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Thunder Bay Bombers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thunder Bay Bombers
CityThunder Bay, Ontario
LeagueIndependent
Operated2003-2006
Home arenaFort William Gardens
ColoursGreen, Black, and White
General managerAlbert Drake (2004-05)
Dean Filane (2005-06)
Head coachVern Ray (2004-05)
Vern Ray (2005-06)
Franchise history
2003-2004Thunder Bay Twins
2004-2006Thunder Bay Bombers

The Thunder Bay Bombers were a Canadian Senior ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario. They played an independent schedule under the supervision of Hockey Northwestern Ontario. They were 2005 Allan Cup Canadian National Champions.

History

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The Twins were founded in 2003. A year later, under different management, they changed their name to the Bombers. The name Bombers was inspired by the hockey movie Youngblood and colours by that then worn by the San Jose Sharks.

In 2005, after shocking Major League Hockey's Aylmer Blues 2-games-to-none to win the Ontario seed and Renwick Cup, the Bombers went out to Lloydminster and captured the 2005 Allan Cup. This marked the first Allan Cup championship by an Ontario team since 1989 by the original Thunder Bay Twins.

The Bombers spent much of the 2005-06 season touring Europe as representatives of Hockey Canada, only to get quickly ejected from the playoffs by the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League's Whitby Dunlops. In Europe, they competed in a tournament for the Pannon GSM Cup in Budapest, Hungary. After tying the Croatia National Team 1-1, they lost 6-1 to the Slovenia National Team and 6-4 to the Hungary National Team. The team went home with an 0-2-1 record and the tournament's Bronze Medal. Losing a lot of money from the European trip, the teams suspended operations for the 2006-07 season, opening the door for a new regional team to take their playoff spot, the Kenora Thistles.

Winning roster

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