The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League (TBJHL) was a Canadian

junior ice hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...

league that existed from c. 1920 to 1980. The TBJHL operated in

Northwestern Ontario Northwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Northern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the ...

, primarily in the

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 i ...

region. The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League was what is now known as a Major Junior hockey league from roughly 1920 until the

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; ) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction included senior ice hockey leagues and the Allan Cup, ...

realignment of 1970. After 1970, the TBJHL was relegated to Tier II Junior A and competed for the

Manitoba Centennial Trophy The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It consists of a ten-team round robin featuring the ...

until the league folded in 1980. Thunder Bay and the TBJHL was considered on the border region of what people would call

Eastern Canada Eastern Canada (, also the Eastern provinces, Canadian East or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of Hudson Bay/ Hudson Strait and east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces (from east to west): Newf ...

and

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...

. Due to its location, the Thunder Bay league often switched from East to West year-to-year in National playdowns. The league's remoteness resulted in keeping the league's few teams from competing in the neighbouring

Manitoba Junior Hockey League The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior ice hockey, 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 thirt ...

Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Junior ice hockey league with eleven teams in Northeastern Ontario and Upper Michigan. The league is a constituent member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and is governed by the ...

, making the league's existence a necessity to the region's hockey community. Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League teams made the

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), a consortium of three Junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tou ...

finals four times in fifty years, winning

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

's top junior hockey prize in 1922 ( Fort William War Veterans) and 1948 ( Port Arthur West End Bruins). The TBJHL is the indirect predecessor of the

Superior International Junior Hockey League The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is a Junior ice hockey#Junior A, junior A ice hockey league and a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The league operates in the Canadian province of Ontar ...

who brought a Junior A league back to the region in 2001, 21 years after the TBJHL folded.

History

Although hockey in Thunder Bay dates back well before 1920, the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League first competed in

action in 1921. In only their second year of operation at the Junior A level, the league celebrated their first National championship as the Fort William War Veterans defeated the

Regina Pats The Regina Pats are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1917, the Pats are the world's oldest continuously operating major junior hockey franchise in its original location and using its original name. The ...

5-4 and tied them 3–3 to win the championship. To get there, the Vets had to defeat Toronto Aura Lee in the Eastern Canada final, beating them 5–3 in a one-game showdown. It took 26 years for a team from the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League to repeat the feat. In 1947–48, the Port Arthur West End Bruins finished the regular season in first place with a record of 9 wins, no losses, no ties. They were given a berth directly into the league final where they met the

Fort William Columbus Canadiens The Fort William Canadians were a junior ice hockey team based in Fort William, Ontario, Canada. The Canadians were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were Abbott Cup finalists three times. For a while, the ''Fort William Can ...

. The first game resulted in a 7–7 tie, and the Bruins won the second game 9–7. Game three sparked some controversy as the game was tied 5-5 and the Columbus Canadiens walked off the ice. In response, the league ruled the game a forfeit in the Bruins favour. Games four and five were won by the Bruins 8-3 and 5–3 to give the series and league championship to the Bruins 4-games-to-none with 1 tie. In the Eastern Canadian semi-final, the Bruins had to play the

Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to: * Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions * Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL), a defunct junior ice ...

. Port Arthur won game one 12–3, game two 6–4, and game three 10–4. The Monarchs started to rally, winning game four 7-5 and game five 5–3. Finally, in game six, the Bruins were able to put the final nail in the coffin as they won 7-2 and took the series 4-games-to-2. Next, Port Arthur found themselves in the

Abbott Cup The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada. The Cup was named after Captain E.L. (Hick) Abbott who was a noted hockey ...

final against the Southern Alberta Junior Hockey League's

Lethbridge Native Sons Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to ...

. Lethbridge took game one 6-1 and game two 7–6. Port Arthur came back with a 7–4 win. Lethbridge put the series on the brink with a 5–4 win before Port Arthur came back with three solid victories; 5–0, 6–4, 11–1; to come from behind and take the Abbott Cup. This earned them a berth in the

against the

Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the province of Ontario. Founded in 1890, the OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern ...

Barrie Flyers The Barrie Flyers were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1945 to 1960, from Barrie, Ontario. The Flyers played home games at the Barrie Arena from 1945 to 1960. History The Barrie Flyers junior team was founded in ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. Ignited by the Abbott Cup final comeback, the Bruins kept on rolling, sweeping the Flyers 4-games-to-none with scores of 10–8, 8–1, 5–4, and 9-8 respectively. This would be the final Memorial Cup won by a TBJHL team. From the 1964 until 1969, the TBJHL had a rivalry and was in direct competition annually for the TBAHA seed to the

against the neighbouring Northwestern Ontario Junior Hockey League. By 1969, the NWOJHL had dropped to Junior B and may have become the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League, the TBJHL's feeder league in the 1970s. In 1970, the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League was caught in the transformation of Junior hockey. In the spring of 1970, the Fort William Westfort Hurricanes defeated the

Port Arthur Marrs The Port Arthur Marrs were a junior ice hockey team that played in Port Arthur, Ontario (now part of the city of Thunder Bay). They were named for trucking company and sponsor W.H. Marr, Ltd., and contested the 1967 Memorial Cup, which they lost t ...

3-games-to-2 and the Fort William Canadiens 4-games-to-1 to win the TBJHL championship. They then played the

Dauphin Kings The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established i ...

of the

MJHL The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior ice hockey, 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 thirt ...

in the

semi-final and defeated them 4-games-to-2. This advanced them to the Abbott Cup, essentially the final-four of Canadian junior hockey at the time. Up against the

Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years o ...

Weyburn Red Wings The Weyburn Red Wings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Weyburn, Saskatchewan playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). They play their home games at the Crescent Point Place, which has a seating capacity of 1,750. ...

, were defeated 4-games-to-2 despite leading 2-games-to-none at one point. Weyburn ended up losing the Memorial Cup final to the

Montreal Junior Canadiens The Montreal Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Junior Hockey League from 1933 to 1961, and the Ontario Hockey Association from 1961 to 1972. They played out of the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History Th ...

. During them summer, the

decided to demote five of the six Junior A league of Western Canada to Tier II Junior A and rename Junior A to Major Junior. The effected leagues were the

BCJHL The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) is an independent Canadian Junior ice hockey league with 21 teams in British Columbia and Alberta. It was classified as a Junior "A" league within the Hockey Canada framework, until it became independe ...

AJHL The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is an Alberta-based Junior A ice hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. The 2023–24 season began with 16 teams, however 5 t ...

, SJHL,

, and TBJHL. The only league that was left at the Major Junior level was the rebellious Western Canada Junior Hockey League. The five remaining leagues were barred from competing for the

, even though, all but the TBJHL, retained the right to the

. Two leagues remained at Major Junior in Eastern Canada, the

Ontario Major Junior Hockey League In 1970, the Junior A level was divided into two more levels, Tier I (Major Junior A) and Tier II (Minor Junior A). In 1974, the "Major Junior A" division of the OHA became the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) and began to operate ind ...

, formerly known as the OHA, and the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...

. All that remained for Tier II Junior A in Eastern Canada were a couple small leagues in Ontario (

SOJAHL The Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League was a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey that lasted from the late 1960s until 1977 in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league was swallowed by what is now called the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League ...

, CJHL) and even smaller leagues in the

Maritime Provinces The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of ...

. To balance the power a bit, the CAHA assigned the TBJHL to the Eastern section of the national playdowns for the first time since 1927. In 1971, the TBJHL allowed for the expansion of the St. Paul, MN-sponsored Thunder Bay Vulcans. The Vulcans won the league title in their first season. In 1972, the St. Paul group were granted the right to create their own league in Minnesota. They brought the Thunder Bay franchise with them, renaming it the Thunder Bay Centennials, and lured away the Thunder Bay Hurricanes. For the 1972–73 season, the newly formed Can-Am Junior Hockey League was actually allowed to represent the Thunder Bay district at the National level. In 1973–74, the Centennials fled the league and were renamed the Thunder Bay Beavers. The Can-Am league joined

USA Hockey USA Hockey is a 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 governing body for organized ice hockey in the United S ...

and were renamed the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The only Canadian team that remained was the Hurricanes. The Hercs competed in the TBJHL playoffs in 1974, despite not being a league member, and won the region against the crowned league champion Fort William Canadiens. The Hercs returned to the TBJHL full-time for the 1974–75 season. In 1976, league expanded to 6 teams with the induction of the Atikokan Voyageurs and Thunder Bay Blades. The 1978–79 season began with the merging of the Beavers, Canadians, and Hurricanes into the Degagne Buccaneers and Case Eagles and Blades into the

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 ...

. The Voyageurs folded late in the season and were replaced by the league-bolstered "Rural Voyageurs". For 1979–80, they were replaced by the Nip-Rock Rangers. On June 26, 1980, the league was liquidated in favour of a single Jr. An entity in Thunder Bay—the Thunder Bay Kings. Both the North Stars and Buccaneers went out of business on July 6, 1980, when the TBAHA revoked their Junior A status in favour of what would be the Kings. In 1980, the Thunder Bay Kings were created as a powerhouse Junior A team and helped create a new league called the Thunder Bay Hockey League with the Sr. A Thunder Bay Twins, Int. A Thunder Bay Blazers, and CIAU Lakehead Nor'Westers. In 1984, they were renamed 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 ...

and joined 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 and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...

. They won the

Anderson Cup 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 and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...

as USHL regular season champs in 1988, 1989, 1991, and 1992; the

Clark Cup The United States Hockey League began in 1961 as a semi-professional ice hockey league. Starting with the 1979–80 season, the league became a strictly Amateur league, and began awarding its champion the Clark Cup Trophy. All champions of the USH ...

as American Junior A National Champions in 1988 and 1989; 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 ...

as Central Canadian Champions in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, and 1995; the

Manitoba Centennial Cup The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It consists of a ten-team round robin featuring the ...

as Canadian Tier II Junior A National Champions in 1989 and 1992. The Flyers folded in 2000. In 2001, the

was formed, following in the footsteps of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League.

Teams

* Atikokan Voyageurs (1976–79) * Fort Frances Blackhawks (1934–35) *

Fort Frances Royals The Fort Frances Royals were a Junior ice hockey club from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. The Royals were members of the Memorial Cup-eligible Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League. History The Fort Frances Royals were founded in 1963 as members o ...

(1964–69) *

Fort William Canadians The Fort William Canadians were a junior ice hockey team based in Fort William, Ontario, Canada. The Canadians were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were Abbott Cup finalists three times. For a while, the ''Fort William Ca ...

: :*''Fort William Columbus Club (1935-43)'' :*''Fort William Columbus Club Millers (1943-46)'' :*''Fort William Columbus Club Canadiens (1946-49)'' :*''Fort William Canadiens (1949-68)'' :*''Fort William Canadians (1968-78)'' :*''merged with Degagne Hurricanes and Thunder Bay Beavers'' * Fort William East End (1945–46) * Fort William Juniors: :*''Fort William Juniors (c. 1925-29 and 1930-35)'' :*''Fort William Legion (1929-30)'' :*''Fort William Kams (1935-36)'' * Fort William St. Andrews: :*''Fort William North Stars (c. 1925-26)'' :*''Fort William St. Andrews (1926-31)'' * Fort William Westfort Maroons (1929–1939) * HMCS Griffon (1943–45) *

Kenora Thistles The Kenora Thistles, officially the Thistles Hockey Club, were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario. Founded in 1894, they were originally known as the Rat Portage Thistles. The team competed for the Stanley Cup, the ice hockey ...

(1927–30) * Nip-Rock Rangers (1978–80) * Port Arthur MacDonald-Cartier (1934–35) *

: :*''Port Arthur Juniors (c. 1925-43 and 1946-49)'' :*''Port Arthur Flyers (1943-46 and 1950-53)'' :*''Port Arthur North Stars (1953-66)'' :*''Port Arthur Marrs (1966-70)'' :*''Thunder Bay Marrs (1970-71)'' :*''Thunder Bay "Case" Eagles (1971-78)'' :*''merged with Thunder Bay Blades'' :*''Thunder Bay North Stars (1978-80)'' * Port Arthur West End: :*''Port Arthur West End (c. 1925-32 and 1933-46)'' :*''Port Arthur West End Retrievers (1932-33)'' :*''Port Arthur West End Bruins (1946-55)'' * Thunder Bay Beavers: :*''Thunder Bay Vulcans (1971-72)'' :*''Thunder Bay Centennials (1972-73)'' :*''Thunder Bay Beavers (1973-78)'' :*''merged with

and Degagne Hurricanes'' * Thunder Bay Blades (1976–78) :*''merged with Thunder Bay Eagles'' *

Westfort Hurricanes The Westfort Hurricanes were a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Fort William, Ontario. The Herks were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were Abbott Cup finalists once. History In 1972, the Hurricanes broke away from the ...

: :*''Fort William Hurricane-Rangers (1940-50)'' :*''Fort William Hurricanes (1950-66)'' :*''Westfort Hurricanes (1966-72)'' :*''Thunder Bay Westfort Hurricanes (1972-75)'' :*''Degagne Hurricanes (1975-78)'' :*''merged with

and Thunder Bay Beavers'' :*''Degagne Buccaneers (1978-80)''

Minnesota merger teams (1971-73)

* St. Paul Vulcans :*''Minnesota Jr. Stars (1971-1972)'' :*''St. Paul Jr. Stars (1972-1973)'' :*''St. Paul Vulcans (1973)'' * Minneapolis Jr. Bruins

Playoff champions

The winner of the TBJHL Playoffs was awarded the Jack Adams Trophy as Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association Junior "A" Champions. Since this was a branch championship, Champions from the North Shore or Kenora-Fort Frances Leagues were eligible to challenge for it. The TBJHL Champions probably exclusively won the Bill Fero Trophy as Lakehead Junior Champions. :''(*) denotes that the champions were members of a joint Thunder Bay-Minnesota/Can-Am League.'' :''(**) denotes that the Hurricanes rejoined the TBJHL for the playoffs, participated in different league during regular season.''

National playdowns

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), a consortium of three Junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tou ...

''National Champions''. ''Champions'' :''1922:'' - Fort William War Veterans defeated

( SJHL) ''8-goals-to-7 in 2 games'' :''1948:'' - Port Arthur West End Bruins defeated

(OHA) ''4-games-to-none'' ''Finalists'' :''1927:'' -

Owen Sound Greys The Owen Sound Greys were a series of junior ice hockey, junior ice hockey teams based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The original Greys, in their early years, w ...

( OHA) defeated Port Arthur West End ''2-games-to-none'' :''1967:'' -

Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was an ice hockey franchise in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1903, it operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and la ...

(OHA) defeated

''4-games-to-1''

George Richardson Memorial Trophy The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1971, by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. It represented the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship, and a berth in the Memorial Cup final versus the Abbott ...

''Eastern Canadian Champions''. ''Champions'' :''1922:'' - Fort William War Veterans defeated Toronto Aura Lee (OHA) ''5-3 sudden-death'' ''Finalists'' :''1924:'' -

(OHA) defeated

''15-goals-to-12 in 2 games'' :''1926:'' - Kingston Giants (OHA) defeated Fort William Juniors ''5-goals-to-4 in 2 games''

Abbott Cup The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada. The Cup was named after Captain E.L. (Hick) Abbott who was a noted hockey ...

''Western Canadian Champions''. ''Champions'' :''1927:'' - Port Arthur West End defeated

(SJHL) ''5-goals-to-3 in 2 games'' :''1948:'' - Port Arthur West End Bruins defeated

( SAJHL) ''4-games-to-3'' :''1967:'' -

defeated

New Westminster Royals The New Westminster Royals was the name of several professional ice hockey teams based in New Westminster, British Columbia, first established in 1911 for the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). Though nominally based in New Westminster, ...

( OMJHL) ''4-games-to-1'' ''Finalists'' :''1921:'' -

Winnipeg Falcons The Winnipeg Falcons were a senior men's amateur ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Winnipeg Falcons won the 1920 Allan Cup. That team went on to represent Canada in the Ice hockey at the 1920 Summer Olympics, 1920 Olympic games h ...

(

) defeated Fort William YMCA ''20-goals-to-7 in 2 games'' :''1923:'' -

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...

(MJHL) defeated Fort William Cubs ''9-goals-to-4 in 2 games'' :''1925:'' -

(SJHL) defeated Fort William Juniors ''7-goals-to-4 in 2 games'' :''1928:'' -

(SJHL) defeated

''11-goals-to-4 in 2 games'' :''1934:'' -

Edmonton Athletic Club Edmonton is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region, and is in Treaty 6 terr ...

( EJHL) defeated Port Arthur West End ''11-goals-to-3 in 2 games'' :''1944:'' - Trail Smoke Eaters (

KJHL KJIL is a Christian radio radio station, station broadcasting on 99.1 FM, licensed to Copeland, Kansas and serving the areas of Dodge City, Kansas, Garden City, Kansas, and Liberal, Kansas. The station is owned by Great Plains Christian Radio. T ...

) defeated

Port Arthur Flyers The Port Arthur Marrs were a junior ice hockey team that played in Port Arthur, Ontario (now part of the city of Thunder Bay). They were named for trucking company and sponsor W.H. Marr, Ltd., and contested the 1967 Memorial Cup, which they lost t ...

''3-games-to-none'' :''1950:'' -

(WCJHL) defeated Port Arthur West End Bruins ''4-games-to-1'' :''1952:'' -

(WCJHL) defeated

''4-games-to-2'' :''1954:'' -

Edmonton Oil Kings The Edmonton Oil Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, that play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team, founded in 2006, shares an ownership group with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. The te ...

(WCJHL) defeated

''4-games-to-1'' :''1956:'' -

(WCJHL) defeated

Port Arthur North Stars The Port Arthur Marrs were a junior ice hockey team that played in Port Arthur, Ontario (now part of the city of Thunder Bay). They were named for trucking company and sponsor W.H. Marr, Ltd., and contested the 1967 Memorial Cup, which they lost t ...

''4-games-to-3'' :''1957:'' -

Flin Flon Bombers The Flin Flon Bombers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in Flin Flon, a city located on the Manitoba–Saskatchewan provincial border. The Bombers are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), which is a member of the Canadia ...

(SJHL) defeated Fort William Canadiens ''4-games-to-none'' :''1970:'' -

(SJHL) defeated Fort William Westfort Hurricanes ''4-games-to-2''

Eastern Centennial Cup semi-final champions

League awards

*Walter Risi Memorial Trophy (Top Goaltender) *Jack Humphries Trophy (Top Defenceman) *Stan Robertson Memorial Trophy (Top Centreman) *Frank Sargent Trophy (Leading Scorer) *George Budd Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player) *Baarts Memory Diamond Trophy (Rookie of the Year) *J.T. Russell Trophy (Most Valuable Player)

Thunder Bay Hockey League

In 1980, the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League had been reduced to three teams: the Degagne Buccaneers,

, and Nip-Rock Rangers or nearby Nipigon, Ontario. Instead of continuing with the slowly faltering league, the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association decided it would more efficient to form a Citywide superleague with one top-level team from each major level. In the league would be the Thunder Bay Twins (eligible for the

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. It was most recently won by the Wentworth Gryphins ...

), Thunder Bay Blazers ( Hardy Cup), Thunder Bay Kings (

Centennial Cup The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of Junior ice hockey#Junior A, junior A ice hockey. It consists of a ten-team ...

), and Lakehead Nor'Wester ( University Cup). By 1982 the Blazers merged with the Twins as the Intermediate level was ended by the

, the Twins moved to the Central Senior Amateur Hockey League in

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, and the Nor'Westers moved into the Ontario University Association. The League was rearranged into a multi-tier Junior league with the Kings at the Jr. A level, the new

Thunder Bay Hornets The Thunder Bay Hornets were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. At their height, they won two consecutive bronze medals at the Western Canadian Junior B Championships - the Keystone Cup and later were in competition f ...

and Schreiber North Stars at Jr. B, eligible for the newly created Keystone Cup. Schreiber left after one year and were replaced by the Thunder Bay Maple Leafs. In 1984, the league was disbanded. The Kings changed their names to the Flyers and joined the

, the Maple Leafs folded, and the Hornets were promoted to the

Teams

* Lakehead Nor'Westers (CIAU) 1980–82 * Schreiber North Stars (Jr. B) 1982–83 * Thunder Bay Blazers (Int. A) 1980–82 *

(Jr. B) 1982–84 * Thunder Bay Kings (Jr. A) 1980–84 * Thunder Bay Maple Leafs (Jr. B) 1983–84 * Thunder Bay Twins (Sr. A) 1980–82

City champions

*1981 Thunder Bay Twins *1982 Thunder Bay Kings *1983 Thunder Bay Kings *1984 Thunder Bay Kings

References

External links

Hockey Thunder BayHockey Northwestern Ontario
{{CJAHL Canadian Junior Hockey League members Sport in Thunder Bay Organizations based in Thunder Bay A 1920 establishments in Ontario 1980 disestablishments in Ontario Hockey Northwestern Ontario