The Lloydminster Bobcats are excited to play the 40th year of Junior A Hockey in the Border City. A couple name changes and reorganization years but 40 years of history all for the “Love of the Game!”. In the spring of 1982, a group of local businessmen and hockey enthusiasts believed it was time for the shift to Junior A Hockey so they called a public meeting and started the groundwork to bring Junior A hockey to Lloydminster! Picked from 219 entries for “˜Name the Team’ the winning entry for the first Junior A team named the team the Lloydminster Lancers!
A name change followed in 1988; the newly named Border Blazers officially joined the Alberta Junior Hockey League on June 3rd, 1988. A new logo and new colors would follow for the team.
Flash forward to May of 2005 an ownership change would see another “˜Name the Team’ contest and the naming of the Lloydminster Bobcats! Although there were 3 names, there has always been one constant, the City of Lloydminster has been home to Junior A hockey for many years. The 40th season of Junior A hockey in the Border City carries a lot of history and great pride with it. This is an incredible milestone and the current group is thrilled to participate and looks forward to more community involvement.
A deep history means the list of Alumni who played for the Lloydminster Lancers, Border Blazers, and Lloydminster Bobcats runs deep. The 2022-23 season will be filled with continuous celebrations of 40 years of junior hockey beginning with the Alumni weekend commencing September 8th. The weekend will be host to the Evening of Champions, a preseason game with a flashback between the Lloydminster Bobcats and Battleford Northstars on Friday night, followed by a “˜40 years of junior hockey’ Alumni game on the 10th. The weekend will be capped off with the Flames and Oilers Alumni game.
“The community of Lloydminster’s support for Junior A hockey for 40 years is remarkable! There have been hurdles and obstacles along the way, but individuals and community always pulled through. We are thrilled to be having the alumni weekend and hope to have as many alumni back in town as possible. We want to showcase where we have come from and the product we have now all thanks to the roots put down years ago. We hope our excitement and gratitude fires up the whole community because it took and takes a whole community to have successful Junior A hockey club.” commented current Bobcats President Brent Mohrbutter.
“Junior hockey in Lloydminster has had many faces and names over the past forty years. Its constant – the avenue it provides for our youth and billets to further develop respect for their teammates and the game and understand the deeper meaning of community,” says Mayor Gerald Aalbers, City of Lloydminster. “For decades, the Lloydminster community has benefited from the coaching staff and players’ generosity. The City of Lloydminster looks forward to watching junior hockey continue to grow in the region and enrich the lives of all those involved and those with whom the team interacts.”
More details and events will continue to be announced as Lloydminster celebrates 40 years of Junior Hockey! Stay tuned to Lloydminster Bobcats social media and website. Any alumni who have not filled out the latest alumni form, please email admin@lloydminsterbobcats.com.
40 years of Junior Hockey image was created by Red Bicycle Communications.