The Kenora Thistles were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario. The team competed at the intermediate hockey of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, one level below the senior ice hockey leagues. The team won the Edmonton Journal Trophy as the intermediate level champions of Western Canada in 1953.
In the 1950s the Kenora Thistles moniker was resurrected by a team that participated in the Thunder Bay Intermediate Hockey League. They also spent time in Manitoba's Big Six Intermediate Hockey League. Kenora is more local to the Winnipeg-based Manitoba Senior Leagues, but were constantly snubbed when applying to join. In with Marathon, Keewatin, Fort Frances, Fort William, and Port Arthur, the Thistles did quite well winning the league in 1953, 1955, 1957, and 1958 and winning the Edmonton Journal Trophy as the top Intermediate team in Western Canada in 1953.
In the 1952âÂÂ53 season, the Thistles won their first ever Thunder Bay district championship and moved on to the Western Canadian championships. In the semifinal, the Thistles met the Manitoba champion Dauphin Kings who they defeated three-games-to-none with 4âÂÂ2, 7âÂÂ3, and 5âÂÂ4 victories. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy finals, the Thistles met the Alberta champion Ponoka Stampeders. Kenora won game on 7âÂÂ4, but were blown out 8âÂÂ1 in game two. The Thistles rebounded and took game three 5âÂÂ3 and game four 8âÂÂ4 before Ponoka could respond with a 3âÂÂ2 win in game five to make the series three-games-to-two for Kenora. Game six was another do-or-die game for the Stampeders, but the Thistles were victorious winning the game 5âÂÂ1 to take the series.
The Thistles were considered by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to represent Canada at the 1954 Ice Hockey World Championships, but the team opted instead for a tour of Japan. CAHA vice-president Jimmy Dunn accompanied the Thistles on an international goodwill exhibition tour, which was the first trip to Japan by a Canadian team since 1936. On the seven-week tour, Dunn handled the business affairs for the Thistles which included travel aboard the Japanese ocean liner Hikawa Maru from Vancouver. From March 24 until April 3, the Thistles played against the best Japan had to offer in Osaka and Tokyo. They defeated the Japan College All-Stars 23âÂÂ1, the "All Japan" team 5 times (11âÂÂ2, 4âÂÂ2, 9âÂÂ3, 8âÂÂ2, 12âÂÂ7), Nikko Electric 17âÂÂ2, Hokkaido All-Stars 8âÂÂ1, and the Kanto All-Stars 13âÂÂ6.
In 1955, the Thistles entered the Thunder Bay district championship as the Western representatives in a best-of-5 series against the Marathon Mercurys, North Shore champions. The Thistles destroyed the Mercurys with scores of 6âÂÂ1, 11âÂÂ1, and 5âÂÂ0 to take the series and another Thunder Bay title. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy semi-final, the Thistles met Manitoba's Brandon Wheat Kings in a best-of-five series. Kenora led the series after game one with a 6âÂÂ3 win, they lost game two 5âÂÂ0, but led again after game three with a 4âÂÂ1 victory. Brandon then, with their backs to the wall, came back to tie the series with a 6âÂÂ2 win and then took it with a final 5âÂÂ1 victory in game five. Brandon went on to win the Edmonton Journal Trophy.
In the late 1950s, the Thistles became members of the Minnesota-Ontario Hockey League. This lasted until the early 1960s. The 1956 Thunder Bay district semifinal was won over the Thistles by the Fort Frances Canadians 3-games-to-2.
The 1957 Thunder Bay district semifinal was between Kenora and the Fort Frances Canadians. Fort Frances took game one 8âÂÂ5 and Kenora took game two 8âÂÂ4. Fort Frances took game three, but Kenora came back and won game four 8âÂÂ2 and game five 3âÂÂ2 to win the series. In the district final, the Thistles took on the Marathon Mercurys in a best-of-five series. Kenora won game one 9âÂÂ0 and then the two teams tied game two 3âÂÂ3. In game three Kenora won 6âÂÂ2 and Marathon won game four 5âÂÂ4 to stay alive. Game five was the clincher for Kenora as they won 4âÂÂ0 to take a third district title. In the Edmonton Journal Trophy semifinals, the Thistles were swept three-games-to-none by Manitoba's Pine Falls Paper Kings (2âÂÂ1, 7âÂÂ3, 5âÂÂ3).
In 1958, the Kenora Thistles joined the Ontario-Minnesota Hockey League. In the Thunder Bay district final, they faced the town of Red Rock in a best-of-five series. The Thistles won three-games-to-two. In the Western Canadian semi-final, the Thistles played Saskatchewan's Yorkton Millers in a best-of-three series. Game one was a 4âÂÂ4 tie, game two was won by Yorkton 4âÂÂ2, and game three was won by Kenora 4âÂÂ0. All tied up, the Millers and Thistles tied again in game four 1âÂÂ1, but game five was won by Kenora 2âÂÂ0 to win the series two-games-to-one with 2 ties. Then the Thistles made their last ever appearance in the Edmonton Journal Trophy finals against Alberta's Olds Elks. Kenora took game one 4âÂÂ2, but Olds swept the next four games 6âÂÂ3, 5âÂÂ3, 4âÂÂ1, and 7âÂÂ6 to win the Western Canadian crown.
Kenora lost the 1959 Thunder Bay district semi-final to the Fort Frances Canadians 4-games-to-2.