Originally located in Tri-Valley, the club joined the Pacific Southwest Hockey League in 1981 and remained active until 1995.
[1] After the dissolution of the California Eagles, and Reno Gamblers in 1980–81, the PSHL was down to just two teams.
the Tri-Valley Blackhawks lasted two seasons before moving south to the Los Angeles suburb of West Covina.
[2] The then-named California Blackhawks found a better home in Anaheim and also began to turn things around on the ice, making their first postseason appearance in 1986.
The team shortened its name to 'Hawks' in 1988 and then pulled off a stunning upset in 1991, winning the league championship over the 1-loss San Diego Surf.