THREE decades ago a new era of hockey took flight within the confines of the Fort William Gardens.
Gone were the Thunder Bay Twins, a perennial power in the senior ranks for nearly 20 years, and in came the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks, as part of the fledgling Colonial Hockey League.
However, a pair familiar faces from the Twins glory days, that featured five Allan Cup titles, were on board to guide the newly-minted Thunder Hawks.
They were general manager, the late Gary Cook, and head coach Bill McDonald, two legendary Lakehead hockey icons, that in the end, would prove once more they had what it took to win yet another championship.
The five-team CoHL, under former NHL referee, the affable Bob Myers, who was hired as league commissioner of the minor-pro loop, featured Thunder Bay, along with the Brantford Smoke, St. Thomas Wildcats, Flint Bulldogs and Michigan Falcons competing.
With a solid mix of local talent, combined with a cast of out of town players, who possessed everything from high-end skill to a robust style of competitiveness that would endear them greatly to the Gardens faithful.
Up front there was a dynamic offensive trio of Terry Menard, Gary Callaghan and Joe West, who would combine for 260 points during the course of the regular season.
Two of the early acquisitions made by Cook were a pair of blueliners in Mike Berger and Cam Plante.
Berger, the club’s eventual team captain, possessed a cannon for a slap shot, while the mild-mannered, playmaking Plante was as slick a passer of the puck that one could imagine.
Plante still holds the Western Hockey League record for most assists in a single season by a defenceman with 118, set in 1983-84.
Next came another D-man in Barry McKinlay, who would become of the best-ever players Colonial League history.
Add in home-grown talent on the blueline such as Vern Ray, Randy Cameron, Brock Shyiak and Ransome Drcar and the club’s back-end would put them in good stead come playoff time.
A couple of unheralded moves up front, at the time, bolstered the squad in terms of defensive responsibility and face offs when Cook signed centres Dan Bissonnette and Todd Howarth, which paid dividends come the postseason.
Add in diminutive, yet feisty forward Bryan Wells, the little keg of dynamite from Moosomin, Sask., became an immediate fan favourite from his rambunctious style of play while also producing at over a point-per-game pace.
Combined with added skill from the likes of Petr Bares, some how found by Cook out of the Czech Republic, and plenty of team toughness from the ever-popular Bruce Ramsay, Ray, Wells, Trevor Converse and current Lakehead University director of athletics, Tom Warden, bolstered Thunder Bay physically.
Add in goaltenders Steve Hogg and Pat Szturm, Cook’s efforts while tinkering with the roster throughout the season would prove to pay off.
Using his plethora of contacts throughout the hockey world, the highly-respected Cook brought in nearly 40 players, in all, that would dress for the Thunder Hawks throughout that initial year of the CoHL.
McDonald meanwhile continually tinkered with his line-up with the goal of being ready come playoff time.
The season and league-opener at the Gardens back on October 15, 1991 was a robust affair as Thunder Bay and Brantford exchanged plenty of goals and knuckles.
Led by a pair of West tallies and Szturm collecting the initial CoHL win, the Thunder Hawks prevailed 7-5 over the Smoke.
With bodies coming in and out during the 60-game slate, the squad went on to finish middle of the pack, going 26-28-6 overall, ending up behind Michigan and Brantford in the standings, but ahead of St. Thomas and Flint.
Next week, Part II on the Thunder Hawks and their inaugural run into minor professional hockey.