Superior International Junior Hockey League

The Superior International Junior Hockey League is a Tier II Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The winner of the SIJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup then moves on to compete for the Royal Bank Cup.

History

Although founded in 2001, the SIJHL is another chapter in a long history of Thunder Bay Junior "A" Hockey. The Fort William War Veterans were the first representatives of the Thunder Bay region, winning the 1922 Memorial Cup as Canadian National Junior "A" Champions. Although there is not abundant information on the subject, the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League may date back to the War Veterans, and may have existed on-and-off until 1984. From 1984 until 2000, the region (Hockey Northwestern Ontario) was represented by a single team at the Junior "A" level -- the Thunder Bay Flyers. The Flyers played their regular season games in the United States Hockey League, America's Tier I of Junior Hockey, and returned to Canada for the playoffs. The Flyers won the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Junior Champions in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, and 1995. The Flyers were also National Champions in 1989 and 1992, winning the Centennial Cup. The Flyers folded after the 1999-2000 USHL Season.

The Northwestern Ontario region has also been well represented in the past in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. From 1968 until 1982, the city of Kenora, Ontario was represented by the Kenora Muskies/Thistles and in the mid-1980s, Thunder Bay had an entry with the Thunder Bay Hornets.

The folding of the Thunder Bay Flyers opened the way for a rebirth of Junior "A" hockey in the Thunder Bay region. The league came back to life under the "Superior International" label in 2001 with 5 teams, including the Thunder Bay Wolves (now the Fort William North Stars), the First Nation Featherman Hawks (now the Thunder Bay Bearcats), the Fort Frances Borderland Thunder, Dryden Ice Dogs, and the Thunder Bay Bulldogs.

In 2006, the Fort William North Stars won the Dudley Hewitt Cup to earn the team and the league its first regional title and its first shot at the national title at the Royal Bank Cup 2006.

The current SIJHL includes the Fort William North Stars, the Thunder Bay Bearcats, the Dryden Ice Dogs, the Sioux Lookout Flyers, the Schreiber Diesels, and the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres. The Sabres replaced the Borderland Thunder, who played in Fort Frances years before. The Bottineau Lumberjacks played a part time schedule with the league before returning to the US Junior College hockey ranks for the playoffs in 2005-06.

There are numerous potential markets in Northern Ontario like Kenora, Red Lake, Ignace, Atikokan, and Wawa yet to be explored by the SIJHL. League chairman Ron Whitehead has also spoken about the potential for expansion into the United States [cite web|url=http://www.fftimes.com/node/81196|title=SIJHL returning to town this fall|author=Justin Holmes|Publisher=Fort Frances Times|accessdate=November 25|accessyear=2007|date=June 13, 2007] , with markets such as nearby Duluth and other towns throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin offering notable potential for growth in the SIJHL.

The presence of the SIJHL in Northwestern Ontario marks the first time since the 1970s that the region has effectively supported a junior hockey league.

On December 17, 2007, it was announced that the Schreiber Diesels folded mid-season, without warning. The organization claimed disappointment in the season's fan support, but also said it was not only reason for the cessation of play. [ [http://www.sijhl.com/web/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=282&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=48] ] On December 21, the team was bought by a group of local fans in an effort to keep the Diesels alive. [ [http://www.fftimes.com/Sports/Diesels-get-back-on-track/24-Dec-2007] ] But with good came the ugly. The Marathon Renegades at one point were as high as third place in the SIJHL this season, but after 37 games played were forced to resign from the rest of the 2007-08 campaign. Their problems resulted from weeks of playing with just over two lines of players. Injuries and early defections were blamed for this. Al Cresswell, team president, claimed that the shortage of players had become a health risk. The Renegades have not suspended operations, but have pulled out of the season. [ [http://www.sijhl.com/web/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=316&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=48] ]

Although the 2008-09 season will probably not see a return for the Marathon Renegades, the Fort Frances Times reported an effort to bring franchises to Sioux Lookout and Wawa for the coming season [ [http://www.fortfrancestimes.com/Sports/SIJHL-scrambling-after-defending-champs-fold/19-Dec-2007] ] . The result was the expansion of the Sioux Lookout Flyers. At the same time though, in an effort to help build up the local Thunder Bay Kings midget program the SIJHL agreed to allow the Thunder Bay Bulldogs to fold and be absorbed into the Thunder Bay Bearcats franchise.

The Teams

2008-09 Bill Salonen Cup Playoffs

:"For the next round of the playoffs, please go to the Dudley Hewitt Cup."

:"For the National Championship, please go to the 2009 Royal Bank Cup."

3RoundBracket-Byes | RD1=Quarter-final
RD2=Semi-final
RD3=Salonen Cup
group1=
group2=
RD1-seed1=
RD1-team1=
RD1-score1=
RD1-seed2=
RD1-team2=
RD1-score2=

RD1-seed3=
RD1-team3=
RD1-score3=
RD1-seed4=
RD1-team4=
RD1-score4=

RD1-seed5=
RD1-team5=
RD1-score5=
RD1-seed6=
RD1-team6=
RD1-score6=

RD1-seed7=
RD1-team7=
RD1-score7=
RD1-seed8=
RD1-team8=
RD1-score8=

RD2-seed1=
RD2-team1=
RD2-score1=
RD2-seed2=
RD2-team2=
RD2-score2=

RD2-seed3=
RD2-team3=
RD2-score3=
RD2-seed4=
RD2-team4=
RD2-score4=

RD3-seed1=
RD3-team1=
RD3-score1=
RD3-seed2=
RD3-team2=
RD3-score2=

Bill Salonen Cup Champions

:2008 Dryden Ice Dogs:2007 Schreiber Diesels:2006 Fort William North Stars:2005 Fort William North Stars:2004 Fort William North Stars:2003 Fort Frances Borderland Thunder:2002 Dryden Ice Dogs

Former Member Teams

*Fort Frances Borderland Thunder
*Marathon Renegades
*Thunder Bay Bulldogs

Former Interleague Teams

*Iron Range Yellow Jackets
*Minot State University-Bottineau Lumberjacks
*Northwest Wisconsin Knights

ee also

*Hockey Northwestern Ontario
*Canadian Junior A Hockey League
*Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League
*Thunder Bay Flyers
*Thunder Bay Bombers
*Royal Bank Cup
*Dudley Hewitt Cup

References

External links

* [http://www.sijhl.pointstreaksites.com/ SIJHL's Official Website]
* [http://www.tommyhockey.com/ Hockey Northwestern Ontario Website]