The Thunder Bay Northern Hawks are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay , Ontario . They play in the Lakehead Junior Hockey League , formerly the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League.
29-659: The Northern Hawks are 12-time Thunder Bay Junior B and Northern Ontario Junior B champions. Thunder Bay are the 2018 Keystone Cup Western Canadian Junior B champions and were runners-up in 2012. The Northern Hawks joined the Thunder Bay Junior B/Juvenile/AAA League in the fall of 1999 playing out of Norwest Arena. The team lost in the Juvenile AAA final to the Thunder Bay Wolves that first season. The 2000-01 season saw
58-557: A championship between Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. There is no national championship for Junior B hockey in Canada, but similar championships are held in Southern Ontario ( Sutherland Cup ), Ottawa District ( Barkley Cup ), Quebec ( Coupe Dodge ), and Atlantic Canada ( Don Johnson Memorial Cup )—leaving five teams at the end of each year with a shared claim to being the best Junior B team in Canada. The Keystone Cup
87-592: Is the Junior B ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada . From 1983 to 2017, the championship was the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia , Alberta , Saskatchewan , Manitoba , and Northwestern Ontario . In 2018, citing costs for travel and accommodations, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan withdrew from competition for the Keystone Cup, making it
116-602: The Pacific International Junior Hockey League 7-4. The Northern Hawks then went on a tear, defeating the host Saskatoon Royals 6-3, Keystone Junior Hockey League 's Arborg Ice Dawgs 7-5, North West Junior Hockey League 's Whitecourt Wolverines 7-4, and the Prairie Junior Hockey League 's Pilot Butte Storm 3-1 to earn a berth into the gold medal game with a 4-1-0 record. After four hard-fought victories,
145-916: The William Ryan Trophy Championship for the Thunder Bay Junior B League, as their only competition, the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League , folded in 2004. For the 2018 edition of the tournament in Thunder Bay, Ontario , teams from British Columbia and Alberta pulled out of the event. NEAJBHL President Ned Graling cited economic concerns while Kamloops Storm general manager Barry Dewar made claims about playing conditions and accommodations in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. The Prairie Junior Hockey League followed British Columbia and Alberta and also withdrew from
174-594: The William Ryan Trophy Championship for the Thunder Bay Junior B League, as their only competition, the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League , folded in 2004. For the 2018 edition of the tournament in Thunder Bay, Ontario , teams from British Columbia and Alberta pulled out of the event. NEAJBHL President Ned Graling cited economic concerns while Kamloops Storm general manager Barry Dewar made claims about playing conditions and accommodations in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. The Prairie Junior Hockey League followed British Columbia and Alberta and also withdrew from
203-684: The 2003-04 season with one of the best records in Thunder Bay junior hockey history, finishing an undefeated season at 22-0-2. They went on to win the 2004 playoff championship as well defeating the Wawa Travellers of the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League to win the Northern Ontario Regional Junior B Hockey Championship and earn the right to compete for the Keystone Cup . The 2004 Keystone Cup
232-767: The 2004-05 season to the Aguasabon River Rats . The River Rats defected from the folding North of Superior League. In the league semifinal, the Northern Hawks defeated the Nipigon Elks 3-games-to-1. This set up a final between the Hawks and River Rats. The Northern Hawks defeated the River Rats 4-games-to-1 to win the league championship. With no other leagues in the region, the Northern Hawks were crowned Northern Ontario Jr. B champions and went on to
261-832: The 2005 Keystone Cup in Medicine Hat, Alberta . At the tournament, the first game for the Northern Hawks was a 4-1 loss to the Selkirk Fishermen . Next, the Hawks lost 8-5 to the Medicine Hat Cubs . In the third game, the Hawks were defeated by the Osoyoos Storm 6-2. After that, the Northern Hawks lost to both the Calgary Stampeders and the Saskatoon Royals to close out their tournament winless. The Northern Hawks finished
290-571: The 2008-09 season in second place in the Thunder Bay Junior B league. With a 14-15-1 record, the Northern Hawks had to begin the 2009 playoffs with a semifinal series against the Nip-Rock Elks , sweeping the series in three games. In the league final, the Northern Hawks were swept in four-straight games by the K&;A Wolverines . Because the Wolverines were hosting the Keystone Cup in 2009,
319-655: The 2018 Keystone Cup bringing it to a cross-border clash between the Keystone Junior Hockey League and the Lakehead Junior Hockey League, won by the host Northern Hawks. In mid-November 2019 the teams of the Prairie Junior Hockey League of Saskatchewan decided to send their provincial champion as their representative to the 2020 Keystone Cup. However, the 2020 competition was cancelled as part of
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#1732798242845348-404: The 2018 Keystone Cup bringing it to a cross-border clash between the Keystone Junior Hockey League and the Lakehead Junior Hockey League, won by the host Northern Hawks. In mid-November 2019 the teams of the Prairie Junior Hockey League of Saskatchewan decided to send their provincial champion as their representative to the 2020 Keystone Cup. However, the 2020 competition was cancelled as part of
377-537: The Junior C tournament in 2003 against comparable teams from across Western Canada, defeating the Airdrie Thunder for the gold medal. In 2004 the Hawks won their first Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League championship and would capture the William Ryan Trophy (Northern Ontario Regional Junior B Hockey Championship) to advance to the Keystone Cup . The Thunder Bay Northern Hawks finished off
406-413: The Keystone Cup, making it a championship between Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. There is no national championship for Junior B hockey in Canada, but similar championships are held in Southern Ontario ( Sutherland Cup ), Ottawa District ( Barkley Cup ), Quebec ( Coupe Dodge ), and Atlantic Canada ( Don Johnson Memorial Cup )—leaving five teams at the end of each year with a shared claim to being
435-572: The Northern Hawks earned a spot as the Hockey Northwestern Ontario branch representative. At the Keystone Cup , the Hawks faced the Wolverines in the opening game, losing 6-1. Later that night, the Northern Hawks lost 5-2 to the Prairie Junior Hockey League 's Saskatoon Royals . The next day, the Northern Hawks lost to the Keystone Junior Hockey League 's St. Malo Warriors 6-2. On the third day,
464-545: The Northern Hawks fell to the Pilots in the gold medal game 9-1. The Northern Hawks' silver medal is the league's second in four seasons after failing to medal from 2000 until the Wolverines won silver in 2009. The Northern Hawks finished first in the league again with only one regular season loss and one playoff loss. They took out the Schreiber Falcons 4-games-to-none in the semifinals. They then went on to demolish
493-490: The Northern Hawks lost 6-1 to the North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League 's Lloydminster Bandits, which eliminated them from medal contention. In the final round robin game, the Hawks lost 4-2 to the Pacific International Junior Hockey League 's Richmond Sockeyes , who would eventually win the Keystone Cup in double overtime over the K&A Wolverines . The Northern Hawks finished first in
522-853: The Northern Hawks win the Juvenile AAA Championship and move onto the Ontario Hockey Federation Juvenile AAA championship in Newmarket, Ontario. The Northern Hawks would capture a silver medal at the OHF event, one of Thunder Bay's strongest showings ever. With the creation of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL), the Northern Hawks moved up to Junior B for the 2001-02 season. The Northern Hawks were Brewers Cup champions in 2003. They won
551-622: The Northern Hawks would fall to the Saskatoon Quakers 5-4 to finish in fourth place at the Western Canada Junior B championship. 4th at Keystone Cup 6th at Keystone Cup 6th at Keystone Cup 6th at Keystone Cup 6th at Keystone Cup Silver at Keystone Cup 5th at Keystone Cup 4th at Keystone Cup Won Keystone Cup (Northern Ontario to British Columbia) After 2017 only (Northern Ontario and Manitoba) Keystone Cup The Keystone Cup
580-656: The Stars in the finals, 4-games-to-1, earning a berth into the Keystone Cup in Abbotsford BC. Opening the tournament with a win over Manitoba branch champion, Selkirk Fishermen 2-1, the Hawks next defeated the Saskatoon Quakers 4-3. The Hawks would fall to the Abbotsford Pilots , Beaver Valley Nite Hawks , and Blackfalds Wranglers in the round robin. Finishing fourth the Hawks earned a spot into
609-711: The best Junior B team in Canada. The Keystone Cup was donated to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association by Keystone Sports from Selkirk, Manitoba . The inaugural tournament took place in 1983 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba , and was won by the Selkirk Fishermen of the Manitoba Junior B Hockey League . The championship is determined through a round-robin of the winner of the Cyclone Taylor Cup in British Columbia ,
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#1732798242845638-478: The bronze medal game, where they came up short and lost 4-3, ending the tournament in 4th place. Winning their sixth-straight TBJBHL championship with a record of 28-1-1, the Northern Hawks swept the Schreiber Falcons and Thunder Bay North Stars in four games each series. At the Keystone Cup, Thunder Bay would go 2-2-1 in round robin play to earn their spot in the Bronze Medal Game. In a goal-filled game
667-635: The effort to minimize the COVID-19 pandemic . In Flin Flon , Manitoba – PBCN Selects host team Keystone Cup The Keystone Cup is the Junior B ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada . From 1983 to 2017, the championship was the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia , Alberta , Saskatchewan , Manitoba , and Northwestern Ontario . In 2018, citing costs for travel and accommodations, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan withdrew from competition for
696-414: The league with a 30-2-0 record. They blasted the Schreiber Falcons 3-games-to-none in a lopsided semifinal and then defeated the Nipigon Elks 4-games-to-1 to win the Thunder Bay championship in a hard-fought series. The Northern Hawks shipped out to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for the 2012 Keystone Cup . Despite leading 3-1 at one point, the Northern Hawks lost their first game to the Abbotsford Pilots of
725-839: The winner of the Athol Murray Trophy in Saskatchewan , the Keystone Junior Hockey League , and the William Ryan Trophy in Northwestern Ontario . In previous years, the winner of the Keystone Junior B League would have had to go through the Manitoba Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship , but in 2004 their only competition, the Northwest Junior Hockey League , folded. The same thing happened in
754-585: The winner of the Russ Barnes Trophy in Alberta , the winner of the Athol Murray Trophy in Saskatchewan , the Keystone Junior Hockey League , and the William Ryan Trophy in Northwestern Ontario . In previous years, the winner of the Keystone Junior B League would have had to go through the Manitoba Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship , but in 2004 their only competition, the Northwest Junior Hockey League , folded. The same thing happened in
783-498: Was against the Richmond Sockeyes . Needing a victory to play for the gold medal, the game resulted in a tie. The Northern Hawks faced Red Deer again in their tournament finale, this time for the tournament's bronze medal. The Thunder Bay Northern Hawks lost the game 7-5. From this loss to the end of the 2008 Keystone Cup, no TBJBHL team won a game at the Keystone Cup tournament. The Northern Hawks finished second overall in
812-434: Was donated to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association by Keystone Sports from Selkirk, Manitoba . The inaugural tournament took place in 1983 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba , and was won by the Selkirk Fishermen of the Manitoba Junior B Hockey League . The championship is determined through a round-robin of the winner of the Cyclone Taylor Cup in British Columbia , the winner of the Russ Barnes Trophy in Alberta ,
841-666: Was hosted by the Aguasabon River Rats of the North of Superior League and Schreiber, Ontario . In the first game, the Northern Hawks throttled Aguasabon 9-3. In the second game, the Hawks tied the Regina Capitals 4-4. Next, the Hawks lost to the Norway House North Stars 6-4, but returned the next game with a 3-1 win over the Red Deer Vipers . The fifth game of the round robin for the Northern Hawks
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