The Westfort Hurricanes were a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Fort William, Ontario. The Herks were members of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League and were Abbott Cup finalists once.

History In 1972, the Hurricanes broke away from the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League to join the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Can-Am Junior Hockey League. A year later, that league became the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The Herks stayed on board for one Midwest Junior season before returning to the TBJHL.

Dave Siciliano coached the Hurricanes during the 1973–74 season. His team completed the regular season in first place with 45 wins in 60 games. In the 1974 Centennial Cup playoffs, the Hurricanes defeated the Wexford Raiders four games to three in the first round, then were defeated four games to three by the Smiths Falls Bears in the second round.

The MWJHL later merged and solidified the United States Hockey League. The Buccaneers folded on July 6, 1980, when the TBAHA left them with no league to play in.

Season-by-season standings Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results1940-41 18 5 11 2 - 89 106 12 3rd TBJHL1941-42 16 15 1 0 - 110 13 30 1st TBJHL1942-43 10 9 1 0 - 71 31 18 1st TBJHL1943-45 did not participate1945-46 8 1 7 0 - 15 52 2 5th TBJHL1946-47 6 4 1 1 - 31 25 9 2nd TBJHL1947-48 9 3 5 1 - 39 59 7 3rd TBJHL1948-49 12 3 8 1 - 52 67 7 3rd TBJHL1949-50 18 11 7 0 - 109 86 22 2nd TBJHL1950-51 21 11 10 0 - 100 85 22 3rd TBJHL1951-52 30 15 14 1 - 140 127 31 3rd TBJHL1952-53 29 11 18 0 - 129 161 22 3rd TBJHL1953-54 34 10 23 1 - 114 180 21 4th TBJHL1954-55 29 8 20 1 - 97 143 17 4th TBJHL1955-56 33 3 27 3 - 88 167 9 3rd TBJHL1956-57 30 2 28 0 - 95 241 4 3rd TBJHL1957-58 22 4 17 1 - 66 126 9 3rd TBJHL1958-59 24 6 14 4 - 82 128 16 3rd TBJHL1959-60 20 13 7 0 - 94 76 26 1st TBJHL1960-61 24 5 15 4 - 77 108 14 3rd TBJHL1961-62 28 2 24 2 - 77 186 6 3rd TBJHL1962-63 28 9 17 2 - 92 127 20 3rd TBJHL1963-64 26 8 12 6 - 87 103 22 3rd TBJHL1964-65 22 1 19 2 - 93 189 4 4th TBJHL1965-66 30 3 26 1 - 112 226 7 4th TBJHL1966-67 29 7 19 3 - 118 172 17 4th TBJHL1967-68 32 11 19 2 - 134 187 27.5 4th TBJHL1968-69 36 23 8 5 - 196 129 51 1st TBJHL1969-70 30 13 14 3 - 156 160 29 2nd TBJHL1970-71 30 13 14 3 - 133 156 29 2nd TBJHL1971-72 27 14 11 2 - -- -- 30 2nd TBMJHL1972-73 31 5 21 5 - 94 178 15 4th CAJHL1973-74 60 45 14 1 - 430 258 91 2nd MWJHL1974-75 27 19 4 4 - 164 106 42 1st TBJHL1975-76 30 19 6 5 - 163 117 43 2nd TBJHL1976-77 25 14 9 2 - 168 122 30 2nd TBJHL1977-78 28 20 6 2 - -- -- 42 1st TBJHL1978-79 25 16 6 3 - -- -- 35 1st TBJHL1979-80 34 24 10 0 - 216 163 48 1st TBJHL

Playoffs 1971 Lost final Westfort Hurricanes defeated Fort William Canadians 3-games-to-2 Thunder Bay Marrs defeated Westfort Hurricanes 4-games-to-1 1972 Lost semi-final Minnesota Jr. Stars defeated Westfort Hurricanes 2-games-to-none 1973 Lost quarter-final/Canadian TBAHA Semi-final Thunder Bay Centennials defeated Westfort Hurricanes 4-games-to-2 1974 Won TBAHA Jack Adams Trophy final, lost Hewitt-Dudley Memorial Trophy final Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Eagles (TBJHL) 3-games-to-none Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated Fort William Canadians (TBJHL) 4-games-to-none JACK ADAMS TROPHY CHAMPIONS Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated Wexford Raiders (OPJHL) 4-games-to-3 Smiths Falls Bears (CJHL) defeated Thunder Bay Hurricanes 4-games-to-3 1975 Lost final Thunder Bay Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 4-games-to-2 Thunder Bay Eagles defeated Thunder Bay Hurricanes 4-games-to-1 1976 Lost semi-final Thunder Bay Beavers defeated Thunder Bay Hurricanes 4-games-to-2 1977 Lost final Degagne Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 3-games-to-none and 1 tie Thunder Bay Eagles defeated Degagne Hurricanes 4-games-to-1 1978 Won League, lost Hewitt-Dudley Memorial Trophy Quarter-final Degagne Hurricanes defeated Thunder Bay Beavers 3-games-to-none Degagne Hurricanes defeated Atikokan Voyageurs 4-games-to-none TBJHL CHAMPIONS Guelph Platers (OPJHL) defeated Degagne Hurricanes 4-games-to-none 1979 Lost final Thunder Bay North Stars defeated Degagne Buccaneers 4-games-to-1 1980 Lost final Thunder Bay North Stars defeated Degagne Buccaneers 4-games-to-none with 1 tie

Championships TBJHL Champions: 1942, 1943, 1952, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974*, 1978 Abbott Cup Finalists: 1970 Dudley Hewitt Cup/Eastern Centennial Cup Semi-final Champion 1974

(*) denotes: Herks played in MWJHL, rejoined TBJHL for playoffs.

Notable alumni Fort William Hurricane-Rangers Gus Bodnar Alex Delvecchio Bill Johansen Bud Poile Fort William Hurricanes Mike Busniuk Larry Cahan Dave Gatherum Eddie Kachur Dennis Owchar Don Poile Vic Venasky Tommy Williams Gord Wilson Westfort Hurricanes Lou Nistico Murray Wing Benny Woit Thunder Bay Westfort Hurricanes Mike Hordy Trevor Johansen

References