 The Thunderhawks were founded in 2009 and are the namesake of the Fort Frances Borderland Thunder, a former local team that played in the Superior International Junior Hockey League.The expansion of the Thunderhawks into the Northwestern Ontario region puts them in direct competition with the already established Kenora Thistles and the 2005 Allan Cup Champion Thunder Bay K&A Twins.Additionally, a third team in the region allows for the potential for the first senior league in the region since the 1980s.