Jim "Bearcat" Murray (born 1933) is a former athletic trainer for the Calgary Flames. Murray joined the Flames as their head athletic trainer in 1980 when the team arrived after relocating from Atlanta, Georgia, and held the position until his retirement in 1996. He was a part of the Flames' 1989 Stanley Cup championship season.[1]
Murray was famously on the ice, tending to fallen goaltender Mike Vernon while play was still ongoing, as the Flames scored a goal during their 1989 playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings.[4] Vernon explained later that he was not hurt on the play, but went down attempting to draw a penalty after being punched by a Kings player: "I'm lying there wondering when might be a good time to sit up, and all of a sudden there's Bearcat kneeling overtop of me ... We'd just scored a goal with him on the ice and (Wayne) Gretzky was going ballistic. I think Bear thought I'd better be hurt or he might lose his job."[2]
During a game against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton, Murray once went up into the stands to rescue his son Al, also a trainer for the Flames, tearing ligaments in his leg in the process. Al had been in the stands attempting to retrieve Gary Suter's stick, which had been knocked into the crowd and was being hidden by Oiler fans. Fearing things were going to escalate, Bearcat jumped into the fray himself. While being wheeled into an ambulance, Murray blew kisses for the cameras. The incident caught the attention of a group of fans in Boston, who formed the "Bearcat Murray Fan Club", and began showing up at the Boston Garden wearing skull caps and oversized moustaches mimicking Murray's looks when the Flames played there.[2]