The Thunderbirds Hockey Club began its inaugural season in 2019-2020. The club was started in honor of Bill Latvala who as a goaltender played his youth hockey up through Juveniles and was part of numerous State and National Championship teams in the 1950’s including as a memberof the Houghton (MI) Thunderbirds.

Bill was not only a standout goaltender but a dedicated coach and board member. After his playing days, he became a mentor to so many youth players who came up through both the Copper Country Junior Hockey Association (CCJHA) and the White Pine Youth HockeyAssociation.

Prior to his days at CCJHA, Bill along with others, were instrumental in building and maintaining an outdoor rink in nearby White Pine, MI along with starting the youth hockey program. Endless volunteer hours of scraping and flooding were spent each season at all hours so that local youth players could hone their skills. With his leadership and financial acumen, he was able to assist families and players with equipment. At the end of the day, he saw this as a way to give back and something that he was always very proud of. It’s to this dedication and loyalty that we remember Bill and carry on the Thunderbirds namesake and his legacy.

The Thunderbirds Hockey Club is a leading Tier II program in Ohio. We aim to develop players' abilities and character on and off the ice so they're ready for travel, high school, juniors, college or beyond. We give them intense training, polish their skills, test them against top Tier II rivals in Ohio and nationwide at Showcase events. Our coaches stress players pursue academic excellence so they can reach new levels both as a student and athlete in Ohio and beyond.