The Thunder Bay Bandits are a
Canadian junior B ice hockey team based in
Thunder Bay, Ontario. They play in the
Lakehead Junior Hockey League eligible to compete for the
Keystone Cup Junior B championship of
Western Canada.
History
The Thunder Bay Stars joined the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League in 2009. The team was formed after the
K&A Wolverines
The Thunder Bay K&A Wolverines were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They were members of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. They played in the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League of Hockey Northweste ...
accepted an invitation to play Junior A in the
Superior International Junior Hockey League
The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is a junior A ice hockey league and a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The league operates in the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of M ...
.
In both 2010 and 2011, the Stars finished third in the regular season, but managed to upset the second place
Nipigon Elks
The Nipigon Elks are a Canadian Junior B ice hockey team based in Nipigon, Ontario. They play in the Lakehead Junior Hockey League of Hockey Northwestern Ontario.
History
The Elks are five-time Western Canadian Brewers Cup champions. They won th ...
in the league semi-finals to earn entrance into the league finals. In both cases, the Stars were defeated by the
Thunder Bay Northern Hawks.
At the end of the 2016–17 season, long-time Stars owners Dave and Scott Simpson sold the franchise to Derek Geddes. The team was rebranded as the Thunder Bay Fighting Walleye.
For the 2018 season British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan elected not to participate in the
Keystone Cup. As a result, the tournament was reorganized to feature the LJHL and
KJHL champion and runner-up. Although the Thunder Bay Northern Hawks won the LJHL championship, the new format allowed the Fighting Walleye make their first Keystone Cup tournament. They returned to the Keystone Cup the following season as well, and then were awarded hosting duties for the 2020 tournament.
However, the 2020 tournament would be cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the 2020–21 season the team rebranded once again as the Kam River Pickerel, but was instead sold and rebranded again as Thunder Bay Bandits.
Season-by-season standings
Keystone Cup history
Central Canadian Jr. B Championships (Northern Ontario to Saskatchewan)
References
{{reflist
Ice hockey teams in Ontario
Sport in Thunder Bay