Campaign Trail

Jun 30, 2016

Bobcats Unveil 2016-17 Regular Season Schedule
 
FRISCO, TX – The Bismarck Bobcats, in conjunction with the North American Hockey League, announced the regular season schedule for the upcoming 2016-17 season Wednesday.
 
It will be the Bobcats’ twentieth season of junior hockey in the capital region.
 
“I am very excited to celebrate our 20th anniversary season and to have been a part of the organization for the last 15 of those years,” stated Bobcats team owner and CEO Thom Brigl. “I have been blessed to be surrounded by good people and we all have been fortunate that the community—particularly sponsors, season ticket holders and billet families—has come to support us and the boys.
 
“Being a North Dakota boy I am really excited to have over 300 Bobcat Alumni around the world, but also that 55 of them are from North Dakota. While we are about hockey, we are also very proud to be part of the fabric of the Bismarck-Mandan area and to be mentors for youth in the community and also providing championship entertainment. Here’s to 20 more years!”
 
As it has been since the 2011-12 campaign, the Cats’ regular season will comprise 60 games: 28 home, 28 away and four neutral site games at the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minn.
 
For the first time since 2010-11, the 2016-17 non-Showcase schedule will consist entirely of intra-division play for the Bobcats, with all 56 contests outside of Blaine slated against the other five members of the Central Division. Home and away games will be divided evenly in the Cats’ five divisional season series, with 12 games each against the Aberdeen Wings, Austin Bruins, Brookings Blizzard and Minot Minotauros and eight meetings with the newest members of the Central, the Minnesota Wilderness.
 
“No matter what year it is, the Central is always the toughest division,” noted Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie, who will embark on his seventh season as the Cats’ bench boss, “and [2016-17] will be no different. You can’t say it will be easier or tougher than last season, because the [Midwest Division-bound] Minnesota Magicians were a very strong team by year’s end.
 
“At the same time, the Wilderness are a strong program with a league championship under their belts and they just hired a great coach in Timmy Madsen, so they will be a strong contender right away, too.”
 
The season will open with Coors Light Opening Night 2016 on Saturday, September 17, against the rival Aberdeen Wings.
 
Once again, the team will have home games the night before Thanksgiving—November 23 vs. Aberdeen—and on New Year’s Eve against Minot.
 
The Bobcats’ schedule at the NAHL Showcase, scheduled to run September 21-24 at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, will be announced at a later date.
 
Below is the Cats’ 2016-17 slate:
 

 
For the Bobcats, a busy offseason continues on Friday, July 22, when the Cats open 2016 Main Camp at the VFW Sports Center and running through July 24. Main Camp will be open to the public all weekend long.
 
Season tickets are now on sale for the Bobcats’ landmark platinum anniversary campaign: fans can get more information or reserve their seats for all of Season Twenty now by calling 222-3300.

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