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"Nor'Westers" was the name of the sports teams of Lakehead University, located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, from 1965-66 to 1984-85. After folding their team for 17 seasons, L.U. came back to life in 2001-02 with teams called the "Thunderwolves". They are now members of Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and U Sports (formerly known as CIS).

Their websites are www.thunderwolves.ca and www.thunderwolveshockey.com.

Lakehead Nor'Westers[]

Lakehead-norwesters-leaf-colourized3-50x50

The Lakehead Nor'Westers started in 1965-66 in the International Collegiate Hockey Association (ICHA) where they played American teams from the NAIA. In 1967 they won the conference title. In 1971 and 1973 they lost the final of the NAIA National Championship, both times to the Bemidji State Beavers, now in the NCAA. The ICHA also included future NCAA contenders the Lake Superior Lakers and the St. Cloud State Huskies. The records for that league are sparse. There are many stories floating around, which are linked at the ICHA page.

The Nor'Westers joined the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) in 1972-73 where they played until 1984-85. The Nor'Westers were one of the founding GPAC teams, along with the Brandon Bobcats, Winnipeg Wesmen, and Manitoba Bisons. Their only GPAC title was won in 1973. There was no playoff. Lakehead was first with a 9-3 record, 2 points ahead of the Wesmen. In the University Cup quarter-finals they lost 3-1 and 9-3 to the Alberta Golden Bears.

The GPAC teams played a relatively short schedule in those early years, which allowed the Nor'Westers to continue playing in the ICHA for a few more years. Eventually the GPAC teams picked up their schedules, and the addition of the Regina Cougars in 1976-77 made the league more competitive. After Lakehead's one title, the Bisons, Cougars, and Bobcats each won 4 titles and Lakehead never really came close again.

The Nor'Westers returned to the Thunder Bay local ranks in 1980-81 and 1981-82 when they participated in the Thunder Bay Hockey League.

In 1984-85 the once proud team went 0-24 in a four team conference (the Wesmen had folded after the 1983-84 season). A suspension of Brandon for illegal payments to athletes allowed the winless Nor'Westers to make the playoffs. They lost to Regina by scores of 8-2 and 8-1 in a dismal semi-final series.

Season-by-Season Records[]

Year/Comp. GP W L T GF GA Pts Placing
1966 ICHA 6 1 5 0 ? ? 2 3rd
1967 ICHA 12 10 2 0 ? ? 20 2nd/champions
1968 ICHA 16 9 7 0 83 85 18 3rd
1969 ICHA 16 8 7 1 104 68 17 3rd
1970 ICHA 12 4 8 0 50 80 8 3rd
1971 ICHA 12 7 4 1 52 49 15 2nd
1971 NAIA 2 1 1 0 8 11 2 finalist
1972 ICHA 12 5 6 1 53 52 11 T-2nd
1973 GPAC 12 9 3 0 68 52 18 champions
1973 U-Cup 2 0 2 0 4 12 0 regional
1973 ICHA 12 4 8 0 46 67 8 T-3rd
1973 NAIA 3 2 1 0 18 14 4 finalist
1974 GPAC 18 6 12 0 87 103 12 4th
1974 ICHA 12 6 5 1 ? ? 13 3rd
1975 GPAC 17 7 9 1 91 106 15 3rd
1975 ICHA 8 4 4 0 ? ? 8 T-2nd#
1975 NAIA 1 0 1 0 4 8 0 quarter-finals
1976 GPAC 18 8 10 0 73 84 16 3rd
1976 ICHA 12 5 7 0 - - 10 3rd
1977 GPAC 22 9 12 1 96 93 19 3rd
1977 ICHA 12 7 4 1 - - 15 2nd
1978 GPAC 22 16 6 0 ? ? 32 2nd
1978 Playoffs 3 1 2 0 13 16 2 finalist
1979 GPAC 22 7 14 1 ? ? 15 4th
1980 GPAC 20 5 15 0 93 131 10 4th
1981 GPAC 24 2 22 0 86 208 4 5th
1981 TBHL 24 7 17 0 140 188 14 4th
1981 TB playoffs 3 0 3 0 ? ? 0 semi-finals
1982 GPAC 24 7 15 2 118 176 16 4th
1982 TBHL 9 4 5 0 58 61 16 4th
1982 TB playoffs 11 6 5 0 ? ? 12 finalist
1983 GPAC 24 10 14 0 106 140 20 4th
1984 GPAC 24 9 14 1 111 168 19 4th
1985 GPAC 24 0 24 0 77 243 0 4th
1985 Playoffs 2 0 2 0 3 16 0 semi-finals

Note: 1974-75 ICHA season record is incomplete. The team was 4-4-0 against  Bemidji and St. Scholastica. The WI-Superior results are missing on that team's website and the Lakehead website only goes back to results as the Thunderwolves.

International Games[]

Canada West Team Sites[]

Current Teams[]

Former Teams[]

Nor'westers era also see ...[]

Lakehead Thunderwolves[]

Lakehead-wolf-50x50

When hockey (and other sports) returned to Thunder Bay in 2001-02, there was a new name, look, and logo. The Lakehead Thunderwolves were also in the OUA. They won the conference title in 2006. They qualified for the University Cup in 2003 (as national wild-card), 2006 (as OUA champion), and 2009 and 2010 (as tournament host). In 2006 Lakehead won their pool and advanced to the U-Cup final where they lost 3-2 to the Alberta Golden Bears. The new team has been privately run and always leads the OUA in attendance. (Much like Laval in football.)

Season-by-Season Records[]

Year/Comp. GP W L T F A Pts Placing
2002 OUA 24 13 8 3 94 85 29 2nd FW
2002 Playoffs 5 3 2 0 17 14 6 FW final
2003 OUA 24 18 6 0 125 64 36 2nd FW
2003 Playoffs 6 5 1 0 31 16 10 bronze
2003 U-Cup 2 0 2 0 4 6 0 3rd pool
Year/Comp. GP W L T OL F A Pts Placing
2004 OUA 24 18 4 2 0 124 59 38 2nd FW
2004 Playoffs 6 4 2 - - 19 14 8 FW final
2005 OUA 24 15 8 1 0 105 65 31 2nd FW
2005 Playoffs 7 5 2 - - ? ? 10 FW finals
2006 OUA 24 13 9 2 0 86 61 28 3rd FW
2006 Playoffs 9 7 2 - - 23 16 14 champions
2006 U-Cup 3 2 1 - - 10 8 4 silver
2007 OUA 28 13 10 3 2 114 105 31 3rd FW
2007 Playoffs 4 2 2 - - 11 14 4 W semis
Year/Comp. GP W L OL F A Pts Placing
2008 OUA 28 23 4 1 129 68 47 1st FW
2008 Playoffs 6 3 3 0 ? ? 6 W final
2009 OUA 28 18 8 2 103 69 38 4th FW
2009 Playoffs 5 3 2 0 ? ? 6 W semis
2009 U-Cup 2 0 2 0 2 5 0 3rd pool
2010 OUA 28 19 7 2 138 93 40 3rd W
2010 Playoffs 8 6 2 0 ? ? 12 finalist
2010 U-Cup 2 1 1 0 10 7 2 2nd pool
2011 OUA 28 16 9 3 118 83 35 3rd W
2011 Playoffs 2 0 2 - ? ? 0 W quarters
2012 OUA 28 19 9 0 110 79 38 3rd W
2012 Playoffs 6 3 3 - ? ? 6 W semis
2013 OUA 28 17 9 2 109 98 36 3rd W
2013 Playoffs 2 0 2 - ? ? 0 W quarters
2014 OUA 28 17 8 3 90 81 37 2nd W
2014 Playoffs 7 4 3 - ? ? 8 fourth
2015 OUA 27 10 14 3 109 113 23 7th W
2015 Playoffs 4 2 2 - ? ? 4 W semis
2016 OUA 28 8 16 4 77 111 20 9th W
2017 OUA 28 13 13 2 89 107 28 W 7th
2017 Playoffs 2 0 2 - 3 6 0 W quarters
2018 OUA 28 12 11 5 70 86 29 W 7th ø
2018 playoffs 3 1 2 - 6 11 2 W quarters
2019 OUA 28 12 15 1 82 103 25 W 9th
2020 OUA 28 13 12 3 85 105 29 W 7th
2020 playoffs 2 0 2 - 2 6 0 W quarters
2021 OUA Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022 OUA 16 6 9 1 54 78 13 W 5th
2023 OUA 27 18 6 3 103 79 39 W 1st
2023 playoffs 7 3 4 - 17 22 6 fourth

Notes:

  • ø UQTR forfeited 8 wins and 3 OT losses (19 pts) for using an ineligible player. The teams that benefited are: Lakehead (4 pts), Laurentian (4), Nipissing (3), Carleton (2), Queen's (2).
  • OUA had been operating in a four division format when Lakehead entered.'
  • OUA went to a two division format in 2009-10
  • OUA went back to a four division format for 2021-22
  • FW means Far West division
  • W means West division

OUA Team Links[]

West Division[]

East Division[]

Thunderwolves era also see ...[]

Commemorations[]

University Cups[]

Championships[]

  • ICHA: 1967, 1971
  • GPAC: 1973
  • OUA: 2006

Pictures[]

Norwesters-Lak btn

Lakehead Norwesters

Lakehead players athletics-2

Dwight Stirrett, Dave Siciliano, and Murray Smith

1970-71-Lakehead-program

1970-71 Program

72-73LakeU

1972-73 Lakehead Norwesters

Logo thunderwolves

Lakehead Thunderwolves 2013

02-03LakThu

Lakehead 2002-03

05-06LakehUniv

2006 Lakehead University Cup

Lakehead-trophy-history 4
Bisons-at-lakehead-2009

Manitoba v Lakehead 2009

Bisons-at-lakehead-2010-1

Manitoba v Lakehead 2010 1

Bisons-at-lakehead-2010-2

Manitoba v Lakehead 2010 2

Lakehead-teamPhoto 2013-2014

Lakehead 2013-14

2019-Lakehead-team

2018-19 Lakehead Thunderwolves

Alternate Logos[]

Lakehead-norwesters-leaf-b&w-50x50

60s


Lakehead mascot

NOR'WESTER MASCOT


Lakehead-norwesters-79x137

1970s


Logo thunderwolves

Lakehead-2014


Lakehead-circle

Lakehead-circle


Lakehead-banner-173x50

Lakehead banner


Lakehead-wolf-177x218

Lakehead wolf

External links[]

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