The Bismarck Bobcats open their 30th anniversary season this week, and the 2025 Robertson Cup champions will do it away from the Bismarck Event Center, opening a two-game series at the St. Cloud Norsemen on Friday, according to OurSportsCentral.
Puck drop for Friday's opener is set for 7 p.m. CT, with the second game of the series Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT, per OurSportsCentral. Fans at home can follow along on SuperTalk 1270 AM in Bismarck-Mandan or watch live video on NAHLTV.com, the league's official webcasting partner, according to the Bobcats' broadcast schedule posted at bismarckbobcats.com.
The season opens under the banner of the franchise's 30th anniversary. The Bobcats are listed as "2025 NAHL Robertson Cup Champions" on their official site, bismarckbobcats.com. That title came in May 2025, when Bismarck beat the Lone Star Brahmas 4-2 at Fogerty Ice Arena South in Blaine, Minn., for the franchise's second Robertson Cup championship, according to the Bismarck Tribune and KFYR-TV. Bismarck's title defense didn't survive the following season, however — the Aberdeen Wings eliminated the Bobcats in the 2025-26 Central Division playoffs, and the Maryland Black Bears went on to win the 2026 Robertson Cup in May, according to the Bismarck Tribune.
St. Cloud has been a favorable opponent for Bismarck recently. The Norsemen dropped all but one of their regular-season meetings with the Bobcats last season, including a 9-1 Bismarck win in their first matchup, per OurSportsCentral.
The road trip comes off an uneven preseason tune-up. Bismarck was outscored 15-5 across two exhibition games in Watford City and did not hold a lead in either contest, OurSportsCentral reported, leaving questions to answer before the regular-season puck drops.
For Bismarck-Mandan hockey fans, the opening weekend marks the kickoff of a season the organization is marking as a milestone, with the Bobcats looking to reclaim the Robertson Cup they won in 2025. A home opener date had not been confirmed as of this writing — check the team's 2026-27 schedule at bismarckbobcats.com/season-schedule for the latest on when the Bobcats will first host at the Bismarck Event Center.
Fans looking to follow the St. Cloud series, or plan ahead for the home slate, can find full broadcast details and the season schedule at bismarckbobcats.com.
