The Thunder Bay Bearcats were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay , Ontario , Canada. They were a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League .
43-626: The team was founded in 2001 with the Superior International Junior Hockey League as the K&;A First Nations Featherman Hawks. After one season they moved to Nipigon and became Nipigon Featherman Hawks. The next season they moved back to Thunder Bay and became the K&A First Nations Golden Hawks. In 2006, the team was bought and renamed the Thunder Bay Bearcats. The Bearcats moniker was
86-587: A coaching change from Rick Lanz, a scout for the Colorado Avalanche , to Dave McLellan. The team was not very well-supported since the move from Coquitlam and struggled in attendance for the third straight year. By 17 October 2009, the Burnaby Express were averaging just 548 fans per game, which was the second lowest attendance of the 17 teams in the BCHL at the time. This was half the attendance
129-1361: A game against the Langley Rivermen on 2 November 2022, the Express set a new all-time attendance record of 2209 fans at the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex . Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, PTS = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, PTS = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, PTS = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Royal Bank Cup Doyle Cup Mowat Cup Fred Page Cup Cliff McNabb Memorial Trophy Coastal Conference Champions Mainland Division Champions Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy Regular Season Champions Bob Fenton Trophy Most Sportsmanlike (Coastal) Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy Rookie Of The Year (Coastal) Brett Hull Trophy Top Scorer Vern Dye Memorial Trophy Most Valuable Player (Coastal) Michael Garteig Trophy Top Goaltender Wally Forslund Trophy Top Goaltending Duo Joe Tennant Memorial Trophy Coach of
172-542: A prominent team name in the region in the 1950s. In 2008, the Bearcats absorbed the Thunder Bay Bulldogs to resurrect and improve the city's Thunder Bay Kings Midget AAA program. In May 2009, the Bearcats did not attend the league's AGM and it soon came out that the team was disbanding. Superior International Junior Hockey League The Superior International Junior Hockey League ( SIJHL )
215-666: A return to Marathon, the SIJHL did add the Sioux Lookout Flyers . In the 2008 off-season, the Thunder Bay Bulldogs elected to retract to embolden the Thunder Bay Bearcats . Despite a strong year from the Bearcats and the Schreiber Diesels , both teams elected to cease operation in the summer of 2009. The Fort Frances Jr. Sabres claimed that they would be back for 2009–10, but their owners sold
258-729: 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. state of Michigan . Winners of the SIJHL playoffs compete for the Centennial Cup , the Canadian Junior A championship. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the winner of each tier 2 junior A league across Canada shows up to
301-539: The BCMML's Valley West Giants , named as his replacement. He, however, would resign after the league's extended pre-season was paused by the Provincial Health Officer. Adam Nugent-Hopkins, older brother of Edmonton Oiler Ryan Nugent-Hopkins , took his place for the rest of the season alongside new GM Tali Campbell. He would coach the team to a 6-11-3 record in a 20 game pod season played against
344-714: The Centennial Cup . The Flyers folded after the 1999–2000 USHL Season. The Northwestern Ontario region has also been represented in the past in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League . From 1968 until 1982, the city of Kenora , Ontario, was represented by the Kenora Muskies/Thistles and in the mid-1980s, Thunder Bay had an entry with the Thunder Bay Hornets . The folding of the Thunder Bay Flyers led to
387-791: The Duluth Clydesdales of their franchise. Then, after clinching their third regular season and playoff crowns, the Wilderness won the league's second ever Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian champions. Minnesota Wilderness became the first American team to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup and the first to gain berth into the Royal Bank Cup Canadian Junior A Championship. After winning the Central Canadian Championship, it
430-579: The Minnesota Iron Rangers . Wisconsin was sold and relocated into the same market as Duluth and renamed the Minnesota Wilderness . Three games into the season, the Sioux Lookout Flyers ceased operations and eventually their franchise when a scandal over the carding of players by their new general manager and coach left them without enough players to continue. In early 2013, the league, after multiple cancelled games, stripped
473-494: The Powell River Kings in six games. Following the 2011–12 season, the Express named Jon Calvano as general manager on top of his existing coaching duties. The 2012–13 season saw a great start for the Express until the team lost players to multiple injuries within a short period, including New Jersey Devils draftee Alexander Kerfoot . The team struggled for most of the latter half of the season and failed to reach
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#1732801961224516-755: The Thief River Falls Norskies . In 2019, the league added another team in Spooner, Wisconsin, called the Wisconsin Lumberjacks for the 2019–20 season. After several seasons of ownership issues and lack of player recruitment, the Minnesota Iron Rangers ceased operations for the 2019–20 season, returning the league to six teams. The 2019–20 season was then curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic with one week left in
559-440: The 1970s that the region has effectively supported a junior hockey league. In 2007, the SIJHL expanded east of Thunder Bay with the Schreiber Diesels and Marathon Renegades . A Wawa, Ontario , franchise was also in the works, but never came to fruition. On December 17, 2007, the Schreiber Diesels folded mid-season claiming lack of fan support. On December 21, the team was bought by a group of local fans in an effort to keep
602-941: The 2002–03 season and was renamed the Alberni Valley Bulldogs . The 2005–06 season saw the Express win the league championship (Fred Page Cup) and the Mowat Cup by defeating the Langley Hornets in four games, the Chilliwack Chiefs in 5 games, the Victoria Salsa in 5 games, and the Penticton Vees in six games. The team then defeated the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in six games for the Doyle Cup and entered
645-468: The Diesels alive. The Marathon Renegades at one point were as high as third place in the SIJHL during the 2007–08 season, but after 37 games played were forced to cancel the rest of its season citing a lack of players through injuries and player defections to other leagues. Al Cresswell, team president, claimed that the shortage of players had become a health risk. Although the 2008–09 season did not see
688-435: The Express as a special advisor to GM Campbell and as a player development coach. Sexton would remain as head coach through to the end of the 2023-24 regular season, where he was replaced with Jeff Wagner for the duration of the team's playoff run following a poor record in the second half of the season. The team would bounce back but would lose in the first round to Alberni Valley in a closely fought seven-game series. During
731-524: The Express' return to Coquitlam. They played their first game back at the newly renovated and renamed Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex on 24 September 2010, where they defeated the Surrey Eagles 4–2. Coquitlam made the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, losing in the first round to the Eagles in four games. The following year, they would again be eliminated in the first round, this time to
774-742: The National Championship as Pacific Region winners. The Express won the Royal Bank Cup 2006 (National Championship) by defeating the Yorkton Terries by a score of 8–2. In the Semi-Final against the Fort William Northstars, they scored the tying goal with 12 seconds left in the third period then went on to win 3–2 in overtime. During the round-robin they had a record of 3–1, which seeded them 2nd in
817-648: The SIJHL also made a 20-game interleague setup with the Minnesota Junior Hockey League 's Wisconsin Mustangs to diversify the league's competition. The 2010–11 season was the tenth season of the SIJHL. The SIJHL received applications for expansion by two American teams: the Duluth Clydesdales and Wisconsin Mustangs . In June, the Thunder Bay Wolverines pulled out of the SIJHL. A few days later USA Hockey rejected
860-529: The Sports Centre, specifically a reduction of parking due to the construction of a new aquatic complex next door, the team relocated to Burnaby for the 2005–06 season. Burnaby originally had a junior "A" team by the name of the Burnaby Bulldogs , which played in that city for four seasons (1998–2001). That team relocated to the city of Port Alberni , on Vancouver Island for the start of
903-618: The Surrey Eagles and Powell River Kings. Brandon Shaw, previously assistant coach of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs , would be named head coach for the team's first full season since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a rough start, he would rally the team to a 22-26-6 record to bring the team back up to 7th in the Coastal Conference. The Express would be eliminated by the Chiefs in the first round but not without taking
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#1732801961224946-561: The Tournament, behind the hometown hosts Streetsville Derbys. In 2006–07 the Express were highly touted as a top team in the Canadian Junior Hockey League , with players like Kyle Turris and Tyler McNeely. In the first round of the BCHL playoffs, the team beat the Langley Chiefs in seven games before losing to the eventual BCHL league champions Nanaimo Clippers in seven games during the second round. The 2007 off-season saw
989-800: The War Veterans and existed until 1980. From 1980 until 2000, the region ( Hockey Northwestern Ontario ) was represented by a single team at the junior A level: the Thunder Bay Flyers . The Flyers played their regular season games in the United States Hockey League (USHL), a USA Hockey junior A league, and returned to Canada for the playoffs. The Flyers won the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Junior Champions in 1989, 1991, 1992, and 1995. The Flyers were also National Champions in 1989 and 1992, winning
1032-575: The branch championship. [REDACTED] Media related to Superior International Junior Hockey League at Wikimedia Commons Burnaby Express The Coquitlam Express are a Junior ice hockey team based in Coquitlam , British Columbia , Canada. They are members of the Coastal Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) . They play their home games at the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex . Although
1075-634: The game 5–4 eliminating the Wilderness. With the Wilderness and Clydesdales gone, the Minnesota Iron Rangers were the remaining American team with membership in the league. In the spring of 2013, the SIJHL announced expansion to Ear Falls, Ontario , with the English River Miners and on July 11, 2013, admitted a new team in Spooner, Wisconsin , also called the Wisconsin Wilderness . The new Wilderness lasted one season. In
1118-561: The national championship. Founded in 2001, the SIJHL is successor of several former Thunder Bay junior A hockey leagues and teams. The Fort William War Veterans were the first representatives of the Thunder Bay region, winning the 1922 Memorial Cup as Canadian National Junior A Champions. Although there is not abundant information on the subject, the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League may date back to
1161-540: The postseason for the third time in five years. Calvano was fired at the end of the season. Barry Wolff became the team's next head coach on 22 April 2013 and in the following season led the Express to their second Fred Page Cup championship, and their first and only appearance in the Western Canada Cup , where they finished fourth following a 5–3 loss in the semifinal to the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints . Wolff
1204-774: The rebirth of junior A hockey in the Thunder Bay region. The league started under the "Superior International" label in 2001 with five teams, including the Dryden Ice Dogs , First Nation Featherman Hawks , Fort Frances Borderland Thunder , Thunder Bay Bulldogs , and the Thunder Bay Wolves . In 2006, the Fort William North Stars won the Dudley Hewitt Cup with a 7–6 overtime win over the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League 's Sudbury Jr. Wolves to earn
1247-615: The regular season and no postseason tournaments were held. The ongoing pandemic border-crossing restrictions caused the two American teams to withdraw from the 2020–21 season while the league added a new team called the Kam River Fighting Walleye . The five Canadian teams would play a few games in November and December 2020 along with two U18 minor teams , the Kenora Thistles and Thunder Bay Kings, to fill in
1290-516: The regular season was enough to earn Fortier Coach of the Year honors for the 2019–20 season. Unfortunately, after winning their first round matchup with the Langley Rivermen , Hockey Canada cancelled the remainder of the Junior A season nationally due to the global COVID-19 pandemic , ending their run for a third league title. Fortier would leave the team in the off-season, with Dan Cioffi, coach of
1333-598: The rights to their players to teams across Canada. In a last-ditch effort, the town of Fort Frances bought the team and renamed them the Fort Frances Lakers , but were forced to find all new players due to the actions of the previous ownership. The Thunder Bay Wolverines elected to apply for promotion to the SIJHL for 2009–10 fresh off of their silver medal performance at the Keystone Cup Canadian Jr. B Championships. Back up to five teams,
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1376-796: The schedule before the season was cancelled entirely. In 2024, the Wisconsin Lumberjacks relocated from Spooner, Wisconsin , to Ironwood, Michigan , and were renamed the Ironwood Lumberjacks . The winners of the SIJHL Playoffs are awarded the Bill Salonen Cup. Although the Jack Adams Trophy is supposed to be awarded to the branch Junior A champion, Hockey Northwestern Ontario will not bring it out unless there are two leagues vying for
1419-452: The series to a full seven games. Shaw would move up to become an assistant coach with the OHL's Niagara Icedogs , leaving the team to find their fourth head coach in three seasons. Not only was it announced that Vees assistant coach Patrick Sexton would become the new bench boss for the 2022-23 season, but on 17 August 2022 it was announced that a newly-retired Kyle Turris would be returning to
1462-461: The summer of 2014, commissioner and president Ron Whitehead was relieved of his post. Whitehead held his position from 2005 until 2014 and had been a member of the league executive since its inception in 2001. In 2011, Hockey Northwestern Ontario named Whitehead their Central Zone volunteer of the year. The league added a second team in Minnesota and their sixth franchise for 2016–17 season with
1505-605: The team and the league its first regional title and its first shot at the national title in the 2006 Royal Bank Cup . The North Stars were eliminated in the Royal Bank Cup semifinal in Brampton, Ontario , with a 3–2 overtime loss to the British Columbia Hockey League 's Burnaby Express led by eventual NHL player Kyle Turris . The presence of the SIJHL in Northwestern Ontario marks the first time since
1548-525: The team averaged in their final season in Coquitlam (1,091 fans per game). With the team in last place in the Coastal Conference, on 16 January 2010 the Express announced the firing of coach Dave McLellan. General manager Darcy Rota took over during the interim, with Bill Zaharia and Tyler Kuntz named as assistants for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. On 13 April 2010, the Express named Jon Calvano as their next head coach. The 2010–11 season marked
1591-464: The team had played in the neighbouring city of Burnaby for the previous five years, on 14 January 2010 it was announced that the BCHL Board of Governors unanimously approved the relocation of the franchise back to Coquitlam for the 2010–11 season . The Coquitlam Express began play as a new franchise in the BCHL for the 2001–02 hockey season, and played in the city for four seasons at the Coquitlam Sports Centre . Due to unsatisfactory conditions at
1634-414: The team was sold to new ownership and became the Thunder Bay North Stars. The Wisconsin Wilderness jumped into the lead mid-season and won the regular season and playoff titles in their first season in the league. In the summer of 2011, the SIJHL elected to expand with the Iron Range Ironheads awaiting the permission of USA Hockey and Minnesota Hockey . USA Hockey again denied the league. The decision
1677-437: The transfer bid by the Wisconsin Mustangs to join the SIJHL and the expansion bid of the potential of Duluth, Minnesota , despite approval by Hockey Canada and the SIJHL. The league sat at four teams. The two teams appealed the decision and won, officially giving the league six teams and making the league an international league. The Fort William North Stars were dominant early in 2010–11, but due to financial difficulties,
1720-427: The trend and after recording only three wins and eight points in the first half of the season, Wolff was fired and replaced with former OJHL's Toronto Patriots head coach Jason Fortier. The team turned around under Fortier until the 2019–20 season where the Express posted a franchise-best 47–9–1–1 (96 points) and won the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy for the first time as regular season champions. Their performance over
1763-495: Was announced that the Wilderness would leave the SIJHL at the end of the Royal Bank Cup to join the North American Hockey League , a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II league. The Wilderness finished fourth in the National Championship round-robin, earning a berth into the semi-final. Despite leading 4–2 in the third, the Wilderness took too many penalties and lost their lead with seconds to go in the third period. The Alberta Junior Hockey League 's Brooks Bandits scored in overtime to win
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1806-457: Was appealed and on July 12, 2011, expansion was allowed by USA Hockey as well as the continuation of the Duluth and Spooner franchises. Wisconsin won their second straight league title, coming from behind in the final to beat the Fort Frances Lakers in seven games. The 2012–13 season was a season of decline for the league's American expansion. During the off-season, USA Hockey allowed the league to transfer Iron Range to new ownership and rename it
1849-516: Was named the 2014 coach of the year by the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame and the team earned team of the year honours. The team achieved mixed success for the next couple of seasons, finishing fourth in the mainland division and eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. The 2016–17 season again had the Express sustain many player injuries, resulting in a franchise worst 11–44–2–1 (25 points) record and finishing last in nearly every statistic. The following season continued
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