History of Green Bay Hockey

and the Bobcats, Green Bay's first Professional Hockey Team

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Build a new ice rink: Brown County Arena Dedicated Nov 11, 1958 Get it ready:

And add a Coach:

Build a team:
Green Bay Bobcats, the first professional hockey team in Green Bay, Wisconsin, featured Copper Country hockey greats, Coach Tony Bukovich and his son, Tony Jr., and "Kenner" Ruohonen in their first year and a number of other Copper Country players in the following years.

A brief history of Green Bay hockey as written in the Dec 20, 1958 game program is featured below:

Bobcat Logo from 1958 Jersey	Green Bay Hockey History Page 1 from Dec 1958 program	Green Bay Hockey History Page 2 from Dec 1958 program
1st Bobcat Coach Tony Bukovich from Dec 1958 program	Bobcat game tickets Dec 1958	Bobcat Player Bios Dec 1958 Featuring Cliff Butler, Dick Dougherty, Tom Tochterman, Tony Bukovich Jr, Roger Maki, Andy Ciorcia, Bob Bercel, Dick Dier, Tom Neveau, Mike Horn, Bill Dickenson, Ken Ruohonen, Joe Bochenni or Bocchini, Ron Katalin, Penny Dittman.
Bobcats Directors 1958-59	page from Dec 1958 game program	Bobcats cartoon 1958 game program
Bobcats 1958 Away Schedule	Bobcats 1958 Home Schedule	Green Bay Bobettes Dec 1958
Bobcats Team 1958-59	Bobcats vs Nationals Dec 1958	1958-59 Green Bay Bobcats Playoff Champs, Gibson Cup Winners Top Row L-R: Pres, A.S. (Red) Paynter, Secr James Manci, Cliff Butler, Bill Lindstrom, Bob DeGrio, Tom Neveau, John Mayasich, Mike Horn, Dick Dougherty, Treasurer George Farah, Coach Tony Bukovich. Seated L-R: Jackie Poole, Bill Taylor, Jack Hoppe, Tom Tochterman, Ron Katalin, Ken Ruohonen. Front L-R: Bob Bercel, Dick Dier, Joe Bocchini. Regular Season Record: 28-14-1
1959 Program	1958-59 Mid-America Hockey League Final Standings Bobcats: 16W, 7L, 1-T
1963 program cover features Ken Ruohonen	Bobcats 1963-64 Team	Bobcats win 1965 Senior Nationals!
19?? Ken Ruohonen accepts Trophy	Ken Ruohonen vs Barry Cook of Marquette Iron Rangers 19??	Bobcats with Trophies 19?? Lt to Rt: Ron Katalin, Bob DeGrio, Cliff Butler, Jack Hoppe, Bill Taylor,  Ken Ruohonen.
Wisconsin Senior State Tourney  "Fond du Lac Bears" 1965-66 A pickup team including some Bobcat players: Top Row L-R: Dick Dier, ?, Fuzzy Frenette, ?,?,?, Ken Ruohonen, ?. Sitting L-R: ?,?, Norwegian Oysten Mellerude -Goalie, Bob Rompre, ?,?.	1966 Bobcats vs Chicago Blackhawks Ken Ruohonen top right  Bobby Hull "A" & Pierre Pilote #3 & Doug Jarrett #20 & Glenn Hall #1 This was an exhibition game to encourage Pro hockey in Green Bay: The Bobcats scored first, but went on to loose 1-11	Green Bay Bobcats vs Chicago Blackhawks (Stanley Cup Champs same season) Bobcats: Tony Bukovich Jr, John Mayasich, Fuzzy Frenette Chicago: Lou Angotti (MTU) 1966 This was an exhibition game to encourage Pro hockey in Green Bay:

 Donald Clark (according to Clark's obit):
In 1959-1960, Donald Clark managed the Green Bay Bobcats.
In 1947, Donald Clark, with Robert Ridder and Everett "Buck" Riley, founded the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association. He served as an officer of that organization through 1988; as president, secretary-treasurer and registrar. Between 1947 and 1998, the number of registered teams grew from 45 to nearly 4,000, and the number of indoor Minnesota ice arenas increased from 13 to more than 220. In 1952, Clark organized a statewide Bantam tournament for youth hockey in Minnesota, the first such event in the nation. Clark was the manager of the 1958 U.S. National hockey team, the first United States sports team ever to visit the Soviet Union. And, in 1959-60, he managed the Green Bay Bobcats to the championship of the U.S. Hockey League. From 1958 to 1978, he served as vice president of the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States and for many years was a member of the U.S. Olympic Hockey committee. Until the time of his death, Clark remained active in hockey as director emeritus of AHAUS and the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association.  For several years after its inception in 1973, Clark served as president of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, and with his knowledge of hockey history and memorabilia provided substantially to its foundation. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978.  Among his many honors was the prestigious National Hockey League Lester Patrick Award. In recent years, he was presented with the Heritage Award of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the Maroosh Award by the Minnesota North Stars. In 1996, he was honored by the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association.  Clark gained national recognition as a hockey historian and was a contributor to the Encyclopedia Britannica on the history of international hockey. He also provided information and photographs and contributed articles to numerous publications.

According to Murray Williamson, "In 1969 the AHAUS designated John Mayasich's Green Bay Bobcats of the USHL to represent the United States in the World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. The team lost all 10 games, were outscored 74 to 16 and the USA team was relegated to the "B" group tournament for the 1970 World Championship for the first time."

Reunion: The Green Bay Bobcats had a Runion November 2006 and invited all former members and friends they could find to their reunion:

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