Lakehead Junior Hockey League
Federation(s) | Hockey Northwestern Ontario |
---|---|
President | Ron Whitehead |
Vice President | Josh Gribben |
Former name(s) | Thunder Bay Junior B/Juvenile/AAA Hockey League |
Founded | 1993 |
No. of teams | 5 |
Recent Champions | Current River Storm (2024) |
Most successful club | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks 12 |
Website | https://www.theljhl.com/ |
The Lakehead Junior Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in Northwestern Ontario, sanctioned by Hockey Northwestern Ontario[1] and Hockey Canada. An earlier edition of this league existed in the 1970s.
The Thunder Bay-based league has produced three Keystone Cup Western Canada Junior "B" champion and six Brewers Cup Western Canada Junior "C" champions.
History
Formerly referred to as the Thunder Bay Junior B/Juvenile/AAA Hockey League, the LJHL league has, in the past, mixed itself with Juvenile and Midget "AAA" teams in the Thunder Bay region for regular season games. In those seasons, only the Junior teams are eligible for the playoffs. The league playoff champions earn the right to compete for the
From 1996 until 2004, the TBJBHL competed against the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League in the William Ryan Trophy (Hockey Northwestern Ontario regionals) for the right to compete at the Keystone Cup. After the 2003–04 season, the NSHL folded with their last champion, the Wawa Travellers, losing their final game at the regional to the TBJBHL's Thunder Bay Northern Hawks.
1993–94 Hurricanes
The Fort William Hurricanes did not manage to win the league championship in its first season, but it won the league's first National medal. The Westfort Maroons won the league championship while the Hurricanes played host to the Keystone Cup. The Hurricanes finished the round robin with a 3–1–1 record, losing a tiebreaker for second place to the Kinistino Tigers (North Saskatchewan Junior B Hockey League) due to a head-to-head 4-1 loss. The Hurricanes defeated the North Okanagan Kings of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League 8-7 to win the Keystone Cup Bronze medal game.
1998–99 Hurricanes
At the Northern Ontario regionals, the Fort William Hurricanes were dropped by the
2003–04 Northern Hawks
In the 2003–04 season, the
2008–09 Wolverines
The
2011–12 Northern Hawks
The Northern Hawks finished first in the league with a 30–2–0 record. They blasted the Schreiber Falcons 3-games-to-none in a lopsided semifinal playoff series and then defeated the
Teams
Team | Centre | Arena | Joined |
---|---|---|---|
Current River Storm | Thunder Bay | Current River Arena | 2022 |
Nipigon Elks | Nipigon | Nipigon Community Centre | 1993 |
Schreiber Falcons | Schreiber | Schreiber Community Centre | 2011 |
Thunder Bay Bandits | Thunder Bay | Thunder Bay Tournament Centre | 2020 |
Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Thunder Bay | Thunder Bay Tournament Centre | 1999 |
Former teams
- Aguasabon River Rats (2004–05)
- First Nation Screaming Eagles (2010–11)
- Fort William Hurricanes (1993–2000)
- K&A Wolverines (2003–09) – joined Superior International Junior Hockey League; folded after 2009–10 season
- NNEC Wolfpack (2002–03)
- North End Flames Juvenile AAA (2005–08)
- Northern Renegades[3][4] (2011–13)
- Northwestern Wildcats (1993–97) – joined North of Superior Junior B Hockey League; folded after 2001-02 season
- Smooth Rock Falls Thunder (2015) – ceased operations before the start of the season
- Superior Eagles AAA (2008–09)
- Thunder Bay Kings AAA[5] (2008–11); (2015–19)
- Thunder Bay Stars (2009–17)
- Thunder Bay Fighting Walleye (2017–20) – sold and rebranded as Thunder Bay Bandits
- Thunder Bay Wildcats (2015) – ceased operations after nine games
- Thunder Bay Wolves (2000–01) – joined Superior International Junior Hockey League
- Westfort Maroons (1993–06)
Playoff Champions
Year | Champion | Finalist | Series | Central Canada Cup formerly Keystone Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | Westfort Maroons | Hurricanes – Bronze Maroons – 5th | ||
1995 | Fort William Hurricanes | |||
1996 | Northwestern Wildcats | |||
1997 | Northwestern Wildcats | |||
1998 | Fort William Hurricanes | DNQ | ||
1999 | Fort William Hurricanes | Gold | ||
2000 | Fort William Hurricanes | 4th | ||
2001 | Westfort Maroons | 5th | ||
2002 | Westfort Maroons | DNQ | ||
2003 | Nipigon Elks | 6th | ||
2004 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Westfort Maroons | 4-0 | 4th |
2005 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Aguasabon River Rats | 3-1 | 6th |
2006 | K&A Wolverines | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4-3 | 6th |
2007 | K&A Wolverines | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4-3-1 | 5th |
2008 | K&A Wolverines | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4-2 | 6th |
2009 | K&A Wolverines | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4-0 | Wolverines – Silver Northern Hawks – 6th |
2010 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Thunder Bay Stars | 4-0 | 6th |
2011 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Thunder Bay Stars | 4-0 | 6th |
2012 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Nipigon Elks | 4-1 | Silver |
2013 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Nipigon Elks | 4-0 | 5th |
2014 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks[6] | Thunder Bay Stars | 4-1 | 4th of 6 |
2015 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Thunder Bay Stars | 4-0 | 4th of 6 |
2016 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Thunder Bay Stars | 4-2 | 6th of 6 |
2017 | Nipigon Elks | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4-1 | 6th of 6 |
2018 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Thunder Bay Fighting Walleye | 4-1 | Northern Hawks – Gold Fighting Walleye – Bronze |
2019 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Thunder Bay Fighting Walleye | 4-1 | Northern Hawks – Gold Fighting Walleye – Silver |
2022 | Thunder Bay Bandits | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4-1 | Event cancelled |
Year | Champion | Finalist | Series | Central Canada Cup |
2023 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | Schreiber Falcons | 4-2 | Schreiber Falcons – Runner up
Northern Hawks – third |
2024 | Current River Storm | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4-0 | Current River Storm - semifinalist |
2023 Playoffs
- Playoffs are best-of seven series. Winner advances to the da Cup
Play IN | Semifinals | LJHL Finals | ||||||||||||
Seed 1 | Schrieber Falcons | 4 | ||||||||||||
Seed 2 | Nipigon Elks | 0 | ||||||||||||
4 | ||||||||||||||
5 | ||||||||||||||
Seed 1 | Schrieber Falcons | 2 | ||||||||||||
Seed 2 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4 | ||||||||||||
Seed 4 | Nipigon Elks | 2 | ||||||||||||
Seed 3 | Current River Storm | 3 | ||||||||||||
Seed 4 | Thunder Bay Northern Hawks | 4 | ||||||||||||
Seed 5 | Thunder Bay Bandits | 0 |
References
- ^ "Junior & Senior Teams". Hockey Northwestern Ontario. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ "Local hockey players enjoy northern exposure". Brantford Expositor. 5 June 2012.
- ^ "Junior B hockey coming to Dryden". Kenora Daily Miner and News. 4 August 2011.
- ^ "Renegades host home opener at Eagle Lake rink". The Dryden Observer. 1 November 2011.
- ^ "Thunder Bay a Great Hockey Town (Part 1: Minor Hockey)". Hockey's Future. 8 January 2010.
- ^ "Northern Hawks capture 6th straight title". The Chronicle-Journal. 4 April 2014.