Thunder Bay Beavers

Last updated
Thunder Bay Beavers
City Thunder Bay, Ontario
League Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
Can-Am Junior Hockey League
Operated1971 (1971)-1978
Home arena Fort William Gardens
Franchise history
1971–1972Thunder Bay Vulcans
1972–1973Thunder Bay Centennials
1973–1978Thunder Bay Beavers
Previous franchise history
1978merged with Degagne Hurricanes and Fort William Canadians

The Thunder Bay Beavers were a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Canadians were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were 1972 National Centennial Cup quarter-finalists, losing to the eventual winner Guelph CMC's. [1]

Contents

History

In 1971, American investors were brought into the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League. The result was an expanded league and changing the league's name to the Thunder Bay-Minnesota League. The new teams were the Minnesota Jr. Stars and the St. Paul, MN-sponsored Thunder Bay Vulcans. The name "Vulcans" came from an organization in the St. Paul area, but the team played in Ontario. [2]

In their first season, the Vulcans proved to be an instant powerhouse. With an undefeated 21-0-1 record in the TBMJHL regular season, the Vulcans also posted an overall record of 33-2-3 with combined regular season record and exhibition schedule versus the local NCAA loop (including the Lakehead Nor'Westers) and the semi-pro United States Hockey League. The Vulcans easily won the league title and moved on to the 1972 Centennial Cup National playdowns. In the first round they drew the Central Junior A Hockey League champion Smiths Falls Bears. The Vulcans masterfully defeated the Bears 4-games-to-1 and outscored them 36–19, including a 15-4 blowout win to clinch the series. In the National quarter-final, the Vulcans drew the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League's Guelph CMC's. Guelph edged out a pair of 5-4 victories to open the series. Game three was a 7–3 win for the Vulcans, and Game four was won 7–0. The CMC's rebounded in Game five with a 6–2 to take a 3–2 series lead. In Game six, the Vulcans defaulted the game only 1:42 into the first period. [1] The coach of the Vulcans was unhappy about a series of calls the referee made and pulled the Vulcans off of the ice in front of 4,200 Guelph fans. The ref awarded the game to Guelph when it became clear that the Vulcans would not return. Guelph went on to easily win the Centennial Cup, leaving the boys on the Vulcans, who were far from down and out, wondering what could have been. [3] [4]

In 1972, the TBJHL was renamed the Can-Am Junior Hockey League. Only the Vulcans, Jr. Stars and the Westfort Hurricanes went on with the league. The remaining teams dropped to Thunder Bay Jr. B. The Vulcans were sold by their St. Paul investors during the season and changed their names to the Thunder Bay Centennials. The newly renamed St. Paul Jr. Stars, later to be called St. Paul Vulcans, went on to win the league and compete in the 1973 Centennial Cup playdowns. The Centennials made it clear at the end of the season that they would not play another year in the increasingly American league. The Thunder Bay Junior A League was resurrected in 1973 and the team took on the traditional name Thunder Bay Beavers after the Fort William Beavers of senior hockey fame. The St. Paul Vulcans went on to form a new league called the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The later merger between the MWJHL and the USHL would revolutionize American junior hockey.

In 1978 the Beavers and all other Thunder Bay-area teams were forced to downsize and most of them ceased to exist. The last known season of the Beavers ended in 1978.

Season-by-Season Standings

SeasonGPWLTGFGAPResults
1971–72222101----421st TBMJHL
1972–733413156151142322nd CAJHL
1973–7431128210525043rd TBJHL
1974–75278163132177193rd TBJHL
1975–76309165133153233rd TBJHL
1976–77211092134117223rd TBJHL
1977–782811161----234th TBJHL

Playoffs

Thunder Bay Vulcans defeated Minnesota Jr. Stars 4-games-to-noneTBMJHL CHAMPIONS
Thunder Bay Vulcans defeated Smiths Falls Bears (CJHL) 4-games-to-1
Guelph CMC's (SOJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Vulcans 4-games-to-2
Thunder Bay Centennials defeated Westfort Hurricanes 4-games-to-2
Thunder Bay Centennials defeated Fort William Canadians (TBJHL) 2-games-to-none
St. Paul Jr. Stars defeated Thunder Bay Centennials 4-games-to-none
Fort William Canadians defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 3-games-to-2
Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 4-games-to-2
Thunder Bay Beavers defeated Thunder Bay Hurricanes 4-games-to-2
Thunder Bay Eagles defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 4-games-to-none
Degagne Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 3-games-to-none and 1 tie
Degagne Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 3-games-to-none

Championships

TBJHL Champions:

1972

Notable alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guelph Platers</span> Ice hockey team in Guelph, Ontario

The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Ontario Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They were originally known as the CMC's until 1972, the Biltmore Mad Hatters until 1975, and then took on the name Platers. The Platers were promoted to the Ontario Hockey League in 1982 and moved to Owen Sound in 1989. The franchise played in the Guelph Memorial Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Junior Hockey League</span> Canadian ice hockey league, founded 1955

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder Bay Flyers</span> Ice hockey team in Thunder Bay, Ontario

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Jr. Canadiens</span> Ice hockey team in Ontario, Canada

The Toronto Jr. Canadiens are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in the Downsview neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were known as the Wexford Raiders until the end of the 2005–06 season and are a part of Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) but used to be a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlottetown Abbies</span> Ice hockey team in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

The Charlottetown Abbies were a Tier II Junior "A" team based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They played in the IJHL and the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. Their home rink from 2003 to 2008 was the MacLauchlan Arena on the campus of UPEI. Before then, it was the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

The Port Arthur Marrs were a junior ice hockey team that played in Port Arthur, Ontario. They were named for trucking company and sponsor W.H. Marr, Ltd., and contested the 1967 Memorial Cup, which they lost to the Toronto Marlboros.

The Detroit Jr. Red Wings are a defunct Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey team that was based out of Detroit, Michigan. They played out of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League and were the feeder team for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Centennial Cup</span> International ice hockey competition

The 1978 Centennial Cup is the eighth Tier II Junior "A" 1978 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.

The 1977 Centennial Cup is the seventh Tier II Junior "A" 1977 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.

The 1975 Centennial Cup is the fifth Tier II Junior "A" 1975 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.

The 1972 Centennial Cup is the second Tier II Junior "A" 1972 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.

The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association (NOJHA) was a Junior A ice hockey league based in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The league lasted from 1962 until 1972 and competed for the Memorial Cup from 1962 until 1970 and the Manitoba Centennial Trophy from 1970 until 1972.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul Vulcans</span> American former junior ice hockey team

The St. Paul Vulcans are a defunct Junior A ice hockey franchise that was based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The franchise was a charter member of the United States Hockey League (USHL) that started play with the 1979–80 season. The franchise was renamed the Twin Cities Vulcans for the start of the 1995 season. In 2000, the team was renamed the Tri-City Storm and moved to Kearney, Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort William Canadians</span> Canadian junior ice hockey team

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 Canadiens were a development club for the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens.

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.

The 1981–82 OJHL season was the 10th season of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). The 11 teams of the league played a 50-game season. The top four teams of each division make the playoffs.

The original Maritime Junior A Hockey League was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league from 1968 until 1971 in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The league competed for the Memorial Cup until 1970 when it was relegated to Tier II Junior A and then competed one year for the Centennial Cup before becoming defunct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder Bay Hornets</span> Ice hockey team in Thunder Bay, Ontario

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 for the National Junior A Championship, the Centennial Cup, as members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

The North York Rangers were a junior ice hockey team. They originated in 1967, when the Woodbridge Rangers of the Metro Junior B League moved to North York. The team operated out of the Metro League until the Ontario Junior Hockey League was founded in 1972, at which point the Rangers and four other Metro teams moved to the new league. The Rangers made it to the Royal Bank Cup in 1980 and 1983. In 1984, the team was renamed the North York Red Wings and folded after one season.

References

  1. 1 2 Toronto Star, Sports section. April 15, 1972.
  2. ↑ "St. Paul Vulcans". Vintage Minnesota Hockey – History. January 8, 2019.
  3. ↑ Toronto Star, Sports section. April 24, 1972.
  4. ↑ Toronto Star, Page 47. May 9, 1972.
  5. ↑ Danny Gruen career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
  6. ↑ Lee Fogolin career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.