After the success of the five-time
Allan Cup champion
Thunder Bay Twins, the
Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) took interest in expanding to the
Northwestern Ontario city. In 1991, the CoHL introduced the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks, spelling the end of the 21-year Twins franchise that stepped aside for the new minor professional team. In 1993, the team changed its name to the Thunder Bay Senators to reflect the teams affiliation with the
National Hockey League's
Ottawa Senators. After three seasons as the Senators, the team became the Thunder Bay Thunder Cats in 1996. The CoHL changed its name to the
United Hockey League (UHL) in 1997. After eight seasons in Thunder Bay, the Thunder Cats were bought, moved to
Rockford, Illinois, and renamed the
Rockford IceHogs in 1999. ==Season-by-season results==