Thunder Bay Northern Hawks Head Coach Frank Filice has an early goal of “finding the right line combinations early in the season and getting all of our players to compete at their highest level and try to get the most out of them.”

The Northern Hawks come into the 2024/2025 season having earned a spot in the Lakehead Junior Hockey League (LJHL) final for three consecutive years and have won the Joe Ward Memorial Trophy a total of twelve times. Their last title came in 2023 against the Schreiber Falcons.

“We knew we were competitive last year and had a good chance of being in the finals,” Filice said. “I thought we had an all-round solid team but lacked a little more depth. This could have helped us throughout the finals, which in turn would have made us a little more competitive with the Current River Storm. They were solid from back to front and had depth throughout their lineup which helped them significantly.”

The Northern Hawks finished third in the regular season standings with fourteen wins. They ousted the Falcons in the semi-finals in six games before being swept by the Storm in the league championship series.

“Expectations are always high on the returning players,” added Filice. “They are the backbone of the team and help lead the way for the new guys. We are looking at a 60% return rate on last year’s team and will be searching for some solid new faces.”

The Northern Hawks are entering their second year as affiliates of the Thunder Bay North Stars of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) which will allow them to utilize affiliate players and will help construct their roster with players that can’t find a spot with the Junior ‘A’ club.

“Roster spots are always open [on our team],” Filice discussed. “There is loyalty to our players and with our team, but if the right players come along, we always find room for them.”

The Northern Hawks are the second oldest franchise in the league with the Nipigon Elks being an original franchise since the league began play in 1993.

The Northern Hawks play their home games on the traditional territory of the Fort William First Nation, signatory to the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850.

The Lakehead Junior Hockey League proudly acknowledges and celebrates the history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis across Canada. We also continue to learn and educate ourselves in the spirit of reconciliation.

Bandits and Northern Hawks photo courtesy of Gary Moskalyk