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

In 1972, the Hurricanes broke away from the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League to join the

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

-based Can-Am Junior Hockey League. A year later, that league became the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The Herks stayed on board for one Midwest Junior season before returning to the TBJHL.

Dave Siciliano Dave Siciliano (born July 1946) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and player. He played university hockey for the Lakehead Nor'Westers, and led them to the International Collegiate Hockey Association championship as the most valuable playe ...

coached the Hurricanes during the 1973–74 season. His team completed the regular season in first place with 45 wins in 60 games. In the

1974 Centennial Cup The 1974 Centennial Cup is the fourth Tier II Junior "A" 1974 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League. The Royal Bank Cup, Centennial Cup was competed for by the winners of the Abbott Cup, Western Canadian Champion ...

playoffs, the Hurricanes defeated the Wexford Raiders four games to three in the first round, then were defeated four games to three by the Smiths Falls Bears in the second round. The MWJHL later merged and solidified the United States Hockey League. The Buccaneers folded on July 6, 1980 when the TBAHA left them with no league to play in.

Season-by-season standings

Playoffs

*1971 ''Lost Final'' :Westfort Hurricanes defeated Fort William Canadians ''3-games-to-2'' : Thunder Bay Marrs defeated Westfort Hurricanes ''4-games-to-1'' *1972 ''Lost Semi-final'' : Minnesota Jr. Stars defeated Westfort Hurricanes ''2-games-to-none'' *1973 ''Lost Quarter-final/Canadian TBAHA Semi-final'' : Thunder Bay Centennials defeated Westfort Hurricanes ''4-games-to-2'' *1974 ''Won TBAHA Jack Adams Trophy final, Lost

Hewitt-Dudley Memorial Trophy The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Canada, Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey L ...

final'' :Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated

Thunder Bay Eagles The Port Arthur Marrs were a junior ice hockey team that played in Port Arthur, Ontario (now part of the city of Thunder Bay). They were named for trucking company and sponsor W.H. Marr, Ltd., and contested the 1967 Memorial Cup, which they lost ...

( TBJHL) ''3-games-to-none'' :Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated Fort William Canadians ( TBJHL) ''4-games-to-none'' JACK ADAMS TROPHY CHAMPIONS :Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated Wexford Raiders (

OPJHL The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best ...

) ''4-games-to-3'' : Smiths Falls Bears ( CJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Hurricanes ''4-games-to-3'' *1975 ''Lost Final'' :Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated

Thunder Bay Beavers 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 G ...

''4-games-to-2'' :

defeated Thunder Bay Hurricanes ''4-games-to-1'' *1976 ''Lost Semi-final'' :

defeated Thunder Bay Hurricanes ''4-games-to-2'' *1977 ''Lost Final'' :Degagne Hurricanes defeated

''3-games-to-none and 1 tie'' :

defeated Degagne Hurricanes ''4-games-to-1'' *1978 ''Won League, Lost

Quarter-final'' :Degagne Hurricanes defeated

''3-games-to-none'' :Degagne Hurricanes defeated Atikokan Voyageurs ''4-games-to-none'' TBJHL CHAMPIONS :

Guelph Platers The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Ontario Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They were originally known as the CMC's un ...

(

) defeated Degagne Hurricanes ''4-games-to-none'' *1979 ''Lost Final'' : Thunder Bay North Stars defeated Degagne Buccaneers ''4-games-to-1'' *1980 ''Lost Final'' : Thunder Bay North Stars defeated Degagne Buccaneers ''4-games-to-none with 1 tie''

Championships

'' TBJHL Champions'': :1942, 1943, 1952, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974*, 1978 '' Abbott Cup Finalists'': :1970 ''

Dudley Hewitt Cup The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...

/Eastern Centennial Cup Semi Final Champion'' :1974 ''(*) denotes: Herks played in MWJHL, rejoined TBJHL for playoffs.''

Notable alumni

''Fort William Hurricane-Rangers'' * Gus Bodnar * Alex Delvecchio * Bill Johansen * Bud Poile ''Fort William Hurricanes'' *

Mike Busniuk Michael Busniuk (born December 13, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He is the younger brother of Ron Busniuk. Busniuk was selected 67th overall, in the 5th round of the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, by the Montreal Ca ...

Larry Cahan Lawrence Louis Henry Cahan (December 25, 1933 – June 25, 1992), was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Oakland Seals, L ...

Dave Gatherum David Robert Gatherum (born March 28, 1932) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 3 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1953–54 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from ...

* Ed Kachur * Dennis Owchar *

Don Poile Donald Bruce Poile (born June 1, 1932) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 67 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings between 1954 and 1958. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1952 to 1962, ...

Vic Venasky Victor William Venasky (born March 6, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings between 1972 and 1979. Career As a junior, Venasky played on the Port Arthur Ma ...

* Tommy Williams *

Gord Wilson Gordon Allan Wilson (born August 13, 1932) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played two playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins during the 1954–55 season. The rest of his career, which lasted fr ...

''Westfort Hurricanes'' *

Lou Nistico Louis Charles Nistico (25 January 1953 – 27 November 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 3 games in the National Hockey League and 186 games in the World Hockey Association. He played with the Colorado Rockies, Toro ...

Murray Wing Murray Alan Wing (born October 14, 1950) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in one game in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1973–74 season, on April 7, 1974 against the Chicago ...

Benny Woit Benedict Francis Woit (January 7, 1928 – December 7, 2016) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks between 1951 and 1956. With Detroit he won the Stanley Cup th ...

''Thunder Bay Westfort Hurricanes'' http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayersByTeam.jsp?team=Thunder+Bay+Hurricanes *

Mike Hordy Michael Hordy (born October 10, 1956 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played eleven games in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as t ...

Trevor Johansen Trevor Daniel Johansen (born March 30, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played 286 games in the National Hockey League. Johansen was drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto M ...

References

{{Reflist Defunct junior ice hockey teams in Canada Hockey Northwestern Ontario