Kirk Davies, Jerry Ellice, Al Gaja, Lionel Krukoff, Diamond Jim Walker, Rock Harde,
Dale Lindquist, Tyler Clingman, Brady Clingman, Bruce Clingman, Dave Schaefer,
Dan Culp, J.C. Connor, Jared Jamison, Paul McKeage, Shaun Connor,
Justin Lindquist, Tom Newman, Jaice Jamison, R.T. Macgillivray
are pleased to announce the
25th Annual
Blackie
Kirk Davies, Jerry Ellice, Al Gaja, Lionel Krukoff, Diamond Jim Walker, Rock Harde,
Dale Lindquist, Tyler Clingman, Brady Clingman, Bruce Clingman, Dave Schaefer,
Dan Culp, J.C. Connor, Jared Jamison, Paul McKeage, Shaun Connor,
Justin Lindquist, Tom Newman, Jaice Jamison, R.T. Macgillivray
are pleased to announce the
25th Annual
Blackie Bobcat Invitational Classic
4 on 4 Championship
will take place at the Blackie Tindome March 30, 2024
Lorne McIntosh called the first meeting of the Blackie senior hockey team. Lorne, Norm Whillans, Bill Miller, Bill Kabeary and Bob Macgillivray were in attendance. The meeting was in the Blackie Tindome during the summer of 1981. Lorne’s idea was to have a group of players available for call up to the High River Flyers senior hockey team
Lorne McIntosh called the first meeting of the Blackie senior hockey team. Lorne, Norm Whillans, Bill Miller, Bill Kabeary and Bob Macgillivray were in attendance. The meeting was in the Blackie Tindome during the summer of 1981. Lorne’s idea was to have a group of players available for call up to the High River Flyers senior hockey team who were competing in the Ranchland Hockey League. In the previous season the Flyers experienced a number of injuries during playoffs. Bill Miller said he would finance the first two ice times to see if there would be enough players show up to support a team. Norm Whillans said he would handle the General Manager duties and Bob Macgillivray said he would play. Lorne proposed that his son in law Terry Charlton would be the first coach. Soon after, Doug Davies became an important executive member. Norm Whillans named the team the Blackie Bobcats. Jerry Trudel, Bill Kabeary, Marvin Suitor, Jim Ellice and Bill Tupkul also coached the team moving forward. It was not long after the formation of the team it was discovered only a junior team could be affiliated for the sake of using carded players by a senior team.
The High River Flyers had played in the league finals in 1980 – 81 and didn’t have many open spots to fill the next year. Many of the High River Imperial Juveniles had graduated from minor hockey and were ready to play senior hockey. They provided the core of the Bobcats. The team played exhibition games the first year with the first game against the Okotoks Sabres. Merle Thome was the first team captain.
Using the Flyer Billy MacKillop’s model for team fundraising, the Bobcats began putting on dances at the Blackie Hall. The team has had money in the bank since Bill Miller’s first investment. The team soon became more than just the players as members of the community joined the organization by taking operational roles at the games and team events. The Bobcats became active in the Canada Day celebrations and other community events.
The Bobcats joined the Ranchland Hockey League for the 1982 - 83 season. There was a lot of excitement in the Ranchland League at the time with the coverage by print and radio media including game broadcasts. The early Bobcats were on the wrong end of the scoreboard often but after all the games the Cats held their heads high when they shook hands; the opposition knew they had paid physically during the contest. The team was always tough and supporting each other became the code.
Bill Tupkal took over coaching duties for the 1984-85 Bobcats. He assembled the most successful Bobcat team of the Ranchland era. After a win against the High River Flyers at home in a packed Tindome the Bobcats were able to control their own fate by winning one of the games on the league final weekend. The road trip to Pincher Creek included a sizable delegation of the extended Bobcat family including Mayor June Jones. During the hotly contested first event (Pincher Creek needed to win both games to make the playoffs) a couple of rude home fans had made unpleasant comments to the Mayor. The Blackie Front Four, Frank McKeage, Ed Groeneveld, Skip Davies and Elroy Davies quickly defended her honour.
The team won both games in the final weekend to end up in third place ahead of High River. Many wanted to see the Blackie Bobcats compete in the playoffs. The team was popular because, throughout their time in the league, the Cats went out after the games with the opposition teams in their hometowns.
The playoff series against rival Okotoks Oilers was spirited, and some would say, controversial, with the Oilers winning the eighth game in a seven game series. The team celebrated at the year-end party with the players leaving their chairs unexpectantly as music started, joining together on stage and singing a thank you song they had written for the supporters.
After a couple more years in the Ranchland, the Bobcats moved to a competitive local men’s league and are still playing in the Tindome as of 2019. For a few years, having too many players, the team split to include a second team, the Mexican Blackbirds.
At the turn of the millennium the Bobcat Alumni introduced the Blackie Bobcat Invitational Classic 4on4 Championship with no play stoppages and a mix of foursomes to create teams. The tournament began with a group of friends and has morphed into the Blackie Family Hockey Day as young locals join in.
Kirk Davies, Chairman of the Board, had organized the Bobcats golf tournament for many years. After his passing, the day after the 20th Bobcat 4on4 in 2019, the Blackie Bobcats golf tournament was renamed The Dick David Summer Invitational in his honour.
The Black Bobcats through our events will continue to support our community.
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