National Professional Soccer League (2000-2001)
Tombstone
Born: June 2000 – NPSL expansion franchise
Folded: 2001
First Game: October 20, 2000 (W 19-17 vs. Cleveland Crunch)
Last Game: April 22, 2001 (L 24-17 vs. Milwaukee Wave)
NPSL Championships: None
Arena
Branding
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owners: Neil Jamieson & Paul Coffey
Attendance
Tap (mobile) or mouse over chart for figures. Tilting your mobile device may offer better viewing.
Source: Kenn.com Attendance Project
Background
The Toronto ThunderHawks were an indoor soccer team that played for a single season at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga during the winter of 2000-01. The ThunderHawks marked the second of two unsuccessful attempts by the National Professional Soccer League to establish a club in Toronto. They followed in the footsteps of the Toronto Shooting Stars who played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto proper during the winter of 1996-97.
Performance
The ‘Hawks were better than a typical expansion team had any right to be. This was largely because of a deal the club made during August of 2000 to buy the roster of the NPSL’s departing Montreal Impact franchise. The Impact were a NPSL playoff club the prior season, but elected to focus on its outdoor soccer business in the A-League and withdraw from the 2000-01 NPSL campaign.
Toronto finished with a 21-19 record in their expansion season under Head Coach Gary Hindley, good for 2nd place in the NPSL’s National Conference. In the playoffs, the ThunderHawks eliminated the Wichita Wings in the quarter finals before losing a two-game sweep to the eventual champion Milwaukee Wave in the semis.
Former Canadian National Team member Mauro Biello led the team in scoring with 108 points. Giuliano Oliverio (106 pts) and Chris Stathopoulos (100 pts.) followed close behind. All three were acquired in the Montreal Impact roster buyout. So was Toronto native Paolo Ceccarelli who handled the brunt of the ThunderHawks’ goalkeeping duties, posting a 16-11 record.
Lights Out
Following the 2000-01 season, the NPSL contracted from 11 teams down to just six and changed its name to the Major Indoor Soccer League. The ThunderHawks took a year’s suspension to get their house in order with a hoped for return during the 2002-02 MISL season. But the club quietly folded without returning to play.
Trivia
Future Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Coffey, about to enter the final season of his playing career with the Boston Bruins in 2000-01, was a part-owner of the ThunderHawks.
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