Thunder Bay Bearcats

Thunder Bay Bearcats
CityThunder Bay, Ontario
LeagueSuperior International Junior Hockey League
Operated2001 (2001)-2009
Home arenaFort William First Nations Arena
ColoursBurgundy, Yellow, and White
General managerIan Swalucynski
Head coachVern Ray
Franchise history
2001-2002First Nations Featherman Hawks
2002-2003Nipigon Featherman Hawks
2003-2006K&A First Nations Golden Hawks
2006-2009Thunder Bay Bearcats

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.

History

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 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.

Season-by-Season results

Mitch Marostica heads off ice (2008)
K&A First Nations Golden Hawks
Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
2001-02 48 29 15 4 0 219 157 62 2nd SIJHL
2002-03 52 11 36 1 4 173 312 27 5th SIJHL
2003-04 48 4 39 4 1 129 282 13 5th SIJHL
2004-05 48 15 27 5 1 142 202 36 4th SIJHL Lost semi-final
2005-06 52 14 34 2 2 202 270 32 4th SIJHL Lost semi-final
2006-07 50 29 17 1 3 250 201 62 3rd SIJHL Lost semi-final
2007-08 50 33 16 1 0 213 147 67 3rd SIJHL Lost semi-final
2008-09 50 33 11 - 6 221 142 72 2nd SIJHL Lost final

Playoffs

  • 2002 Lost semi-final
Dryden Ice Dogs defeated Nipigon Featherman Hawks 4-games-to-none
  • 2003 DNQ
  • 2004 DNQ
  • 2005 Lost semi-final
Fort William North Stars defeated K&A Golden Hawks 4-games-to-none
  • 2006 Lost semi-final
Fort William North Stars defeated K&A Golden Hawks 4-games-to-none
  • 2007 Lost semi-final
Schreiber Diesels defeated Thunder Bay Bearcats 4-games-to-2
  • 2008 Lost semi-final
Thunder Bay Bearcats defeated Thunder Bay Bulldogs 3-games-to-none
Fort William North Stars defeated Thunder Bay Bearcats 4-games-to-1
  • 2009 Lost final
Thunder Bay Bearcats defeated Fort Frances Jr. Sabres 4-games-to-1
Fort William North Stars defeated Thunder Bay Bearcats 4-games-to-1