On July 6, 1980, the Degagne Buccaneers and Thunder Bay North Stars were informed by the TBAHA that they would not be permitted to field teams in the 1980–81 City League.

On July 10, 1980, the executive of the Thunder Bay Kings was formed and gave life to the city's premier junior squad for the next twenty years.

The Kings changed their name to the Thunder Bay Flyers and jumped to the United States Hockey League (USHL).

The Ottawa Citizen credited the team's success to its skating ability, puck control and aggressive forechecking.

[8] The Flyers then participated in the Dudley Hewitt Cup playoffs to determine the Central Canada "Junior A" champion, and lost to the Pembroke Lumber Kings in four consecutive games in the final series.

[10] The tournament was the first appearance for the Flyers at the Centennial Cup,[6] which saw them lose all three games played and finish in fourth place.

[1] The Flyers began the Canadian playoffs undefeated in eight games with series victories versus the Sudbury Cubs and the Pembroke Lumber Kings to give Siciliano his first Dudley Hewitt Cup.

[1][13] Siciliano recalled that the Flyers were not given respect in advance of the 1989 Centennial Cup, and said that "the host Summerside team commented at the coaches press conference that Thunder Bay couldn't be very strong since they played in an American-based league".

[13] During the round-robin stage of the tournament, the Flyers earned wins versus the Vernon Lakers and Moncton Hawks, and lost to the Summerside Western Capitals.

[16] In the Dudley Hewitt Cup playoffs, the Flyers lost 4 games to 2 versus the Sudbury Cubs in the semifinals.

[22] Despite missing four players including their goaltender due to suspensions,[22] the Flyers defeated Sudbury by a 5–1 score to give Siciliano his second Dudley Hewitt Cup championship.

[1] Siciliano recalled in a 2021 interview that, Winkler was "a bigger and more physical team and wanted to wear their black sweaters" as an intimidation tactic.

[31][32] The Flyers placed sixth overall in the 1993–94 season,[33] lost in the first round of the USHL playoffs in six games to the Omaha Lancers,[34] and were runners-up to the Chateauguay Elites in the Dudley Hewitt Cup finals.