Bismarck Bobcats
City	Bismarck, North Dakota
League	North American Hockey League
Division	Central
Founded	1997 (In theAFHL)
Home arena	V.F.W. Sports Center
Colors	Black, white, Vegas gold
Owner(s)	Thom Brigl
General manager	Niko Kapetanovic
Head coach	Garrett Roth(2024-25)
Media	Brandon Luisi[1] KLXX-AM Super Talk 1270 (radio flagship) Bismarck Tribune KXMB-TV CBS 12
Franchise history
1997–present	Bismarck Bobcats
Championships
Division titles	2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Borne Cups	2003, 2004
Playoff championships	2010

TheBismarck Bobcats are aTier II juniorice hockey team in theNorth American Hockey League's (NAHL) Central Division, and play out ofBismarck, North Dakota, in theV.F.W. Sports Center. Originally a part of theAmerican Frontier Hockey League (and later called theAmerica 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 2010Robertson Cup, winning the national championship with a 3–0 victory over theFairbanks Ice Dogs.

The Bismarck Bobcats came to Bismarck in 1997 as a member of theAmerican Frontier Hockey League (AFWHL) and played their first season at theBismarck Civic Center, but moved to theV.F.W. Sports Center the following year. The AFHL rebranded to theAmerica 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 theNorth 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 theFargo Force of theUnited States Hockey League. Sedevie, a Bismarck native, was a goaltender atBemidji State University and played professionally in theCentral 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 theSpringfield Jr. Blues.

The Bobcats have two primary rivals: theAberdeen Wings and theMinot Minotauros.

The Bobcats-Wings rivalry is centered on theTitan 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.^[2] 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.^[3] In the 2012 playoffs, the Bobcats defeated the Wings in four games in the Central Division semifinals.^[4]

The Bobcats and Tauros is a newer intrastate rivalry, and the proximity (roughly 100 miles alongUS-83) of the two teams that shareNorth Dakota has already produced multiple fights.^[5]

Former Bobcats rivals include theAlexandria Blizzard,North Iowa Outlaws, andOwatonna Express.

• 2006

First Round,Fargo-Moorhead Jets defeated Bismarck Bobcats3-games-to-1

• 2009

First Round,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAlexandria Blizzard3-games-to-1

Second Round,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedOwatonna Express3-games-to-2

Robertson Cup Round-robin, Bismarck Bobcats (1–3) – Eliminated(L, 2–4 vs.Phantoms; L, 2–5 vs.Bandits; W, 3–2 vs.Outlaws; L, 2–3 vs.Wild)

• 2010

First Round,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAlbert Lea Thunder3-games-to-0

Second Round,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAlexandria Blizzard3-games-to-0

Robertson Cup Round-robin, Bismarck Bobcats (2–2) – Qualified for Finals(W, 5–2 vs.Bandits; W, 6–1 vs.North Stars; L, 1–2 vs.Wild; L, 3–4 vs.Ice Dogs)

Robertson Cup Championship game,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedFairbanks Ice Dogs3–0

Robertson Cup Champions

• 2011

Divisional Semifinals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAlexandria Blizzard3-games-to-2

Divisional Finals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedCoulee Region Chill3-games-to-2

Playoff Qualifier,Michigan Warriors defeated Bismarck Bobcats2-games-to-0

• 2012

Divisional Semifinals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAberdeen Wings3-games-to-1

Divisional Finals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAustin Bruins3-games-to-1

Robertson Cup Round-robin, Bismarck Bobcats (1–2) – Eliminated(L, 1–5 vs.Fighting Falcons; W, 3–2 vs.Bandits; L, 2–6 vs.Bulls)

• 2013

Divisional Semifinals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedBrookings Blizzard3-games-to-0

Divisional Finals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAustin Bruins3-games-to-1

Robertson Cup Round-robin, Bismarck Bobcats (2–1) – Eliminated(W, 3–2 vs.Wild; L, 1–2 vs.Bulls; W, 4–3 vs.Ironmen)

• 2014

Divisional Semifinals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAberdeen Wings3-games-to-0

Divisional Finals,Austin Bruins defeated Bismarck Bobcats3-games-to-2

• 2015

Divisional Semifinals,Minot Minotauros defeated Bismarck Bobcats3-games-to-0

• 2016

Divisional Semifinals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedBrookings Blizzard3-games-to-1

Division Finals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAustin Bruins3-games-to-2

Robertson Cup Semifinals,Wichita Falls Wildcats defeated Bismarck Bobcats2-games-to-0

• 2019

Divisional Semifinals,Minot Minotauros defeated Bismarck Bobcats3-games-to-0

• 2021

Division Semifinals,Bismarck Bobcats defeatedMinnesota Wilderness3-games-to-0

Division Finals,Aberdeen Wings defeated Bismarck Bobcats3-games-to-0

• 2022

Division Semifinals,St. Cloud Norsemen defeated Bismarck Bobcats3-games-to-2

• 2024

Division Semifinals, Bismarck Bobcats defeatedAberdeen Wings3-games-to-2

Division Finals,Minot Minotauros defeated Bismarck Bobcats3-games-to-1

• Bismarck Bobcats website

• North American Hockey League teams
• Sports in Bismarck, North Dakota
• Ice hockey teams in North Dakota
• 1997 establishments in North Dakota
• Ice hockey clubs established in 1997

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata