Thunder Bay Flyers
| Thunder Bay Flyers | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| League |
Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League/ United States Hockey League |
| Operated | July 10, 1980–2000 |
| Home arena | Fort William Gardens |
| Colours | Red, Black, Gold, and White |
| Head coach | Jim Montroy, Mario Minoletti, Paul Mitchell, Dave Siciliano, Rick Adduono, Larry Wintoneak, Dave Bragnalo, Doug Colbon, Gary Wenzel, and Todd Jones |
| Franchise history | |
| 1980–1984 | Thunder Bay Kings |
| 1984–2000 | Thunder Bay Flyers |
The Thunder Bay Flyers were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
On July 6, 1980, the Degagne Buccaneers and Thunder Bay North Stars were informed by the TBAHA that they would not be permitted to field teams in the 1980–81 City League. On July 10, 1980, the executive of the Thunder Bay Kings was formed and gave life to the city's premier junior squad for the next twenty years.
From 1980 until 1982, the Kings played in the Thunder Bay Hockey League with the Allan Cup-contending Senior "A" Thunder Bay Twins, the Hardy Cup-contending Intermediate "A" Thunder Bay Blazers, and the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union's Lakehead University Nor'westers. Their first season saw them finish in second and meet the Intermediate Blazers in the league semi-final, which the Kings won 3-games-to-2. In the finals, they were swept by the Senior Twins 4-games-to-none. In the second year, the Flyers finished in third and drew the Blazers again. They defeated the Intermediates 3-games-to-1, to meet Lakehead University in the final. Lakehead upset the Twins 3-games-to-1 in the other semi-final. The Kings won the final in seven games to win the City Championship.
In 1982, the Thunder Bay Hockey League was disbanded. The Blazers folded into the Twins, who joined Manitoba's Central Senior A Hockey League. The Kings, the newly formed Thunder Bay Hornets and the Schreiber North Stars Junior "B" hockey teams, formed the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League. The Kings won the league in 1983. In the 1983-84 season, the North Stars were replaced by the Jr. B Thunder Bay Maple Leafs. The Kings celebrated an 18-game perfect season before winning the city championship for the third straight year.
In 1984, the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League folded. The Kings changed their name to the Thunder Bay Flyers and jumped to the United States Hockey League. The Hornets and Maple Leafs merged under the Thunder Bay Hornets banner and jumped to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
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