This week, we lost a great man and dear friend to the community. 

Sadly, Jim 'Bearcat' Murray, former trainer of the Calgary Flames and proud Okotokian passed away at the age of 89.

When it comes to Bearcat, a lot of us in the Foothills had the pleasure of knowing him. Whether you were an old friend that went way back or you occasionally bumped into him at an Oilers game or at Sweetgrass Deli here in town, he had an unforgettable presence and some very unforgettable stories.

So it's no surprise that so many lovely messages, comments, memories and tributes have come pouring in since the news of his passing. 

And we wanted to share some of them with you to remember and celebrate Jim's legendary life: 

 And not only has the hockey world felt the loss of the Hockey Hall of Famer, but the community as well: 

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I had the pleasure of chatting with him a few times but one of my favourite memories was two years ago. I had placed some bets against Rory Wood, GM of Okotoks Ford, on the hockey playoffs (you'd think I'd learn by now!) and I wasn't doing very good by myself so Rory called in the big guns. He got Jim to come in and help me pick teams he thought would go all the way to win the Stanley Cup. I can't remember if I won the overall bet or not but I know with Bearcat's help I got a lot further than I would have by myself. 

Shayne with Rory Wood and Jim 'Bearcat' Murray.

Thinking about his family, friends and loved ones right now - thanks for the memories friend.

~ The Eagle team.