Regardless of how repeatedly he advised the tale, Jim “Bearcat” Murray all the time ended one in every of his maximum harrowing stories with a glint in his eye and a grin on his face.
“Best instructor in NHL historical past to be plus-1,” he’d say, proudly.
In a up to date chat, having a look again at his incredible adventure to being probably the most well-known head athletic instructor in NHL lore, the person identified round Southern Alberta as The Little Potlicker from Okotoks lit up when requested about one of the crucial many nights his legend grew.
“Bernie Nicholls punched Vernie (Flames goalie Mike Vernon) and down he went like a ton of bricks – it didn’t glance excellent,” stated Bearcat of a playoff incident towards LA en path to the Flames’ famed 1989 Cup run.
“The ref had his hand within the air and I assumed, ‘that is going to be referred to as.’
Joel Otto grabbed Nicholls and began a ruckus, the ref’s palms went down and I assumed the whistle would move, so I simply hit the ice and began working.
“I am getting to Vernie and he says ‘I’m nice, simply making an attempt to attract a penalty.’
“Abruptly I heard screams, and once I regarded down the ice there’s the ref skating in opposition to the penalty field and our guys are skating round with their sticks within the air. We scored.
“I stated, ‘Mike, the whistle by no means blew, we’re in hassle.’
“He stated, whattya imply ‘we’ are in hassle?’”
After looking to protect himself at the back of Vernon, Bearcat attempted unsuccessfully to scamper from the scene left out, hoping the function wouldn’t be referred to as again and a penalty assessed.
“At the manner off the ice I may just see Gretzky leaning out of the field, beating the forums together with his stick and elevating hell,” stated Bearcat, an animated storyteller.
“I’m doing my little prayers and announcing, ‘please let him close up.’ Simply as I ended I heard the ref say, ‘Gretz, close up or you might be out of right here.’
“I were given away with it.
“I used to be one fortunate Potlicker.”
That’s how he described his lifestyles too.
Bearcat died on Tuesday morning, 3 days after being injured in a fall at his Okotoks house.
He was once 89.
Information of his passing unfold across the Flames group speedy, and hit arduous, talking volumes of the have an effect on he had on a group he embraced like no different.
Way past the 1980-1996 window by which he oversaw the Flames dressing room, his infectious character and distinctive glance made him a family title in Southern Alberta – a recognition he constructed on lengthy after retiring to be a group ambassador.
“He advised me he performed just about 100 charity golfing occasions 12 months,” stated former Flame Perry Berezan.
“No longer most effective did he play, however he began auctioneering for a large number of the ones occasions. He would referee charity hockey video games. Identical to he did as a instructor who was once wanted via Olympians and rodeo guys, he’d do anything else to assist. Discuss a man who was once inclusive. Whether or not you have been a callup or a celeb, he made everybody really feel vital.
“He was once the daddy determine who cared so deeply about you mentally and bodily.
“His succeed in in southern Alberta had most of the people feeling like they knew him.
“You’re going to need to have the provider on the Saddledome as a result of 1000’s of individuals are going to wish to pay their respects.”
Keep tuned on that one.
“I used to be chatting with his son, Al (referred to as AlCat when he labored along his father with the Flames), and he stated this morning, ‘Figuring out dad, he’d need the most important funeral and perhaps even a parade,’” chuckled Lanny McDonald whilst on his strategy to see Bearcat’s spouse Shirley Tuesday.
“Being a jockey, running within the oil box and turning into a instructor, he all the time sought after to be the most productive. He was once the fellow who put the spikes in his sneakers so he may just fly throughout that ice.
“He wasn’t officially skilled, so that you couldn’t do it lately, however he learn a ton and also you had this agree with and religion in him simply as a result of who he was once that he may just patch you again in combination and attach you.”
Ask somebody who ever knew him, he all the time had your again, as was once evidenced the night time son Al jumped into the stands in Edmonton to rescue a stolen Gary Suter stick.
As issues began getting unpleasant with the enthusiasts, over the glass jumped Bearcat to assist his son, tearing ligaments upon touchdown.
As he was once stretchered out of the rink, he blew kisses to the digital camera, rising the legend of a person whose purple observe pants, white sweater, spiked sneakers and domed glance gave beginning to a number of fan golf equipment across the league.
“In Boston, Montreal and all over we went at the east coast there can be 5 – 6 guys dressed up as Bearcat with tufts striking out of cranium caps, a large mustache and that observe swimsuit,” laughed McDonald, mindful an appreciative Bearcat regularly met up with such supporters afterwards.
“What number of running shoes have their very own fan membership across the league?”
That’s the type of notoriety that helped land the personable local of Vulcan, Alta., within the Hockey Corridor of Status in 2009, one in every of six such Halls he’s enshrined in, together with the Alberta Sports activities Corridor of Status.
A serial yodeler who was once all the time recreation to lighten the temper or boost an public sale, Bearcat may just regularly be noticed looking to keep in form in rinks across the league via roller-skating across the concourse together with his Walkman on.
It was once a sight robust sufficient for Joe Nieuwendyk and Paul Ranheim to turn up on the group’s Halloween birthday party 12 months dressed as Bearcat and his son.
“It was once hilarious, however then, so was once he,” stated Vernon, of a person who were given his nickname and Potlicker tag from his father, Alan.
“He was once a personality. So passionate. He simply cared, he cared about everyone. His character simply rubbed off on other people.
“He had not anything however power and all the time had a grin.”
It helped carry the gamers, it helped entertain the enthusiasts.
He was once MacGyver sooner than MacGyver, looking prime and broad sooner than touchdown on the very best spikes to implant in his coaching sneakers.
“In a group atmosphere it’s essential to have anyone who’s all the time sure, by no means had a nasty day and can do nearly anything else conceivable to assist out alongside the way in which and stay you within the lineup,” stated former Flames GM Al Coates, who was once a part of the control workforce that determined to rent the long-time instructor (and regularly bus motive force) with the Calgary Centennials, Wranglers, Cowboys and Stampeders when the franchise relocated from Atlanta.
“He was once one in every of a sort. He had a type of personalities the place he was once exuberant always.
“I will be able to nonetheless see him leaping up and down at the bench, so excited for others. It wasn’t about him. He was once really fascinated about the good fortune of others.
“There are other people whose personalities simply soar out of other people and with the appearance of TV other people noticed that. Identical to the overdue Ed Whalen, he was once very distinctive to Calgary and Southern Alberta.”
In lifestyles, he completed plus-1.
“We chuckled about that night time for a very long time, however we weren’t assured straight away,” stated Vernon.
“I advised him, ‘possibly they’ll provide you with an help.’”
No use.
All the way through his lifestyles he’d already racked up tens of millions of them.
