Iconic Calgary Flames trainer Jim ‘Bearcat’ Murray passes away at 89

Beloved Calgary Flames athletic therapist and author Jim “Bearcat” Murray died at the age of 89, according to the hockey organization.

According to a news release, Murray died Tuesday morning.

“A lifelong Albertan, Murray was born in Vulcan in 1933 and moved to Okotoks in 1937, where he and his family quickly established themselves as devoted community members,” the Calgary Flames wrote.

Within Okotoks, you can also find the Murray Arena, named after the Calgary Flames alumnus who joined the hockey organization in 1980 as the head athletic trainer.

Bearcat, who was self-taught according to the Flames news release, held the position with the Flames until 1996 when he retired. Previous to that, he was a trainer for the Calgary Centennials and Wranglers of the Western Hockey League. He then would go on to work with the Calgary Cowboys of the World Hockey Association and worked as an assistant trainer for the Calgary Stampeders before making his NHL debut.

Winning the Stanley Cup with the team in 1989 was a career highlight for the Albertan, along with being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the athletic trainer category in 2009.

The Flames say that after his retirement, Murray served as a community ambassador in Calgary. Murray also penned a memoir in the Fall of 2021 dubbed, Bearcat Murray: From Ol’ Potlicker to Calgary Flames Legend.

3:23 Bearcat Murray tours the Corral

Bearcat won the affection of many people in the sports world, including longtime sports journalist George Johnson.

“He’ll be missed because he was a unique person and a unique personality,” Johnson said as he reflected on the person he came to know simply as Bear. “He was kind of that guy that everybody knew and he was consistent.

“I mean, he was there (with the Calgary Flames) for 16 years, from the time the Flames arrived here from Atlanta to 1996 when he retired.

“Bear was highly approachable. He was a guy that, you talk to him once and you felt like you’d known him your whole life. He was a friend of yours, even if you only met him once, he still felt like a friend.”

Jim Peplinski, a former NHL player with the Calgary Flames, also reflected on his fond memories of Bearcat, noting what he achieved during his time in the hockey world was nothing short of immeasurable.

“The real measure is the people that you touch, and there’s lots of people in the Hockey Hall of Fame and in other places where they’ve been recognized that had accomplishments, but who didn’t touch as many people as Bear,” Peplinski said.

“I think Bear’s real legacy is the way he lived and made life enjoyable for those around him, and so maybe he won on all accounts.

“He had a good run, and with the exception of the pain that I’m sure his dear wife Shirley will certainly feel, I’m sure Bearcat will say, ‘You know what? Don’t cry for me.’”