City Fort Frances, Ontario Home arena Fort Frances Arena Location Fort Frances, Canada | Operated 1963 (1963)-1971 Head coach Glen Witherspoon | |
League Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
Manitoba Junior Hockey League Colours Orange, Black, and White | ||
The Fort Frances Royals were a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Fort Frances, Ontario. The Royals were members of the Memorial Cup-eligible Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League.
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History
The Fort Frances Royals were founded in 1963 as members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. After a season playing against all Manitoba opponents, the Royals elected to transfer to the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League. They were the first team in decades to play in the TBJHL without existing within what would eventually become the City of Thunder Bay.
The Royals folded mid-season in 1969 after a terrible start to the season. Up to this point, the Royals were a force to reckon with in the TBJHL despite never winning a league title.
In 1970-71, the Royals entered the 1971 Centennial Cup playdowns as an independent team. They were defeated 3-games-to-none by the Thunder Bay Marrs in the Northwestern Ontario final.