Kenora Thistles (intermediate)
Encyclopedia
The Kenora Thistles were a Canadian
Senior/Intermediate ice hockey club from Kenora, Ontario
. They were eligible to compete for the Edmonton Journal Trophy as Western Canadian Intermediate A Champions.
moniker was resurrected by a team that participated in the Thunder Bay Intermediate Hockey League. They also spent time in Manitoba
's Big Six Intermediate Hockey League. Kenora is more local to the Winnipeg
-based Manitoba Senior Leagues, but were constantly snubbed when applying to join. In with Marathon
, Keewatin, Fort Frances
, Fort William
, and Port Arthur
, the Thistles did quite well winning the league in 1953, 1955, 1957, and 1958 and winning the Edmonton Journal Trophy as the top Intermediate team in Western Canada in 1953.
In the 1952-53 season, the Thistles won their first ever Thunder Bay district championship and moved on to the Western Canadian championships. In the semi-final, the Thistles met the Manitoba
champion Dauphin Kings
who they defeated 3-games-to-none with 4-2, 7-3, and 5-4 victories. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy finals, the Thistles met the Alberta
champion Ponoka Stampeders
. Kenora won game on 7-4, but were blown out 8-1 in game two. The Thistles rebounded and took game three 5-3 and game four 8-4 before Ponoka could respond with a 3-2 win in game five to make the series 3-games-to-2 for Kenora. Game six was another do-or-die game for the Stampeders, but the Thistles were victorious winning the game 5-1 to take the series.
As 1953 Intermediate Champions, the Thistles were offered the privilege of competing in the 1954 World Championships but turned it down as they had already committed to a tour of Japan in 1954. From March 24 until April 3, the Kenora Thistles played off against the best Japan had to offer in Osaka
and Tokyo
. They defeated the Japan College All-Stars 23-1, the "All Japan" team 5 times (11-2, 4-2, 9-3, 8-2, 12-7), Nikko Electric 17-2, Hokkaido All-Stars 8-1, and the Kanto All-Stars 13-6.
In 1955, the Thistles entered the Thunder Bay district championship as the Western representatives in a best-of-5 series against the Marathon Mercurys, North Shore champions. The Thistles destroyed the Mercurys with scores of 6-1, 11-1, and 5-0 to take the series and another Thunder Bay title. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy semi-final, the Thistles met Manitoba
's Brandon Wheat Kings
in a best-of-5 series. Kenora led the series after game one with a 6-3 win, they lost game two 5-0, but led again after game three with a 4-1 victory. Brandon then, with their backs to the wall, came back to tie the series with a 6-2 win and then took it with a final 5-1 victory in game five. Brandon went on to win the Edmonton Journal Trophy.
The 1956 Thunder Bay district semi-final was won over the Thistles by the Fort Frances Canadians 3-games-to-2.
The 1957 Thunder Bay district semi-final was between Kenora and the Fort Frances Canadians. Fort Frances took game one 8-5 and Kenora took game two 8-4. Fort Frances took game three, but Kenora came back and won game four 8-2 and game five 3-2 to win the series. In the district final, the Thistles took on the Marathon Mercurys in a best-of-5 series. Kenora won game one 9-0 and then the two teams tied game two 3-3. In game three Kenora won 6-2 and Marathon won game four 5-4 to stay alive. Game five was th clincher for Kenora as they won 4-0 to take a third district title. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy semi-finals, the Thistles were swept 3-games-to-none by Manitoba
's Pine Falls Paper Kings (2-1, 7-3, 5-3).
In 1958, the Kenora Thistles joined the Ontario-Minnesota Hockey League. In the Thunder Bay district final, they faced the town of Red Rock
in a best-of-5 series. The Thistles won 3-games-to-2. In the Western Canadian semi-final, the Thistles played Saskatchewan
's Yorkton Millers in a best-of-3 series. Game one was a 4-4 tie, game two was won by Yorkton 4-2, and game three was won by Kenora 4-0. All tied up, the Millers and Thistles tied again in game four 1-1, but game five was won by Kenora 2-0 to win the series 2-games-to-1 with 2 ties. Then the Thistles made their last ever appearance in the Edmonton Journal Trophy finals against Alberta
's Olds Elks. Kenora took game one 4-2, but Olds swept the next four games 6-3, 5-3, 4-1, and 7-6 to win the Western Canadian crown.
Kenora lost the 1959 Thunder Bay district semi-final to the Fort Frances Canadians 4-games-to-2.
In the late 1950s, the Thistles became members of the Minnesota-Ontario Hockey League. This lasted until the early 1960s.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Senior/Intermediate ice hockey club from Kenora, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. They were eligible to compete for the Edmonton Journal Trophy as Western Canadian Intermediate A Champions.
History
In the 1950s the Kenora ThistlesKenora Thistles
The Kenora Thistles were an early amateur men's ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1885 as a senior team by a group of Lake of the Woods lumbermen. The club is notable for winning the Stanley Cup as an amateur team in 1907. The town is the smallest in population to have...
moniker was resurrected by a team that participated in the Thunder Bay Intermediate Hockey League. They also spent time in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
's Big Six Intermediate Hockey League. Kenora is more local to the Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
-based Manitoba Senior Leagues, but were constantly snubbed when applying to join. In with Marathon
Marathon, Ontario
Marathon is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Thunder Bay District, on the north shore of Lake Superior north of Pukaskwa National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Shield.- History :...
, Keewatin, Fort Frances
Fort Frances, Ontario
Fort Frances is a town in, and the seat of, Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The population as of the 2006 census was 8,103 and Fort Frances' population peaked in 1971 at 9,947...
, Fort William
Fort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
, and Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
, the Thistles did quite well winning the league in 1953, 1955, 1957, and 1958 and winning the Edmonton Journal Trophy as the top Intermediate team in Western Canada in 1953.
In the 1952-53 season, the Thistles won their first ever Thunder Bay district championship and moved on to the Western Canadian championships. In the semi-final, the Thistles met the Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
champion Dauphin Kings
Dauphin Kings
The Dauphin Kings are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League , a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada...
who they defeated 3-games-to-none with 4-2, 7-3, and 5-4 victories. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy finals, the Thistles met the Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
champion Ponoka Stampeders
Ponoka Stampeders
The Ponoka Stampeders are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Ponoka, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League...
. Kenora won game on 7-4, but were blown out 8-1 in game two. The Thistles rebounded and took game three 5-3 and game four 8-4 before Ponoka could respond with a 3-2 win in game five to make the series 3-games-to-2 for Kenora. Game six was another do-or-die game for the Stampeders, but the Thistles were victorious winning the game 5-1 to take the series.
As 1953 Intermediate Champions, the Thistles were offered the privilege of competing in the 1954 World Championships but turned it down as they had already committed to a tour of Japan in 1954. From March 24 until April 3, the Kenora Thistles played off against the best Japan had to offer in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. They defeated the Japan College All-Stars 23-1, the "All Japan" team 5 times (11-2, 4-2, 9-3, 8-2, 12-7), Nikko Electric 17-2, Hokkaido All-Stars 8-1, and the Kanto All-Stars 13-6.
In 1955, the Thistles entered the Thunder Bay district championship as the Western representatives in a best-of-5 series against the Marathon Mercurys, North Shore champions. The Thistles destroyed the Mercurys with scores of 6-1, 11-1, and 5-0 to take the series and another Thunder Bay title. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy semi-final, the Thistles met Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
's Brandon Wheat Kings
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
in a best-of-5 series. Kenora led the series after game one with a 6-3 win, they lost game two 5-0, but led again after game three with a 4-1 victory. Brandon then, with their backs to the wall, came back to tie the series with a 6-2 win and then took it with a final 5-1 victory in game five. Brandon went on to win the Edmonton Journal Trophy.
The 1956 Thunder Bay district semi-final was won over the Thistles by the Fort Frances Canadians 3-games-to-2.
The 1957 Thunder Bay district semi-final was between Kenora and the Fort Frances Canadians. Fort Frances took game one 8-5 and Kenora took game two 8-4. Fort Frances took game three, but Kenora came back and won game four 8-2 and game five 3-2 to win the series. In the district final, the Thistles took on the Marathon Mercurys in a best-of-5 series. Kenora won game one 9-0 and then the two teams tied game two 3-3. In game three Kenora won 6-2 and Marathon won game four 5-4 to stay alive. Game five was th clincher for Kenora as they won 4-0 to take a third district title. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy semi-finals, the Thistles were swept 3-games-to-none by Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
's Pine Falls Paper Kings (2-1, 7-3, 5-3).
In 1958, the Kenora Thistles joined the Ontario-Minnesota Hockey League. In the Thunder Bay district final, they faced the town of Red Rock
Red Rock, Ontario
Red Rock is a township in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located in the Thunder Bay District. The community of Red Rock is at the mouth of the Nipigon River where it drains into Nipigon Bay on the north shore of Lake Superior. The population as of 2006 is 1,063....
in a best-of-5 series. The Thistles won 3-games-to-2. In the Western Canadian semi-final, the Thistles played Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
's Yorkton Millers in a best-of-3 series. Game one was a 4-4 tie, game two was won by Yorkton 4-2, and game three was won by Kenora 4-0. All tied up, the Millers and Thistles tied again in game four 1-1, but game five was won by Kenora 2-0 to win the series 2-games-to-1 with 2 ties. Then the Thistles made their last ever appearance in the Edmonton Journal Trophy finals against Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
's Olds Elks. Kenora took game one 4-2, but Olds swept the next four games 6-3, 5-3, 4-1, and 7-6 to win the Western Canadian crown.
Kenora lost the 1959 Thunder Bay district semi-final to the Fort Frances Canadians 4-games-to-2.
In the late 1950s, the Thistles became members of the Minnesota-Ontario Hockey League. This lasted until the early 1960s.