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140:. Vernon explained later that he was not hurt on the play, but went down attempting to draw a penalty after being punched by a Kings player: "I'm lying there wondering when might be a good time to sit up, and all of a sudden there's Bearcat kneeling overtop of me ... We'd just scored a goal with him on the ice and (Wayne)
183:, wearing skull caps and oversized moustaches. Murray would often meet the group for drinks at Peel Pub or other establishments. 'Bearcat' also generously provided access to tickets as well as the locker room area after games. Although the group disbanded after 1991, they remained in touch and often saw him at
155:'s stick, which had been knocked into the crowd and was being hidden by Oiler fans. Fearing things were going to escalate, Bearcat jumped into the fray himself. While being wheeled into an ambulance, Murray blew kisses for the cameras. The incident caught the attention of a group of fans in
175:. The original members of the 'Bearcat Murray Fan Club – Montreal Chapter' were: John Hutchings, Micheil Innes, Frank MacNeil, Robert Meurin, Jeff Needham, and Charles Robison. Between 1987–91, Bearcat fans would attend
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in 1937, where he and his family have remained integral members of the community since. The Murray Arena in
Okotoks is named in honour of the family's impact on the local sports scene, as Bearcat's father was a
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wearing skull caps and oversized moustaches mimicking Murray's looks when the Flames played there. Between 1987–91, a
Montreal chapter of the Bearcat Murray Fan Club made regular appearances at the
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in
Edmonton, Murray once went up into the stands to rescue his son Al, also a trainer for the Flames, tearing ligaments in his leg in the process. Al had been in the stands attempting to retrieve
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After retiring as the Flames' trainer in 1996, Murray remained with the club as a community ambassador. He was the first person in PHATS history to be unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame.
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player with the High River Flyers, and his mother a leader with the local curling club. Murray earned the nickname "Bearcat" from his father, who shared the same moniker.
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when the Flames were in town. The group consisted of one
Bostonian and a number of native Calgarians who were studying at
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by the
Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society and the Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers.
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Murray joined the Flames as their head athletic trainer in 1980 when the team arrived after relocating from
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while play was still ongoing, as the Flames scored a goal during their 1989 playoff series against the
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The
Official Rules of Hockey: An Anecdotal Look at the Rules of Hockey-And How They Came to Be
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was going ballistic. I think Bear thought I'd better be hurt or he might lose his job."
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Beloved
Calgary Flames trainer Jim 'Bearcat' Murray dead at 89
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Murray was famously on the ice, tending to fallen goaltender
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home games, where Murray worked as a community ambassador.
286:. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. 2008-10-30. Archived from
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Self-taught, Murray served first as the trainer of the
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228:"Bearcat Murray to be honoured by Hall of Fame"
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325:. Globe Pequot. p. 35.
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256:"The One and Only Bearcat"
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319:Duplacey, James (2000).
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127:Stanley Cup
370:Categories
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266:2008-12-12
237:2008-12-12
194:References
153:Gary Suter
92:Wranglers
58:Biography
42:for the
142:Gretzky
72:Okotoks
68:Alberta
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