Thunder Bay Twins
Shop retro Thunder Bay Twins tees and hoodies. Born in 1970 when Fort William and Port Arthur merged, the Twins combined the Bearcats and Beavers at Fort William Gardens and won five Allan Cups, in 1975, 1984, 1985, 1988 and 1989. Celebrate one of Canada's great senior hockey dynasties by browsing all of our Twins gear, then read the team history below. Vintage Ice Hockey Canada is a small business that keeps the designs and history of forgotten hockey clubs alive.
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Thunder Bay Twins History
The Thunder Bay Twins were a Senior A hockey team that played from 1970 to 1991 out of Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The team was originally formed when the cities of Fort William and Port Arthur merged in 1970 to create Thunder Bay. At the time, each city had its own Senior A team: the Fort William Bearcats and the Port Arthur Beavers, both with storied histories. These teams also merged to form the Thunder Bay Twins.
The Twins initially joined the USHL when it was still a semi-pro Senior league in 1970. They enjoyed a solid five-year run in the USHL, which culminated in an Allan Cup victory in 1975. After that, the team stayed closer to home and joined the OHA Senior A league for the 1975-76 season. During this time, Bill Goldthorpe played four games for the Twins, racking up 69 penalty minutes.
The team was a dominant force in Senior A hockey during the 1980s, winning the Allan Cup in 1984, 1985, 1988, and 1989, for a total of five championships during their tenure.
The Twins' run came to an end after the 1991-92 season as the new Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) was set to arrive at Fort William Gardens, effectively leading to the team's demise. The CoHL expanded with the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks, who later changed their name to the Senators and then to the Thunder Cats before leaving in 1999.
