The Port Arthur Bearcats (Bear Cats) were a senior amateur ice hockey team based in Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada – now part of the city of Thunder Bay – from the early 1900s until 1970. Before settling on the nickname of Bearcats, the Port Arthur team played several seasons with unofficial generic names applied by fans and sportswriters, such as the Port Arthur Ports, Port Arthur Hockey Club, and the Port Arthur Seniors.

History

Canadian Ice Hockey Team, 1936 Winter Olympics

Port Arthur played the Ottawa Senators for the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

in a 1911 challenge, losing 13–4 in a one-game showdown on March 16, 1911. By 1915 the Port Arthur was playing in the Thunder Bay Senior A Hockey League (TBSHL). Port Arthur is located in western portion of Ontario, the Bearcats found it convenient to play in the Manitoba Senior A Hockey League (MSHL, MTBSHL) at various times during its history. The Bearcats have also played seasons in the Port Arthur Senior Hockey League (PSHL) and the International Amateur Hockey League (IAHL). The Bearcats were amongst the best Senior-A teams in Canada, playing in the national Allan Cup championship finals seven times from 1925 through 1942, winning the

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

and

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

Allan Cup championships. During years that the Allan Cup was an East versus West competition, the Bearcats played as the representative from Western Canada. After the

1935 Allan Cup The 1935 Allan Cup was the senior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) for the 1934–35 season. In the best-of-three final, the Halifax Wolverines defeated the Port Arthur Bearcats two games to none. Final ...

champion

Halifax Wolverines The Halifax Wolverines (sometimes; Halifax Wolves) were an amateur men's senior ice hockey team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team won the 1935 Allan Cup, and were nominated to represent Canada in ice hockey at the 1936 Winter Olympics b ...

disbanded, the

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...

(CAHA) chose the runnerup Bearcats to be Canada's representative at the

1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games (german: IV. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 ( bar, Garmasch-Partakurch 1936), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 ...

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; Bavarian: ''Garmasch-Partakurch''), nicknamed Ga-Pa, is an Alpine ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the O ...

, Germany. The Bearcats won the

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

for Canada. The team remained on an exhibition tour in Europe after the Olympics and returned late to Canada. CAHA president

E. A. Gilroy Edward Albert Gilroy (October 10, 1879August 8, 1942) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He served as president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) from 1927 to 1934, and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from ...

upheld the ruling by

W. G. Hardy William George Hardy (February 3, 1895 – August 28, 1979) was a Canadian professor, writer, and ice hockey administrator. He lectured on the Classics at the University of Alberta from 1922 to 1964, and served as president of the Canadian Aut ...

to exclude the team from the

1936 Allan Cup The 1936 Allan Cup the Canadian senior ice hockey championship for the 1935–36 sason. The 1936 championship was the 29th time the Allan Cup had been awarded. Playdowns In 1936 the Kimberley Dynamiters won the Allan Cup, defeating the Sudbur ...

playoffs. The Bearcats were chosen to represent Canada at the

1940 Winter Olympics The 1940 Winter Olympics, which would have been officially known as the and as Sapporo 1940 (札幌1940), were to have been celebrated from 3 to 12 February 1940 in Sapporo, Japan, but the games were eventually cancelled due to the onset of Wo ...

, and CAHA vice-president Frank Sargent was placed in charge of the upcoming tour of Europe. The CAHA approved C$5,000 towards travel expenses, and the team would receive any profits from exhibition games played while in Europe. The Bearcats requested a guarantee from the CAHA against financial loss, and Sargent expected a meeting to decide on the travel demands. The 1940 Winter Olympics were ultimately cancelled after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. The team suspended operation in 1943 and 1944, due to World War II. The Bearcats returned in the 1945–46 season, continuing operation until the

merger Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...

of the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William, with the Fort William Beavers joining the Bearcats to form the

Thunder Bay Twins The Thunder Bay Twins were an Amateur Senior and Professional ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The Twins won five Allan Cups as National Senior Champions from 1970 until 1991. Origin On 1 January 1970, the City of Thunder B ...

for the 1970–71 season. This new iteration would appear in six more Allan Cup finals, including five Allan Cup wins. This team folded after finishing as runnerup in the

1991 Allan Cup The 1991 Allan Cup was the Canadian national senior ice hockey championship for the 1990-91 Senior "AAA" season. The event was hosted by the Thunder Bay Twins in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The 1991 tournament marked the 83rd time that the Allan Cup has ...

. The Bearcats and the successor Twins combined for 13 Allan Cup competitions, winning a combined 9 championships. The 1936 Olympic silver medalist Bearcats team was inducted into the

Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, established in 1978 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the people of Northwestern Ontario who have achieved greatness in sport. It is located on 219 South May Street in Downtown Fort W ...

in 1987. In the winter of 1961–62, the Bearcats represented Canada in a European exhibition game tour, facilitated by Fred Page.

Notable players

1936 Olympic team roster

Gus Saxberg Gus is a masculine name, often a diminutive for Angus, August, Augustine, or Augustus, and other names (e.g. Aengus, Argus, Fergus, Ghassan, Gustav, Gustave, Gustafson, Gustavo, Gussie). It can also be used as the adaptation into English ...

Maxwell Deacon Maxwell Arnold Deacon (March 22, 1910 – April 29, 1970) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. Deacon was a member of the 1936 Port Arthur Bearcats, which won the silver medal as the Canadian national tea ...

Hugh Farguharson Hugh Miller Farquharson (November 4, 1911 – March 27, 1985) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. He graduated from McGill University with a BA in 1931 and a Bachelor of Common Law in 1934. He played for ...

Kenneth Farmer-Horn Kenneth Pentin Farmer, (July 26, 1912 – January 12, 2005) was a Canadian ice hockey player and businessman. He won a Winter Olympics silver medal winner in ice hockey, served as president of the Canadian Olympic Association, and worked as ...

James Haggarty James Timothy Haggarty (April 14, 1914 – March 8, 1998) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. He later played five games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens. He was born in Port Arthur, ...

Walter Kitchen Walter Lawrence "Pud" Kitchen (December 18, 1912 – July 18, 1988) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. As owner of the horse Hail To Patsy, he won the 1969 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Kitchen wa ...

Raymond Milton Raymond Bernard Milton (August 27, 1912 Stouffville, Ontario – September 17, 2003) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. Milton was a member of the 1936 Port Arthur Bearcats, which won the silver medal for ...

* Francis Moore *

Herman Murray Herman Edward Murray (December 5, 1909 – November 27, 1998) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. Murray was the Captain of the 1936 Port Arthur Bearcats, which won the silver medal for Canada in ice hoc ...

* Arthur Nash * David Neville *

Alexander Sinclair Alexander George Sinclair (June 28, 1911 – October 2, 2002) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. Sinclair was a member of the 1936 Port Arthur Bearcats, which won the silver medal for Canada in ice hoc ...

Ralph St. Germain Ralph Emerson St. Germain (January 19, 1904 – August 2, 1974) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. Although St. Germain was a member of the Royal Montreal Hockey Club, the Canadian ice hockey selection ...

* Bill Thomson

NHL alumni

Thirty-one alumni from the Port Arthur Bearcats/Ports/Hockey Club/Seniors/Bear Cats played in the National Hockey League:Port Arthur Bearcats (revival) alumni search
/ref> *

Cliff Barton Clifford John Barton (September 3, 1907 – September 14, 1969) was an American professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger. Barton played three seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL), Pittsburg ...

Bart Bradley Barton William "Bart" Bradley (July 29, 1930 – September 16, 2006) was a Canadian ice hockey centre (ice hockey), centre. He played one game in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins during the 1949–50 NHL season, 1949–50 s ...

, Bill Brydge, Marty Burke, Harry Cameron, Eddie Carpenter, Lorne Chabot, Art Chapman,

Bob Connors Robert Allan Connors (October 19, 1902 — July 27, 1931) was a Scottish-born Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and defenceman who played 78 games in the National Hockey League between 1926 and 1930. He played with the Detroit Coug ...

, Danny Cox,

Jimmy Creighton James Albert Creighton (November 18, 1905 – May 29, 1990) was an ice hockey player and politician from Brandon, Manitoba. Creighton played eleven games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Falcons in 1931, scoring one goal and receivi ...

, Gus Forslund,

Gord Fraser Gordon Fraser may refer to: *Gord Fraser (cyclist) (born 1968), Canadian road bicycle racer *Gord Fraser (ice hockey) (1902–1966), Canadian professional hockey player *Gordon Fraser (publisher) (1911–1981), British publisher *Gordon Fraser (act ...

, Alex Gray,

Jim Haggarty James Timothy Haggarty (April 14, 1914 – March 8, 1998) was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. He later played five games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens. He was born in Port Art ...

Steve Hrymnak Stefan "Steve" Hrymnak (March 3, 1926 – November 23, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 18 regular season games in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks and 2 playoff games for the Detroit Red Wing ...

, James Jarvis,

Dick Kotanen Eino Richard Erwin Kotanen (November 18, 1925 – September 9, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in one National Hockey League game for the New York Rangers during the 1950–51 NHL season The 1950–51 NHL s ...

, Edgar Laprade,

Norm Larson Norman Lyle Larson (October 13, 1920 — December 22, 2001) was a Canadian ice hockey right winger. He played 89 games in the National Hockey League between 1940 and 1947 for the New York Americans, Brooklyn Americans, and New York Rangers. The r ...

Jim McLeod James Bradley McLeod (April 8, 1937 – May 18, 2019) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender. McLeod started his National Hockey League career with the St. Louis Blues in 1972. He would also play in the World Hockey Association with the Chicago Co ...

Rudy Migay Rudolph Joseph Migay (November 18, 1928 – January 16, 2016) was a Canadian ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League between 1949 and 1959. Playing career Migay turned profess ...

, Frank Nighbor, Bud Poile,

Albert Pudas Juho Albert Pudas (originally Putaansuu) (February 17, 1899 – October 28, 1976) was a Finnish-Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He was the first Finnish-born hockey player in the National Hockey League and possibly in North America. Foll ...

, Charlie Sands,

Red Spooner Andrew George "Red" Spooner (August 24, 1910 — May 7, 1984) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in one National Hockey League game for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1929–30 NHL season The 1929–30 NHL season was ...

Butch Stahan Francis Ralph "Butch" Stahan (October 29, 1916 – May 25, 1995) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played three playoff games in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1944–45 season. The rest of hi ...

, Bill Thomson, Jack Walker,

Alex Wellington Alexander Robertson "Duke" Wellington (August 4, 1891 – September 20, 1967) was a Canadian ice hockey player. Wellington played senior ice hockey and one game in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Bulldogs during the 1919–20 NHL season. ...

Gord Wilson Gordon Allan Wilson (born August 13, 1932) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played two playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins during the 1954–55 season. The rest of his career, which lasted fr ...

Steve Wojciechowski Steven Michael Wojciechowski (born August 11, 1976), also known as Wojo, is an American basketball coach and former player who was the head coach at Marquette University for seven seasons. He previously played and coached under head coach Mike K ...

Benny Woit Benedict Francis Woit (January 7, 1928 – December 7, 2016) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks between 1951 and 1956. With Detroit he won the Stanley Cup th ...

Season-by-season standings

References

Notes

{{end Hockey Northwestern Ontario Senior ice hockey teams Defunct ice hockey teams in Canada Olympic silver medalists for Canada Ice hockey teams representing Canada internationally