THUNDER BAY – The Superior International Junior Hockey League might be a little larger next season.
League officials have promised a major announcement on Thursday afternoon and a separate invitation to the event obtained by tbnewswatch.com includes the logo of the Thunder Bay Walleye, a team currently playing in the Lakehead Junior Hockey League.
"Most of you have supported us since day one and it would be great if you could be with us for this exciting announcement. Without your support this would not have been a possibility. I hope you can make it by for this announcement that will change the hockey landscape in Thunder Bay," reads the invitation, signed by Derek Geddes, listed as the Walleye's general manager on the team's website.
Thunder Bay has hosted as many as three SIJHL clubs at the same time over the course of its 20-year history, including the Golden Hawks, the Bulldogs and the Bearcats, as well as the Thunder Bay Wolves and Fort William First Nation North Stars.
The only remaining Thunder Bay club is the Thunder Bay North Stars, who became a solo act in the city in 2009 when the Bearcats folded.
The league currently has six teams. In addition to the Stars, the SIJHL includes the Red Lake Miners, the Dryden Ice Dogs, the Wisconsin Lumberjacks, the Fort Frances Lakers and the Thief River Falls Norskies.
Wisconsin rejoined the league last fall, after the Minnesota Iron Rangers asked for a leave of absence.
The SIJHL has actively been looking for new franchises, including repeated efforts to bring a team to Kenora, where a lack of ice time seems to be the biggest hindrance.
The Walleye are hosting the 2020 Keystone Cup, scheduled to begin on April 23.
