The Bismarck Bobcats are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Central Division, and play out of Bismarck, North Dakota, in the V.F.W. Sports Center. Originally a part of the American Frontier Hockey League (and later called the America West Hockey League), the Bobcats joined the NAHL in a merger of the two leagues in 2003. In 2005, the Bobcats hosted the Robertson Cup tournament.

The Bobcats won the 2010 Robertson Cup, winning their first national championship with a 3–0 victory over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. They won their second title in 2025 with a 4-2 victory over the Lone Star Brahmas.

History The Bismarck Bobcats came to Bismarck in 1997 as a member of the American Frontier Hockey League (AFWHL) and played their first season at the Bismarck Civic Center, but moved to the V.F.W. Sports Center the following year. The AFHL rebranded to the America West Hockey League (AWHL) in 1998. The Bobcats won back-to-back Borne Cup titles as champions of the AWHL in 2003 and 2004. Their 2004 title was the last Borne Cup to be awarded prior to the merger between the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and AWHL for the 2004–05 season.

Byron Pool served as head coach from 2008 to 2010 and was named the NAHL "Coach of the Year" in 2009. In addition to leading the team to its first Robertson Cup title in 2010, he led the Bobcats to the most successful regular season in history in the 2008–09 season. The Bobcats won 43 games and earned 88 points in the standings, which both set franchise records. The Bobcats won consecutive Central Division playoff titles under Pool in 2009 and 2010.

Layne Sedevie became head coach in 2010, promoted from assistant coach, following Byron Pool's decision to accept an associate head coach position with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League. Sedevie, a Bismarck native, was a goaltender at Bemidji State University and played professionally in the Central Hockey League before serving as assistant coach under Pool for the 2009–10 season. In his first season behind the bench, he led the Bobcats to their third straight Central Division playoff championship.

The Bobcats have had five head coaches in their tenure in Bismarck including: John Becanic; Chad Johnson, Dane Litke, Pool, Layne Sedevie, and Garrett Roth.

Currently, they are the second-oldest franchise in the NAHL behind the Springfield Jr. Blues.

Rivalries The Bobcats have two primary rivals: the Aberdeen Wings and the Minot Minotauros.

The Bobcats-Wings rivalry is centered on the Titan Machinery Dakota Cup. The Bobcats, despite being the defending national champions in 2010–11, suffered multiple setbacks against the expansion Wings in front of capacity crowds at both teams' rinks before winning the trophy by a point total of 15–11. The 2011–12 Dakota Cup was much more lopsided, as the Bobcats won the Cup 21–7, posting a 10–1–1 regular season record against the Wings. In the 2012 playoffs, the Bobcats defeated the Wings in four games in the Central Division semifinals.

The Bobcats and Tauros is a newer intrastate rivalry, and the proximity (roughly 100 miles along US-83) of the two teams that share North Dakota has already produced multiple fights.

Former Bobcats rivals include the Alexandria Blizzard, North Iowa Outlaws, and Owatonna Express.

Season-by-season records Season GP W L OTL PTS GF GA Finish PlayoffsAmerican Frontier Hockey League 1997–98 60 27 27 6 60 260 269 4th of 7, AFHLInformation missingAmerica West Hockey League 1998–99 60 31 25 4 66 211 212 5th of 6, AWHLInformation missing 1999–2000 58 30 22 6 66 240 214 3rd of 8, AWHLInformation missing 2000–01 60 32 24 4 68 248 228 5th of 9, AWHLInformation missing 2001–02 56 30 20 6 66 221 166 5th of 9, AWHLInformation missing 2002–03 56 37 13 6 80 231 159 2nd of 7, North4th of 11, AWHLWon ChampionshipNorth American Hockey League 2003–04 56 30 22 4 64 184 184 3rd of 7, West9th of 21, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–0 (Fargo-Moorhead Jets)Won Div. Final series, 3–1 (Billings Bulls)Won Round-Robin Semifinal, 3–2 (Springfield Jr. Blues), 3–2 (Fairbanks Ice Dogs), 3–8 (Texas Tornado)Lost Robertson Cup Championship, 1–4 (Texas Tornado) 2004–05 56 25 22 9 59 165 172 5th of 6, West12th of 19, NAHLDid not qualify 2005–06 58 31 23 4 66 204 184 3rd of 5, Central10th of 20, NAHLLost Div. Semifinal series, 1–3 (Fargo-Moorhead Jets) 2006–07 62 26 30 6 58 193 221 5th of 6, Central12th of 17, NAHLDid not qualify 2007–08 58 20 32 6 46 148 215 6th of 6, Central15th of 18, NAHLDid not qualify 2008–09 58 43 13 2 88 202 121 1st of 6, Central3rd of 19, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–1 (Alexandria Blizzard)Won Div. Final series, 3–2 (Owatonna Express)Lost Round-Robin Semifinal, 2–4 (Mahoning Valley Phantoms), 2–5 (St. Louis Bandits), 2–3 (Wenatchee Wild), 3–2 (2OT) (North Iowa Outlaws) 2009–10 58 39 11 8 86 195 130 1st of 6, Central4th of 19, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–0 (Albert Lea Thunder)Won Div. Final series, 3–0 (Alexandria Blizzard)Won Round-Robin Semifinal, 6–1 (Traverse City North Stars), 5–3 (St. Louis Bandits), 1–2 (Wenatchee Wild), 3–4 (Fairbanks Ice Dogs)Won Robertson Cup Championship, 3–0 (Fairbanks Ice Dogs) 2010–11 58 31 22 5 67 179 156 4th of 6, Central14th of 26, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–2 (Alexandria Blizzard)Won Div. Final series, 3–2 (Coulee Region Chill)Lost Quarterfinal Play-in series, 0–2 (Michigan Warriors) 2011–12 60 45 13 2 92 237 160 1st of 5, Central2nd of 28, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–1 (Aberdeen Wings)Won Div. Final series, 3–1 (Austin Bruins)Lost Round-Robin Quarterfinal, 3–2 (St. Louis Bandits), 1–5 (Port Huron Fighting Falcons), 2–6 (Amarillo Bulls) 2012–13 60 35 16 9 79 183 140 2nd of 6, Central7th of 24, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–0 (Brookings Blizzard)Won Div. Final series, 3–1 (Austin Bruins)Lost Round-Robin Semifinal, 4–3 (Jamestown Ironmen), 1–2 (OT) (Amarillo Bulls), 3–2 (Wenatchee Wild) 2013–14 60 31 24 5 67 176 157 3rd of 5, Central11th of 24, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–0 (Aberdeen Wings)Lost Div. Final series, 2–3 (Austin Bruins) 2014–15 60 30 26 4 64 185 185 3rd of 5, Central13th of 24, NAHLLost Div. Semifinal series, 0–3 (Minot Minotauros) 2015–16 60 37 19 4 78 185 133 1st of 6, Central4th of 22, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–1 (Brookings Blizzard)Won Div. Final series, 3–2 (Austin Bruins)Lost Robertson Cup Semifinal series, 0–2 (Wichita Falls Wildcats) 2016–17 60 28 30 2 58 187 209 5th of 6, Central19th of 24, NAHLDid not qualify 2017–18 60 24 30 6 54 165 184 5th of 6, Central18th of 23, NAHLDid not qualify 2018–19 60 34 21 5 73 182 163 3rd of 6, Central8th of 24, NAHLLost Div. Semifinal series, 0–3 (Minot Minotauros) 2019–20 52 32 12 8 72 178 130 2nd of 6, Centralt-6th of 23, NAHLPostseason cancelled 2020–21 56 29 21 6 64 173 151 2nd of 6, Central9th of 23, NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–0 (Minnesota Wilderness)Lost Div. Final series, 0–3 (Aberdeen Wings) 2021–22 60 29 27 4 62 210 206 4th of 6, Central19th of 29, NAHL Lost Div. Semifinal series, 2–3 (St. Cloud Norsemen) 2022–23 60 29 25 6 64 197 182 5th of 6, Central18th of 29, NAHL Did not qualify 2023–24 60 40 16 4 84 209 145 2nd of 6 Central4th of 32 NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–2 (Aberdeen Wings)Lost Div. Final series, 1–3 (Minot Minotauros) 2024–25 59 47 10 2 96 206 103 1st of 8 Central1st of 35 NAHLWon Div. Semifinal series, 3–2 (Aberdeen Wings)Won Div. Final series, 3–1 (Austin Bruins)Won Robertson Cup Semifinal series, 2–1 (Rochester Jr. Americans)Won Robertson Cup Championship, 4–2 (Lone Star Brahmas) 2025–26 59 39 15 3 83 246 165 2nd of 8 Central5th of 34 NAHL Lost Div. Semifinal series, 2–3 (Aberdeen Wings)

References

External links Bismarck Bobcats website