| Fort Frances Thunderhawks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Fort Frances, Ontario |
| League | Hockey Northwestern Ontario |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Folded | 2012 |
| Home arena | Fort Frances Memorial Sports Center |
| Colours | Red, Black, and White |
| General manager | Kevin Webb and Travis Green |
| Head coach | Gary Noga |
The Fort Frances Thunderhawks were a Canadian Senior ice hockey club from Fort Frances, Ontario. They were eligible to compete for the Allan Cup.
The Thunderhawks were founded in 2009 and are the namesake of the Fort Frances Borderland Thunder, a former local team that played in the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The expansion of the Thunderhawks into the Northwestern Ontario region puts them in direct competition with the already established Kenora Thistles and the 2005 Allan Cup Champion Thunder Bay K&A Twins. Additionally, a third team in the region allows for the potential for the first senior league in the region since the 1980s.
On November 10, 2009, the Thunderhawks played their first ever game. In Fort Frances, the Thunderhawks dropped a 7-6 decision in a shootout to the Kenora Thistles. At the event they honoured local Senior history with an opening ceremony celebrating the 1952 Allan Cup victory by the Fort Frances Canadians. On December 4, 2009, the Thunderhawks celebrated their first ever win by defeating the Thunder Bay K&A Twins 6-5 at home.
The Thunderhawks entered the 2010 HNO Gary Cook Cup tournament on March 11, 2010 for the regional senior championship. In their first game they tied the Kenora Thistles 3-3. The next night the Thunderhawks trailed the Thunder Bay K&A Twins 5-0 in the third period, only to rally and tie the Twins 5-5. It looked as if the Thunderhawks (0-0-2) would be a surprise berth into the tournament final, but at the last minute the Twins filed a protest over a Thunderhawks player. The protest was upheld by the HNO who overturned both of Fort Frances's results, despite the issue seeming to be a clerical error done by the HNO itself, which eliminated the Thunderhawks from the tournament.
Despite losing in the semi-final of the 2011 Allan Cup, the Thunderhawks were informed in June 2011 that Hockey Northwestern Ontario had awarded them the Gary Cook Cup as branch champions because of their win over Kenora in the tournament quarter-final. Also, the Thunderhawks were awarded the Renwick Cup as Ontario Senior hockey champions over the Dundas Real McCoys for advancing further in the tournament. [1]
In 2011-12, the Thunderhawks could not get enough player commitment and folded just before their final regular season game against Kenora.
The team was believed to be sold to a retirement community in South Florida for the start of the 2012-13 season according to veteran player/coach Reg Dunlop.
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2009-10 | 10 | 3 | 6 | - | 1 | 29 | 56 | 7 | 3rd HNO | Lost Round Robin |
| 2010-11 | 5 | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | 18 | 25 | 3 | 2nd HNO | Won Gary Cook Cup, Won Renwick Cup |
| 2011-12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 0 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 2nd HNO | Withdrew |
The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is 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 Ontario and the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Winners of the SIJHL playoffs compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup against the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup then moves on to compete for the Centennial Cup, the Canadian Junior A championship.
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.
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.
The Thunder Bay Twins were a Canadian Senior ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario. They played an independent schedule under the supervision of Hockey Northwestern Ontario. They competed for the Allan Cup, the Grand Championship of Canadian senior hockey.
The Gordon Renwick Cup is the trophy for the Senior "AAA" Central Canada ice hockey championship. The winning of this trophy earns the champion the right to compete in the Allan Cup, the national Senior 'AAA' Championship. It is named after former Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president Gord Renwick, who had ties to senior ice hockey with the Galt Hornets.
The OHA Senior A Hockey League was a top tier Canadian Senior ice hockey league in Ontario from 1975 until 1987. The league was sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and competed for the Allan Cup.
The Ontario Hockey Association Senior A League was a top tier Canadian senior ice hockey league in Ontario from 1890 until 1979. The league was sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and its clubs competed for the Allan Cup.
The Thunder Bay Twins were an Amateur Senior and Professional ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The Twins won five Allan Cups as National Senior Champions from 1970 until 1991.
The Kenora Thistles were a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing in the Canadian town of Kenora, Ontario.
The Kenora Thistles were a Canadian senior ice hockey club from Kenora, Ontario. The club most recently played in the 2015–16 season in the Hockey Northwestern Ontario and were hosts of the 2011 Allan Cup.
The Kenora Thistles were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario. The team competed at the intermediate hockey of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, one level below the senior ice hockey leagues. The team won the Edmonton Journal Trophy as the intermediate level champions of Western Canada in 1953.
The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League (TBJHL) was a Canadian junior ice hockey league that existed from c. 1920 to 1980. The TBJHL operated in Northwestern Ontario, primarily in the Thunder Bay region.
The 2009 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey. This tournament marked the 101st year that the Allan Cup has been awarded. The 2009 tournament was hosted by the City of Steinbach, Manitoba and the Steinbach North Stars. The tournament began on April 13, 2009, and ended April 18, 2009. All games were played at the T.G. Smith Centre.
The Thunder Bay Bombers were a Canadian Senior ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario. They played an independent schedule under the supervision of Hockey Northwestern Ontario. They were 2005 Allan Cup Canadian National Champions.
The 2010 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey. This tournament was the 102nd year that the Allan Cup has been awarded. The 2010 tournament was hosted by the City of Fort St. John, British Columbia and the Fort St. John Flyers.
The 2011 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey. This was the 103rd year the Allan Cup was awarded. The 2011 Allan Cup was contended in Kenora, Ontario, hosted by the Kenora Thistles of Hockey Northwestern Ontario from April 11 to April 16, 2011.
The 2013 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey. This was the 105th year the Allan Cup was awarded. The 2013 Allan Cup was contended in Red Deer, Alberta, hosted by the Bentley Generals of Hockey Alberta from April 15 to April 20, 2013.
The 2014 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey. This was the 106th year the Allan Cup was awarded. The tournament was contended in Dundas, Ontario from April 14 to April 19, 2014 and hosted by the Dundas Real McCoys of the Ontario Hockey Federation.
The 2015 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey and the 107th year the Allan Cup was awarded. The tournament was contended in Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador from April 13 to April 18, 2015 and hosted by the Clarenville Caribous. All games were played at the Eastlink Events Centre.
The 2017 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey and the 109th year the Allan Cup was awarded. The tournament was played at the J.K. Irving Centre in Bouctouche, New Brunswick from April 10 to 15, 2017 and won by the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts.