The Port Arthur Bearcats (Bear Cats) were a senior amateur

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team based in

Port Arthur, Ontario Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario, Canada, located on Lake Superior. In January 1970, it amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay. Port Arthur had been the district seat of ...

, Canada – now part of the city of

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...

– 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 The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...

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 Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

portion of Ontario, the Bearcats found it convenient to play in the

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

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 The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...

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 Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

. After the 1935 Allan Cup 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 but ...

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 Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. 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 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 The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

in September 1939. The team suspended operation in 1943 and 1944, due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. 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 Bay w ...

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 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 Frederick Page (September 29, 1915 – December 23, 1997) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator and ice hockey referee. He originated from Port Arthur, Ontario, where he played junior ice hockey, refereed locally and later at the Memorial ...

Notable players

1936 Olympic team roster

* Gus Saxberg * Maxwell Deacon * Hugh Farguharson * Kenneth Farmer-Horn * James Haggarty * Walter Kitchen * Raymond Milton * Francis Moore * Herman Murray * Arthur Nash * David Neville * Alexander Sinclair * Ralph St. Germain * Bill Thomson

NHL alumni

Thirty-one alumni from the Port Arthur Bearcats/Ports/Hockey Club/Seniors/Bear Cats played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

: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 William Henry Beatty Brydge (October 23, 1898 – November 2, 1949) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 368 games in the National Hockey League between 1926 and 1936 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Cougars and the Ne ...

Marty Burke Martin Alfonses Burke (January 28, 1905 in Toronto, Ontario – March 7, 1968) was a defenceman in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Black Hawks. He was on two Stanley Cup championship teams in ...

Harry Cameron Harold Hugh Cameron (February 6, 1890 – October 20, 1953) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played professionally for the Toronto Blueshirts, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators, Toronto St. Pats, and Montreal Canadiens. Cameron won three St ...

Eddie Carpenter Everard Lorne Carpenter (June 15, 1890 – April 30, 1963) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played in the Maritime Professional Hockey League (MPHL), National Hockey Association (NHA), National Hockey League (NHL), and Pacific Coast Hockey A ...

Lorne Chabot Laurent Edward Chabot (October 5, 1900 – October 10, 1946) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Chabot played in the National Hockey League from 1926 to 1937. He was a member of two Stanley Cup championship teams, the New York Rangers ...

Art Chapman John Arthur Chapman (May 29, 1905 – December 31, 1962) was a Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Chapman started his National Hockey League career with the Boston Bruins in 1930. He would also play for the New York ...

, Bob Connors, 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 Gustaf Oliver Forslund (April 25, 1908 – August 4, 1962) was a Swedish-born Canadian professional ice hockey right wing player. In the 1932–33 season, he became the first Swedish-born player in the National Hockey League, and played 48 games ...

, Gord Fraser, Alex Gray, Jim Haggarty, Steve Hrymnak, James Jarvis, Dick Kotanen,

Edgar Laprade Edgar Louis "Beaver" Laprade (October 10, 1919 – April 28, 2014) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League. The son of Thomas and Edith Laprade, he was born in the New Ontari ...

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,

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 Julius Francis Joseph "Pembroke Peach" Nighbor (January 26, 1893 – April 13, 1966) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played primarily for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and National Hockey Leagu ...

Bud Poile Norman Robert "Bud" Poile (February 10, 1924 – January 4, 2005) was a professional ice hockey player, coach, general manager, and league executive. Bud is the brother of Don Poile, and the father of David Poile. Overview Poile was born in Fo ...

, Albert Pudas, Charlie Sands, Red Spooner,

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 Jack Walker (19 May 1929 – 17 August 2000) was a British industrialist and businessman. Walker built his fortune in the steel industry, amassing a personal fortune of £600 million. He then went on to become the owner and benefactor of Blackb ...

, Alex Wellington,

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

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