The Thunder filled a gap left since 1998 in the Deseronto community. The Quinte Hawks of the Metro Junior A Hockey League left a troubled legacy in the town of Deseronto. The team moved to Bancroft, Ontario after the Metro folded in 1998. In early 2006, it became quite apparent that hockey was coming back to the town. As a member of the new renegade GMHL, the Thunder hope to bring junior hockey back to Deseronto for good.
The Deseronto Thunder's first ever game took place on September 9, 2006 against the South Muskoka Shield in Deseronto, Ontario. The Thunder were victorious, romping the Shield by a score of 8-1. The first goal scored in Thunder history was scored by Mitchell Wood. Brad Mallen picked up the historical first victory in net.
Alternate Thunder Logo (2007)
So far, the 2006-07 season has drawn an enthusiastic response from the Deseronto community. Large crowds have been attending the games. The Thunder have been putting up decent results. At the Christmas break of the 2006-07 season, the Thunder are sitting at a slightly better than .500 record and are looking good for a decent playoff seed at this point. On January 21, 2007, the Thunder ended the Bradford Rattlers record 31 game streak of games without a regulation loss with a 6-5 victory.
The Thunder finished the 2006-07 season in fourth place. They drew the South Muskoka Shield in the playoff quarter-final. The Thunder swept the Shield 4-games-to-none and summoned the resting first place Bradford Rattlers. The Rattlers drew a bye in the quarter-final and showed considerable rust in the semi-final versus the Thunder. The Thunder shocked the Rattlers and the entire league by taking an early 2-games-to-none lead in the series. The Rattlers regained their legs in game three and battled through 4 extremely tight games to end the Thunders first trip to the playoffs with a 4-games-to-2 series win. The Rattlers went on to win the Russell Cup as league champions and the Alliance Cup as NJHA champions.
2007-08
On June 10, 2007, it was announced that the Deseronto Thunder would not be returning to the GMHL. The Thunder became the first team in GMHL history to fold. Despite having some of the best crowds in the GMHL, the Thunder seemed to have suffered from financial difficulties. Many players were traded away before the announcement, but with the folding all carded players were officially released. On June 15, 2007, GMJHL President Bob Russell announced that the ownership of the team had been transferred to the Town of Deseronto and that the team will return in 2007-08, but under a new name. In late June, it was announced that the team would now be called the Deseronto Storm.
On January 1, 2008, the Storm hosted the Moscow Selects All-star team in an exhibition game. The Selects won the game by a score of 7-1. This was the seventh and final game that the Moscow team played against different GMJHL clubs.
The Bradford Rattlers were at a 28-game streak of games without a regulation loss (from the start of a season) on January 6, 2008, closing in on their record of 31. For the second season in a row Deseronto dug their heals into the ground and stopped the Rattlers' streak cold with a 5-3 win. As of that date, the Rattlers were given only their second regulation loss in 76 regular season games.
2008-09
After three years of playoff contentions the Deseronto Storm clinched the South Division Title and made their way to the Russell Cup Finals with a 4-3 overtime win over the Innisfil Lakers.
The Deseronto Storm would go on to play the South Muskoka Shield in the 2009 Russell Cup Finals. The Storm lost to the Shield in 6 games.
The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) is a Canadian developmental junior ice hockey league. The league has primarily had teams in the Greater Toronto Area, Central Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, and Quebec.
The Bradford Rattlers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based out of Bradford, Ontario, and members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. The Rattlers, then known as the Bradford Bulls, were bought out towards the end of the 2005–06 season by a local group of investors for the purpose of moving the team up to Junior "A" from the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.
The Nipissing Alouettes were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based out of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
The Muskoka Shield are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Gravenhurst, Ontario. The Shield are members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL).
The Toronto Blue Ice Jets were a Junior ice hockey team based out of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL).
The Temiscaming Royals were a Junior ice hockey team based in Témiscaming, Quebec, Canada. They were members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, but originated in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.
The Iroquois Falls Storm are a Canadian Junior "A" Hockey team based out of Iroquois Falls, Ontario, Canada. They currently play in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and are former members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. The team was originally known as the Elliot Lake Bobcats in Elliot Lake, Ontario, until the 2014–15 season; where they moved to Cochrane, Ontario as the Cochrane Crunch until their move to Iroquois Falls in 2023. The Storm are the third NOJHL franchise to be located in Iroquois Falls after the Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskis/Abitibi Eskimos (1999-2015) and Iroquois Falls Eskis (2015-17).
The Colborne Cramahe Hawks were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Colborne, Ontario. The Hawks were members of the World United Hockey League.
The Tamworth Cyclones were a Junior ice hockey team based in Tamworth, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
The Innisfil Spartans are a Junior ice hockey team based in Innisfil, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Provincial Junior Hockey League.
The Parry Sound Islanders were a Junior ice hockey team based out of Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.
The 2010–11 GMHL season was the fifth season of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The thirteen teams of the GMHL played 42-game schedules.
The 2009–10 GMHL season was the fourth season of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The twelve teams of the GMHL played 42-game schedules.
The 2008–09 GMHL season was the third season of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The fifteen teams of the GMHL played 43-game schedules.
The 2007–08 GMHL season was the second season of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The thirteen teams of the GMHL will play 42-game schedules.
The 2006–07 GMHL season was the first season of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The seven teams of the GMHL played 42-game schedules.
The Almaguin Spartans are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in South River, Ontario. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). They were originally the Mattawa Voyageurs of Mattawa, Ontario.
The Bradford Bulls are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Bradford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL).
The 2012–13 GMHL season was the seventh season of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The fifteen teams of the GMHL played 42-game schedules.
The 2014–15 GMHL season was the ninth season of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The twenty teams of the GMHL played 42-game schedules.
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