OVER the years, a plethora of local minor hockey teams went on to achieve tremendous success on the ice.
On such club was the Thunder Bay Andrews, who 40 years ago became the first squad from the city to medal at the national midget, now under-18, championship, as they brought home a bronze medal from the then 1983 Air Canada Cup in Ste-Foy, Que.
Action there featured the 12 Canadian Amateur Hockey Association branch champions from across the country taking part, with the Andrews representing the Thunder Bay AHA.
Coached by Alex (Moe) Irving, himself an excellent player himself in his junior and senior hockey playing days with the Fort William Hurricane-Rangers and Fort William Beavers respectively, he went on to attain equal success behind the bench locally as well.
Back in ’83, the Andrews rolled through the round robin at the ACC, as the only unbeaten team in going 5-0.
They began with a narrow 4-3 decision over the Sherwood Park Chain Gang from Alberta to open the proceedings.
Tony Hrkac tallied twice in the result, featuring the winner, via the man advantage, with just over five minutes remaining.
After that came a 6-2 decision over Saint John, N.B., to see them move to 2-0.
Game 3 saw Donnie Porter strike on the power play, early in the third period, to break open a tie game with the eventual difference maker, in a 6-2 victory over Corner Brook, Newfoundland.
Also finding the back of the net in the result were Albert Aiello; Danny Nummikoski; Murray Nystrom; Stuart Robinson and Hrkac.
Next came a 5-1 triumph over Sherwood Parkdale from Charlottetown, P.E.I., as they were once again led by Hrkac, who tallied twice and helped set-up another.
Porter also potted a pair and Ryan Margarit had a single.
Finishing up the round robin, Porter had a natural hat trick, along with an assist, as part of a 6-3 decision versus the Ottawa-West Knights.
Hrkac had a trio of helpers, including on Jamie Kompon’s game-winner, while Aiello and Nystrom also scored.
Quarter-final action featured Thunder Bay taking on Corner Brook once more, where they skated away with an 8-5 result, in a high-scoring affair.
Suffering their first loss at the ACC, the upstart Regina Pat Canadians saw future NHLer Brent Fedyk strike four times to help lead his club to an eventual 6-2 win over the Andrews in semifinal play.
Tim Tamblyn and Nummikoski provided the Thunder Bay markers.
Finding their form at the right time, Regina had knocked off the previously unbeaten hosts from Ste-Foy to help secure a playoff spot, then beat the favoured Don Mills Flyers 4-3 in quarter-final action, after the Flyers clipped them 5-1 in round robin competition.
Don Mills had boasted the top goaltender award recipient Kirk McLean between the pipes.
This was the same McLean who went on to play 772 National Hockey League games, mainly with the Vancouver Canucks.
He also had stints with the New Jersey Devils; Carolina Hurricanes; Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.
McLean proved to be one of 14 individuals who took part in the 1983 Air Canada Cup, that went on to compete in the NHL.
Among the others was Saint John blueliner Don Sweeney, the current general manager of the Boston Bruins.
Regrouping, Andrews bounced back to thump Sherwood Park 6-1 in the bronze medal game.
In earning the first-ever medal for a contingent from the Lakehead, the Andrews finished with a solid 7-1 overall record.
Their seven victories still rank as the most-ever by a team from Thunder Bay in any single national midget (U-18) affair.
Porter went on to earn Most Valuable Player laurels, while Hrkac was the leading scorer that year.
Along with Irving as head coach, Jim Montroy as his assistant, and trainer Larry Wood, the team boasted a wide-array of talent.
Leading that contingent of course was Hrkac.
Still the NCAA Division I men’s hockey record holder for points in a single season with 116, when he starred at the University of North Dakota, he went on to a lengthy NHL career, winning a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars.
Currently a professional scout with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Hrkac has two more Stanley Cup rings to his credit, from his time bird-dogging for the Bolts.
He is not the only one from that Andrews team, who has had NHL success however.
As a defenceman with the Andrews, Jamie Kompon, is presently an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers.
He already has two Stanley Cups to his acclaim while on the coaching staffs of the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings.
Presently Kompon also has the opportunity to achieve something that no one else has ever done.
Should the Panthers continue their winning ways in the playoffs, and collect five more victories in the 2023 postseason, Kompon would become the first person in NHL history to win a trio of Stanley Cups, as an assistant coach, with three different teams.
Nystrom was another who learned a thing or two from Irving, and turned it into a profession, coaching in USPORTS for two decades at both Brock and the University of Lethbridge.
Add in many others from that squad, who went on earn NCAA scholarships and make their marks in the game, and famed for sporting orange jerseys, with green trim, throughout the season, the Thunder Bay Andrews remain one of the premier minor hockey teams from the city that accomplished great things.
TEAM ROSTER
Front row (left-to-right): Patrick Stzurm; Wayne Berlinquette (A); Larry Wood (Trainer); Alex (Moe) Irving (Head Coach); Tony Hrkac (C); Jim Montroy (Assistant Coach); Don Smith (Branch Rep); Tim Tamblyn (A); Justin Malloy
Second row (left-to-right): Bruce Rendall; Rob Isbell; Doug Longley; Jamie McGillvary; Rod Brescia; Jamie Kompon
Third row (left-to-right): Stuart Robinson; Ryan Margarit; Donnie Porter; Murray Nystrom
Fourth row (left-to-right): Dan Nummikoski; Scott Young; Albert Aiello