Thunder Bay Thunder Cats

Last updated
Thunder Bay Thunder Cats
Thunder Bay Thunder Cats Primary 1994.png
City Thunder Bay, Ontario
League CoHL/UHL
Founded 1991
Operated 19941999
Home arena Fort William Gardens
ColorsBrown, navy, white
   
Franchise history
1991–1993Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks
1993–1996Thunder Bay Senators
1996–1999Thunder Bay Thunder Cats
1999–2007 Rockford IceHogs
Championships
Regular season titles2 (1993–94, 1994–95)
Playoff championships3 (1992, 1994, 1995)

The Thunder Bay Thunder Cats was a minor professional ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, and a member of the United Hockey League. The team went through a number of different names prior to being the Thunder Cats, including the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks and the Thunder Bay Senators.

Contents

History

After the success of the five-time Allan Cup champion Thunder Bay Twins, the Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) took interest in expanding to the Northwestern Ontario city. In 1991, the CoHL introduced the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks, spelling the end of the 21-year Twins franchise that stepped aside for the new minor professional team. In 1993, the team changed its name to the Thunder Bay Senators to reflect the teams affiliation with the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators. After three season as the Senators, the team became the Thunder Bay Thunder Cats in 1996. The CoHL changed its name to the United Hockey League (UHL) in 1997.

After eight seasons in Thunder Bay, the Thunder Cats were bought, moved to Rockford, Illinois, and renamed the Rockford IceHogs in 1999.

Season-by-season results

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPtsFinal standingPlayoffs
1991–92 6026286309289623rd CoHLWon Championship
1992–93 6032244288271683rd CoHLLost semi-final
1993–94 6445154331236941st CoHLWon Championship
1994–95 74482243412791001st CoHLWon Championship
1995–96 74362612302289844th CoHLLost Championship
1996–97 7443238333266944th CoHLLost semi-final
1997–98 74422606337304904th UHLLost quarter-final
1998–99 744720073252471013rd UHLLost semi-final


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010)</span>

The Northern League was an independent minor professional baseball league. It was not affiliated with Major League Baseball or the organized minor leagues. The league was founded in 1993 and folded after its 2010 season when financial stability became a problem. The three teams remaining in the league when it folded joined with the remaining teams in United League Baseball and the Golden Baseball League to form a new independent organization called the North American League.

Thunder Bay is a city on Lake Superior in the province of Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Hockey League</span> 1991–2010 North American ice hockey league

The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league, with teams in the United States and Canada. The league was headquartered in Rochester, Michigan, and, in its last year, consisted of seven teams. It folded in 2010, with most of its teams joining the Central Hockey League. The Central Hockey League teams still operating in 2014 were then added to ECHL. The only former CoHL/UHL/IHL teams still active as of 2022 are the Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPHL</span> Ice hockey league of the eastern United States

The SPHL is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as Illinois and Indiana in the midwestern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockford IceHogs (UHL)</span> Defunct American ice hockey team in United Hockey League

The Rockford IceHogs were a minor professional ice hockey team in Rockford, Illinois. They were a member of the United Hockey League from 1999 to 2007. The IceHogs played their home games at the MetroCentre. In 2007, the name and logo were purchased and applied to the current American Hockey League franchise. After the transfer of the name and logo to the AHL franchise was complete, the UHL IceHogs ceased operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flint Generals</span> Ice hockey team in Flint, Michigan

The Flint Generals were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at the Industrial Mutual Association (IMA) Sports Arena. The Generals won two league championship Colonial Cups in the Colonial Hockey League and United Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saginaw Gears (UHL)</span> UHL ice hockey franchise

The Saginaw Gears were a minor professional ice hockey franchise that played in the United Hockey League (UHL), formerly known as the Colonial Hockey League. The Gears existed for five seasons and part of one other, from 1994 to December 19, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superior International Junior Hockey League</span> Junior A ice hockey league

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Thomas Wildcats</span> Ice hockey team in St. Thomas, Ontario

The St. Thomas Wildcats were a minor professional ice hockey team in the Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) and played at the St. Thomas-Elgin Memorial Centre in St. Thomas, Ontario. The team was a founding member of the league and was owned by Doug Tarry, Sr. and later by Doug Tarry, Jr., who went on to purchase the London Knights in 1994. The team moved to nearby London, Ontario, in 1994 and became the London Wildcats with red and blue colours. After playing in London for the 1994–95 season, the franchise suspended operations for one year before moving to Dayton, Ohio, and becoming the Dayton Ice Bandits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakehead Junior Hockey League</span>

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.

John Matthew Adams is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 22 games in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals between 1972 and 1975. He was born in Port Arthur, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OHA Senior A League (1890–1979)</span> Canadian senior ice hockey league (1890–1979)

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.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muskegon Lumberjacks (1992–2010)</span> Ice hockey team

The Muskegon Lumberjacks was an International Hockey League ice hockey team located in Muskegon, Michigan. After the 2010 season, the team folded and Ron Geary, the owner of the Evansville IceMen of the AAHL, purchased the franchise rights of the former Muskegon Lumberjacks from the IHL. Geary then moved the franchise to Evansville, Indiana where they became the Evansville IceMen.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Allan Cup</span> Canadian senior ice hockey championship

The 1975 Allan Cup was the Canadian senior ice hockey championship for the 1974–75 season. The event was hosted by both Barrie and Thunder Bay, Ontario. The 1975 playoff marked the 67th time that the Allan Cup has been awarded. The Thunder Bay Twins represented Western Canada and defeated the Barrie Flyers who represented Eastern Canada in the championship series.

The 1999–2000 United Hockey League season was the ninth season of the United Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. 14 teams participated in the regular season and the Flint Generals won the league title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatham Wheels</span> Ice hockey team

The Chatham Wheels were a minor professional ice hockey team that played in Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) from 1992 to 1994. Based in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, the team played it homes games in the Chatham Memorial Arena.

Dave Siciliano is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and player. He played university hockey for the Lakehead Nor'Westers, and led them to the International Collegiate Hockey Association championship as the most valuable player in the 1966–67 season. As the player-coach for the Thunder Bay Twins, his team won both the United States Hockey League (USHL) playoffs and the 1975 Allan Cup as the Canadian senior champions. He served as head coach of the Thunder Bay Flyers from 1986 to 1993, where he won four regular season titles, and two playoffs championships, and two Centennial Cups as Canadian junior champions. He was a coach for the Canada men's under-18 team at the Phoenix Cup in 1987 and 1991, and for the Canada men's junior team which won gold at the 1993 World Juniors.