 7–6 overtime win over the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's

Sudbury Jr. Wolves The Greater Sudbury Cubs are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Rayside-Balfour, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). History The Sudbury Northern Wolves came into the league in 2000 and were pre ...

to earn the team and the league its first regional title and its first shot at the national title in the

2006 Royal Bank Cup The 2006 Royal Bank Cup was the 36th Junior "A" 2006 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League. The Royal Bank Cup was competed for by the winners of the Doyle Cup, Anavet Cup, Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Fred Page Cu ...

. The North Stars were eliminated in the Royal Bank Cup semifinal in

Brampton, Ontario Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it th ...

, with a 3–2 overtime loss to the

British Columbia Hockey League The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada and BC Hockey. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 18 teams. From 1993 to 2021, the league was a member of the Ca ...

Burnaby Express The Coquitlam Express are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Coastal Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They play their home games at the Poirier Sport & Leis ...

led by eventual NHL player

Kyle Turris Kyle Turris (born August 14, 1989) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was selected third overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes. He has also played with the Ottawa Senators, Oulun Kärpät, Nashville Pre ...

Expansion and retraction

The presence of the SIJHL in Northwestern Ontario marks the first time since the 1970s that the region has effectively supported a junior hockey league. In 2007, the SIJHL expanded east of Thunder Bay with the

Schreiber Diesels The Schreiber Diesels were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Schreiber, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History The Schreiber Diesels were coached by Bobby Spadoni, a life long resident of th ...

and

Marathon Renegades The Marathon Renegades were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Marathon, Ontario. They were currently members of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History They were members of the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League from 1996 ...

. A Wawa, Ontario, franchise was also in the works, but never came to fruition. On December 17, 2007, the

folded mid-season claiming lack of fan support. On December 21, the team was bought by a group of local fans in an effort to keep the Diesels alive. The

at one point were as high as third place in the SIJHL during the 2007–08 season, but after 37 games played were forced to cancel the rest of its season citing a lack of players through injuries and player defections to other leagues. Al Cresswell, team president, claimed that the shortage of players had become a health risk. Although the 2008–09 season did not see a return to Marathon, the SIJHL did add the

Sioux Lookout Flyers The Sioux Lookout Flyers were a junior ice hockey team from Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League for parts of five seasons. History The Sioux Lookout Flyers were added to the Super ...

. In the 2008 off-season, the

elected to retract to embolden the

Thunder Bay Bearcats The Thunder Bay Bearcats were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History The team was founded in 2001 with the Superior International Junior Hockey ...

. Despite a strong year from the Bearcats and the

, both teams elected to cease operation in the summer of 2009. The

Fort Frances Jr. Sabres The Fort Frances Lakers are a junior A ice hockey team based in Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History Jr. Sabres Founded in 2007, the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres were the first junior ...

claimed that they would be back for 2009–10, but their owners sold the rights to their players to teams across Canada. In a last-ditch effort, the town of Fort Frances bought the team and renamed them the

Fort Frances Lakers The Fort Frances Lakers are a junior A ice hockey team based in Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History Jr. Sabres Founded in 2007, the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres were the first junior A t ...

, but were forced to find all new players due to the actions of the previous ownership. The

Thunder Bay Wolverines The Thunder Bay K&A Wolverines were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They were members of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. They played in the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League of Hockey Northweste ...

elected to apply for promotion to the SIJHL for 2009–10 fresh off of their silver medal performance at the

Keystone Cup The Keystone Cup is the Junior B ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. From 1983 to 2017, the championship was the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwe ...

Canadian Jr. B Championships. Back up to five teams, the SIJHL also made a 20-game interleague setup with the

Minnesota Junior Hockey League The Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL) was a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III junior ice hockey league operated out of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. History Established in 1974, the MnJHL developed players 20 years old and younger for over 40 years ...

Wisconsin Mustangs Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michi ...

to diversify the league's competition.

Tenth season and American expansion

The 2010–11 season was the tenth season of the SIJHL. The SIJHL received applications for expansion by two

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

teams: the

Duluth Clydesdales The Duluth Clydesdales were an American Junior ice hockey team based in Duluth, Minnesota. They are former members of the Canadian-based Superior International Junior Hockey League. History The Duluth Clydesdales applied for entry into the Superi ...

and

. In June, the

pulled out of the SIJHL. A few days later

rejected the transfer bid by the

to join the SIJHL and the expansion bid of the potential of

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

, despite approval by

and the SIJHL. The league sat at four teams. The two teams appealed the decision and won, officially giving the league six teams and making the league an international league. The Fort William North Stars were dominant early in 2010–11, but due to financial difficulties, the team was sold to new ownership and became the Thunder Bay North Stars. The

Wisconsin Wilderness The Wisconsin Wilderness were an American Junior ice hockey team based in Spooner, Wisconsin. The Wilderness played in the Canadian-based Superior International Junior Hockey League. History In the summer of 2012, Donnie Roberts sold the origina ...

jumped into the lead mid-season and won the regular season and playoff titles in their first season in the league. In the summer of 2011, the SIJHL elected to expand with the

Iron Range Ironheads The Minnesota Iron Rangers were an American junior ice hockey team based in Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. Originally named Iron Range Ironheads, the Iron Rangers played in the Canadian-based Superior International Junior Hockey League. Iron Range Iron ...

awaiting the permission of

and

Minnesota Hockey Minnesota Hockey is the statewide governing body of amateur hockey in Minnesota and an affiliate of USA Hockey. Since 1947, Minnesota Hockey (formerly known as the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association or MAHA) has been providing volunteer services ...

. USA Hockey again denied the league. The decision was appealed and on July 12, 2011, expansion was allowed by USA Hockey as well as the continuation of the Duluth and Spooner franchises. Wisconsin won their second straight league title, coming from behind in the final to beat the

in seven games. The 2012–13 season was a season of decline for the league's American expansion. During the off-season, USA Hockey allowed the league to transfer Iron Range to new ownership and rename it the

Minnesota Iron Rangers The Minnesota Iron Rangers were an American junior ice hockey team based in Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. Originally named Iron Range Ironheads, the Iron Rangers played in the Canadian-based Superior International Junior Hockey League. Iron Range Iron ...

. Wisconsin was sold and relocated into the same market as Duluth and renamed the

Minnesota Wilderness The Minnesota Wilderness are a Tier II junior ice hockey team based in Cloquet, Minnesota, and play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The organization formerly fielded teams in the Canada-based Junior A Superior International Junior Ho ...

. Three games into the season, the

ceased operations and eventually their franchise when a scandal over the carding of players by their new general manager and coach left them without enough players to continue. In early 2013, the league, after multiple cancelled games, stripped the

of their franchise. Then, after clinching their third regular season and playoff crowns, the Wilderness won the league's second ever

as Central Canadian champions. Minnesota Wilderness became the first American team to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup and the first to gain berth into the

Royal Bank Cup Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

Canadian Junior A Championship. After winning the Central Canadian Championship, it was announced that the Wilderness would leave the SIJHL at the end of the Royal Bank Cup to join the

North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...

, a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II league. The Wilderness finished fourth in the National Championship round-robin, earning a berth into the semi-final. Despite leading 4–2 in the third, the Wilderness took too many penalties and lost their lead with seconds to go in the third period. The Alberta Junior Hockey League's

Brooks Bandits The Brooks Bandits are a junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). They play in Brooks, Alberta, Canada, with home games at the Centennial Regional Arena. History The Brooks Bandits were awarded an expansion franchis ...

scored in overtime to win the game 5–4 eliminating the Wilderness. With the Wilderness and Clydesdales gone, the

were the remaining American team with membership in the league. In the spring of 2013, the SIJHL announced expansion to Ear Falls, Ontario, with the

English River Miners The Red Lake Miners are a Canadian junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Red Lake, Ontario. The Miners play in Hockey Canada's Superior International Junior Hockey League. History In May 2013, the SIJHL announced that the Ear Falls Eagles would be ...

and on July 11, 2013, admitted a new team in Spooner, Wisconsin, also called the

. The new Wilderness lasted one season. In the summer of 2014, commissioner and president Ron Whitehead was relieved of his post. Whitehead held his position from 2005 until 2014 and had been a member of the league executive since its inception in 2001. In 2011,

named Whitehead their Central Zone volunteer of the year. The league added a second team in Minnesota and their sixth franchise for 2016–17 season with the

Thief River Falls Norskies The Thief River Falls Norskies are an American Junior A ice hockey team based in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. They participate in the Superior International Junior Hockey League, a Canadian Junior Hockey League member. History The Norskies were ...

. In 2019, the league added another team in Spooner, Wisconsin, called the Wisconsin Lumberjacks for the 2019–20 season. After several seasons of ownership issues and lack of player recruitment, the Minnesota Iron Rangers ceased operations for the 2019–20 season, returning the league to six teams. The 2019–20 season was then curtailed by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

with one week left in the regular season and no postseason tournaments were held. The ongoing pandemic border-crossing restrictions caused the two American teams to withdraw from the 2020–21 season while the league added a new team called the Kam River Fighting Walleye. The five Canadian teams would play a few games in November and December 2020 along with two U18 minor teams, the Kenora Thistles and Thunder Bay Kings, to fill in the schedule before the season was cancelled entirely.

Teams

Former member teams

Former interleague teams

Iron Range Yellow Jackets The Iron Range Yellow Jackets were a Junior "B" ice hockey team from Coleraine, Minnesota, Coleraine, Minnesota, United States. This defunct hockey team was a part of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League and an interleague member of the Junior "A" S ...

(2001–02) * Minot State University-Bottineau Lumberjacks (2005–06) *Northwest Wisconsin Knights (2001–03)

Bill Salonen Cup champions

The winners of the SIJHL Playoffs are awarded the Bill Salonen Cup. Although the Jack Adams Trophy is supposed to be awarded to the branch Junior A champion,

will not bring it out unless there are two leagues vying for the branch championship.

Dudley Hewitt Cup The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...

Single-season team records

*Best Winning Record: *:2005-06

- 50-2-0-0 *Most Goals For: *:2018-19

Thunder Bay North Stars The Thunder Bay North Stars are a Junior ice hockey#Junior A, junior A ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They are a member of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History After the fall of the Thunder Bay Flyers in 200 ...

- 363 *Fewest Goals Against: *:2004-05

- 66 *Worst Winning Record: *:2008-09

- 2-46-0-2 *Fewest Goals For: *:2004-05

- 72 *Most Goals Against: *:2018-19

- 478

Timeline of teams in the SIJHL

;2001–02 *SIJHL is founded with five teams:

, Featherman Hawks,

and Thunder Bay Wolves; as well as two interleague teams:

and Northwest Wisconsin Knights ;2002–03 *Thunder Bay Wolves become Fort William Wolves *Featherman Hawks become Nipigon Golden Hawks *

break off interlock ;2003–04 *Nipigon Golden Hawks move to Thunder Bay and become K&A Golden Hawks *Fort William Wolves become Fort William North Stars *Northwest Wisconsin Knights break off interlock ;2005–06 *Schreiber Diesels join league *Fort Frances Borderland Thunder leaves league *MSU-Bottineau Lumberjacks enter into interlocking schedules ;2006–07 *Marathon Renegades join league *Thunder Bay Golden Hawks become Thunder Bay Bearcats *MSU-Bottineau Lumberjacks break off interlock *Fort Frances Jr. Sabres join league ;2007–08 *Marathon Renegades withdraw from league mid-season (January) ;2008–09 *Sioux Lookout Flyers join league *Thunder Bay Bulldogs merge into Thunder Bay Bearcats ;2009–10 *Schreiber Diesels leave league *Thunder Bay Bearcats leave league *Fort Frances Jr. Sabres are renamed Fort Frances Lakers *Thunder Bay Wolverines join league from

Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League The Lakehead Junior Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in Northwestern Ontario, sanctioned by Hockey Northwestern Ontario and Hockey Canada. An earlier edition of this league existed in the 1970s. The Thunder Bay-based league h ...

*Wisconsin Mustangs enter into interlocking schedule ;2010–11 *Thunder Bay Wolverines leave league *Wisconsin Wilderness (formerly Mustangs) join league from

*Duluth Clydesdales join league ;2011–12 *Iron Range Ironheads join league ;2012–13 *Iron Range Ironheads change name to Minnesota Iron Rangers *Wisconsin Wilderness relocate and become Minnesota Wilderness *Sioux Lookout Flyers cease operations *League revokes Duluth Clydesdales franchise ;2013–14 *Minnesota Wilderness leave league for

*English River Miners join league *New Wisconsin Wilderness join league ;2014–15 *Wisconsin Wilderness folded ;2016–17 *Thief River Falls Norskies joins league ;2018–19 *English River Miners rebranded to Red Lake Miners ;2019–20 *Wisconsin Lumberjacks joins league *Minnesota Iron Rangers suspended

References

External links

SIJHL websiteHockey Northwestern Ontario website
{{Junior Hockey Canadian Junior Hockey League members Hockey Northwestern Ontario Ice hockey in Minnesota Ice hockey in Wisconsin A A