Thunder Bay Beavers
Encyclopedia
The Thunder Bay Beavers were a Canadian
Junior
ice hockey
club from Thunder Bay
, Ontario
. The Canadians were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
and were 1972 National Centennial Cup quarter-finalists, losing to the eventual winner Guelph CMC's
.
investors were brought into the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
. The result was an expanded league and changing the league's name to the Thunder Bay-Minnesota League. The new teams were the Minnesota Jr. Stars and the St. Paul, MN-sponsored Thunder Bay Vulcans. The name "Vulcans" came from an organization in the St. Paul area, but the team played in Ontario
.
In their first season, the Vulcans proved to be an instant powerhouse. With an undefeated 21-0-1 record in the TBMJHL regular season, the Vulcans also posted an overall record of 33-2-3 with combined regular season record and exhibition schedule versus the local NCAA loop (including the Lakehead Nor'Westers
) and the semi-pro United States Hockey League
. The Vulcans easily won the league title and moved on to the 1972 Centennial Cup National playdowns. In the first round they drew the Central Junior A Hockey League
champion Smiths Falls Bears
. The Vulcans masterfully defeated the Bears 4-games-to-1 and outscored them 36-19, including a 15-4 blowout win to clinch the series. In the National quarter-final, the Vulcans drew the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League
's Guelph CMC's
. Guelph edged out a pair of 5-4 victories to open the series. Game three was a 7-3 win for the Vulcans, and Game four was won 7-0. The CMC's rebounded in Game five with a 6-2 to take a 3-2 series lead. In Game six, the Vulcans defaulted the game only 1:42 into the first period. The coach of the Vulcans was unhappy about a series of calls the referee made and pulled the Vulcans off of the ice in front of 4,200 Guelph fans. The ref awarded the game to Guelph when it became clear that the Vulcans would not return. Guelph went on to easily win the Centennial Cup, leaving the boys on the Vulcans, who were far from down and out, wondering what could have been.
In 1972, the TBJHL was renamed the Can-Am Junior Hockey League. Only the Vulcans, Jr. Stars and the Westfort Hurricanes
went on with the league. The remaining teams dropped to Thunder Bay Jr. B. The Vulcans were sold by their St. Paul investors during the season and changed their names to the Thunder Bay Centennials. The newly renamed St. Paul Jr. Stars, later to be called St. Paul Vulcans
, went on to win the league and compete in the 1973 Centennial Cup playdowns. The Centennials made it clear at the end of the season that they would not play another year in the increasingly American league. The Thunder Bay Junior A League was resurrected in 1973 and the team took on the traditional name Thunder Bay Beavers after the Fort William Beavers of senior hockey fame. The St. Paul Vulcans went on to form a new league called the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The later merger between the MWJHL and the USHL would revolutionize American junior hockey.
In 1978 the Beavers and all other Thunder Bay-area teams were forced to downsize and most of them ceased to exist. The last known season of the Beavers ended in 1978.
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...
Junior
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
club from Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, 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....
. The Canadians were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league that existed from circa 1920 to 1980. The TBJHL operated in Northwestern Ontario, primarily in the Thunder Bay region....
and were 1972 National Centennial Cup quarter-finalists, losing to the eventual winner Guelph CMC's
Guelph CMC's
The Guelph CMC's or sometimes known as the Guelph CMC's Biltmore Mad Hatters were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association as a Junior 'B' team in the Central League from 1956 to 1970, and merged with the Western A League's Guelph Beef Kings to become a Junior 'A' team from 1970...
.
History
In 1971, AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
investors were brought into the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league that existed from circa 1920 to 1980. The TBJHL operated in Northwestern Ontario, primarily in the Thunder Bay region....
. The result was an expanded league and changing the league's name to the Thunder Bay-Minnesota League. The new teams were the Minnesota Jr. Stars and the St. Paul, MN-sponsored Thunder Bay Vulcans. The name "Vulcans" came from an organization in the St. Paul area, but the team played in 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....
.
In their first season, the Vulcans proved to be an instant powerhouse. With an undefeated 21-0-1 record in the TBMJHL regular season, the Vulcans also posted an overall record of 33-2-3 with combined regular season record and exhibition schedule versus the local NCAA loop (including the Lakehead Nor'Westers
Lakehead Thunderwolves
The Lakehead Thunderwolves are the varsity athletic teams that represent Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in Canadian Interuniversity Sport...
) and the semi-pro United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
. The Vulcans easily won the league title and moved on to the 1972 Centennial Cup National playdowns. In the first round they drew the Central Junior A Hockey League
Central Junior A Hockey League
The Central Canada Hockey League is a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey league operating in eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League...
champion Smiths Falls Bears
Smiths Falls Bears
The Smiths Falls Bears are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. They were original members, but then left Smiths Falls in 1976...
. The Vulcans masterfully defeated the Bears 4-games-to-1 and outscored them 36-19, including a 15-4 blowout win to clinch the series. In the National quarter-final, the Vulcans drew the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League
Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League
----The Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League was a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey that lasted from the late 1960s until 1977 in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league was swallowed by what is now called the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League in 1977....
's Guelph CMC's
Guelph CMC's
The Guelph CMC's or sometimes known as the Guelph CMC's Biltmore Mad Hatters were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association as a Junior 'B' team in the Central League from 1956 to 1970, and merged with the Western A League's Guelph Beef Kings to become a Junior 'A' team from 1970...
. Guelph edged out a pair of 5-4 victories to open the series. Game three was a 7-3 win for the Vulcans, and Game four was won 7-0. The CMC's rebounded in Game five with a 6-2 to take a 3-2 series lead. In Game six, the Vulcans defaulted the game only 1:42 into the first period. The coach of the Vulcans was unhappy about a series of calls the referee made and pulled the Vulcans off of the ice in front of 4,200 Guelph fans. The ref awarded the game to Guelph when it became clear that the Vulcans would not return. Guelph went on to easily win the Centennial Cup, leaving the boys on the Vulcans, who were far from down and out, wondering what could have been.
In 1972, the TBJHL was renamed the Can-Am Junior Hockey League. Only the Vulcans, Jr. Stars and the Westfort Hurricanes
Westfort Hurricanes
The Westfort Hurricanes were a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Fort William, Ontario. The Herks were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were Abbott Cup finalists once.-History:...
went on with the league. The remaining teams dropped to Thunder Bay Jr. B. The Vulcans were sold by their St. Paul investors during the season and changed their names to the Thunder Bay Centennials. The newly renamed St. Paul Jr. Stars, later to be called St. Paul Vulcans
St. Paul Vulcans
The St. Paul Vulcans are a defunct Junior A ice hockey franchise that was based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The franchise was a charter member of the United States Hockey League that started play with the 1979-80 season. The franchise was renamed the Twin Cities Vulcans for the start 1995 and...
, went on to win the league and compete in the 1973 Centennial Cup playdowns. The Centennials made it clear at the end of the season that they would not play another year in the increasingly American league. The Thunder Bay Junior A League was resurrected in 1973 and the team took on the traditional name Thunder Bay Beavers after the Fort William Beavers of senior hockey fame. The St. Paul Vulcans went on to form a new league called the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The later merger between the MWJHL and the USHL would revolutionize American junior hockey.
In 1978 the Beavers and all other Thunder Bay-area teams were forced to downsize and most of them ceased to exist. The last known season of the Beavers ended in 1978.
Season-by-Season Standings
| Season | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | P | Results |
| 1971-72 | 22 | 21 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| 42 | 1st TBMJHL | |||||||
| 1972-73 | 34 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 151 | 142 | 32 | 2nd CAJHL |
| 1973-74 | 31 | 1 | 28 | 2 | 105 | 250 | 4 | 3rd TBJHL |
| 1974-75 | 27 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 132 | 177 | 19 | 3rd TBJHL |
| 1975-76 | 30 | 9 | 16 | 5 | 133 | 153 | 23 | 3rd TBJHL |
| 1976-77 | 21 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 134 | 117 | 22 | 3rd TBJHL |
| 1977-78 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 1 | ||||
| 23 | 4th TBJHL |
Playoffs
- 1972 Won League, Lost Hewitt-Dudley Memorial Trophy semi-final
- Thunder Bay Vulcans defeated Minnesota Jr. StarsSt. Paul VulcansThe St. Paul Vulcans are a defunct Junior A ice hockey franchise that was based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The franchise was a charter member of the United States Hockey League that started play with the 1979-80 season. The franchise was renamed the Twin Cities Vulcans for the start 1995 and...
4-games-to-none TBMJHL CHAMPIONS - Thunder Bay Vulcans defeated Smiths Falls BearsSmiths Falls BearsThe Smiths Falls Bears are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. They were original members, but then left Smiths Falls in 1976...
(CJHL) 4-games-to-1 - Guelph CMC'sGuelph CMC'sThe Guelph CMC's or sometimes known as the Guelph CMC's Biltmore Mad Hatters were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association as a Junior 'B' team in the Central League from 1956 to 1970, and merged with the Western A League's Guelph Beef Kings to become a Junior 'A' team from 1970...
(SOJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Vulcans 4-games-to-2- 1973 Lost Final/TBAHA Jack Adams Trophy final
- Thunder Bay Centennials defeated Westfort HurricanesWestfort HurricanesThe Westfort Hurricanes were a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Fort William, Ontario. The Herks were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were Abbott Cup finalists once.-History:...
4-games-to-2 - Thunder Bay Centennials defeated Fort William CanadiansFort William CanadiansThe Fort William Canadians were a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Fort William, Ontario. The Canadians were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were Abbott Cup finalists 3 times...
(TBJHL) 2-games-to-none - St. Paul Jr. StarsSt. Paul VulcansThe St. Paul Vulcans are a defunct Junior A ice hockey franchise that was based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The franchise was a charter member of the United States Hockey League that started play with the 1979-80 season. The franchise was renamed the Twin Cities Vulcans for the start 1995 and...
defeated Thunder Bay Centennials 4-games-to-none- 1974 Lost TBJHL final/Lost TBAHA semi-final
- Fort William CanadiansFort William CanadiansThe Fort William Canadians were a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Fort William, Ontario. The Canadians were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were Abbott Cup finalists 3 times...
defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 3-games-to-2- 1975 Lost Semi-final
- Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 4-games-to-2
- 1976 Lost Final
- Thunder Bay Beavers defeated Thunder Bay Hurricanes 4-games-to-2
- Thunder Bay Eagles defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 4-games-to-none
- 1977 Lost Semi-final
- Degagne Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 3-games-to-none and 1 tie
- 1978 Lost Semi-final
- Degagne Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 3-games-to-none