The Bismarck Bobcats survived a wild second period to top the expansion Aberdeen Wings 6-4 in both teams’ preseason opener Friday at the VFW Sports Center.

The 2010 Robertson Cup Champion Bismarck Bobcats are closing in on the start of the 2010-11 season and the start of their title defense against the rest of the North American Hockey League. The offseason hits a crescendo Friday as the Bobcats’ Final Camp gets underway at the VFW Sports Center at 5:00 PM.

The Bismarck Bobcats now know the route of their Robertson Cup defense, as the North American Hockey League has released the 2010-11 season schedule.

The North American Hockey League has announced its divisional alignment for the 2010-11 season. The 26-team league will operate with four divisions: the Central (six teams), North (eight), South (six) and West (six).

A second consecutive division title, a team-record 12 NCAA Division I commitments and, of course, a national championship were the hallmarks of the 2009-10 Bismarck Bobcats season—a season that has earned them the title of 2010 Non-School Team of the Year as awarded by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Bismarck Bobcats forward Dominic Panetta became the tenth member of the 2009-10 Robertson Cup Championship squad to secure a place to play hockey at the NCAA Division I level, committing to Ferris State University for the 2011-12 season.

The Bismarck Bobcats completed the 2010 NAHL Entry Draft Wednesday, selecting 16 eligible players from across the country to reload the 30-man roster as the ‘Cats defend their 2010 Robertson Cup Championship.

With their pre-draft tryout camps in Denver, Colo., and Prior Lake, Minn., now complete, the Bismarck Bobcats’ staff is hard at work preparing for Wednesday’s North American Hockey League Entry Draft, scheduled to start at 1:00 PM, central time.