Bobcats Set to Open 2013-14 with Showcase Quartet
BLAINE, MN – The Bismarck Bobcats will get their 17th season under way Wednesday as they open the new campaign against the Soo Eagles at the 2013 Easton NAHL Showcase at Schwan Super Rink.
“It’s been a long summer, and a lot of us have been chomping at the bit to get back there on the ice,” offered veteran Bobcats defenseman Levi Blom. “The guys who were here last year weren’t at all satisfied with the way our season ended at the Robertson Cup and we’ve been preparing ever since for [Wednesday].”
Their opening day opponent, the Eagles, were the regular season champions of the North Division and made the divisional final round in the playoffs before exiting at the hands of the Jamestown Ironmen.
Though the defending Robertson Cup champion Amarillo Bulls loom on Thursday for the Cats, nobody is looking past the challenge the Eagles present on Wednesday.
“Our gameplan in practice this week has been focused on Soo, and what we might expect against them,” advised Bobcats assistant coach Garrett Roth. “Once the Soo game is over, we’ll focus on Amarillo, then Janesville, then Johnstown, taking things one game at a time.”
The Bobcats will face the Janesville Jets on Friday before closing the Showcase Saturday against the Johnstown Tomahawks.
The Bobcats return 11 players from the 2012-13 campaign that saw them secure their fifth consecutive Central Division playoff title: goalie Aaron Nelson; forwards Stanislav Dzakhov, Seth Blair, Ryan Callahan, Evan Giesler, Filip Starzynski and Matt Anders; defensemen Blom, Dan Kovar, Nate Repensky and Chris Diver.
“We’ve got a really strong group here to start the season, and expectations are pretty high coming off last year,” assessed Kovar, a 2013-14 assistant captain who has been a Bobcat since 2010. “We play four strong teams at Showcase so this should be a good test for where we’re at early on.”
The 2013 Showcase kicks off for the Bobcats with Wednesday’s season opener, scheduled to begin at 7:45 PM, with Thursday’s game to follow at 8:15 PM, Friday at 1:30 PM and wrap up Saturday morning at 9:30 AM.
Wednesday’s regular season lid-lifter will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide on the internet television partner of the North American Hockey League, NAHL.FASTHockey.com. Pregame coverage will get under way at 7:15 PM.
Season tickets for the 2013-14 season are now on sale—and going fast! Reserve your seats for the new season, including the brand new Dasher Bar, by calling the Bobcat Hockey office at 222-3300.