Windsor Tomcats

For nearly three decades the Tomcat organization has chugged along unbreakable, consistent, reliable.   Some would say it would be like finding an old record which has stood in the books only to be looked at in awe and not spoken of being broken.  Same could be said with trying to remember the last time a Tuesday night has had to be cancelled.  Trouble is – it just happened.  

Management, experts and think tanks have put forth a number of theories:  

Is it due to the ‘median’ (And undisclosed) ‘average’ age of the players, who now have family and work commitments?

Is it due to that same average player ‘age’ question which can be pointed towards the number of players on the ‘IR’ list?   

Was it due to the pivotal game 4 of the World Series (Which is my bet line), Or is it simply a string of bad timing that several of the staple/reliable tenders just happen to all be injured?

Adding to the goalie problem is the disappearance of Tomcat players also battling injuries, work and family commitments.  Add it all together and where once there were seasons with several ‘mini tournaments’, we now have a season forecasting ‘week to week’ evaluations ensuring enough players and goalies are lined up. 

Tough calls ahead – does Management recruit more players and risk too many guys showing up. Will more ‘part-time’ spots be opened to help alleviate shortages? 

So – bad news:  Tuesday ‘was’ cancelled.  Good news? Im confident the required move was a ‘rarity’ and not likely to occur again this season.  Why?  Management has confirmed a new tender has been secured and they will make their debut this coming Tuesday . Scouting reports indicate he’s a ‘true’ butterfly tender and is eager to challenge legends such as Falcon, Razor and Bender for playing time. When he was told the Tomcats enjoy reminiscing after a game on stage with ‘beverages’, I swear I saw him drool.  I’m pretty confident he’ll fit right in.  Vegas odds already project he’ll secure a first period shut out within 5 full games played. 

Best part?  I’m hoping Tuesdays required full and half case will be added to this coming weeks ‘supply’. 

Side bet:  After missing a rare week off, Tomcat players come out in full force and we see our seasons first mini tournament.  When Rocky asks who’s coming this week – answer the call and come see if this ‘try out’ goalie lives up to the hype. 

Special write up by Menorah Fornix 

The Tomcats finally had a decent amount of guys playing to avoid 3-on-3 or running hot with 1 or no subs. This made for a very fast-paced evening with lots of pretty passing, goals and saves.

Both Bender and Shack were between the pipes once again. Thank God for these two net minders. Without them so far, there were not be hockey to play.

However, next week, Shack is unable to play so will the Tomcats have another goalie to actually play? Time will tell.

Teams from last night were:

Chevy’s Black Corvettes – Shack in net, Rocky, Doc, Professor, Bullwinkle, Soupy and Chevy

Big Ned’s White Vipers – Bender in net, Tonto, Smiley, Hobbs, Animal, Snowpants and Bid Ned

The first game was taken by the Black Corvettes. While older on paper, the Corvettes showed game smarts and some good old grit to hold off the younger Vipers.

In the second game, the Vipers had to drop a player (Hobbs) so Soupy moved over to the Vipers for the final period. While the Birthday Boy Soupy made an impact, the Corvettes were able to prevail in game two as well. “Being half the age of Snowpants now, I feel I am 90% more efficient than one-quarter of the Tomcats 10% or more older than men’” explained Soupy, the birthday boy. Tomcat statisticians and on-contract data scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what Soupy was trying to convey.

Both Soupy and Rocky are out next week so Bullwinkle will run the operations.

Please, please, please check the beer list and make sure you have lived up to your responsibilities. Also, respond to Rocky as fast as possible each week. It makes Tuesday planning much easier.

Until next time,

Tomcats Forever!

Slightly better turnout this week than last where the Tomcats were able to play the regular 4-on-4 with a sub each (at least for the first game). Not quite as hot this week finally and seems like game speed is picking up as the boys start to get more into season shape.

Teams:

Swayze’s Swords – Shack in net, Animal, Swayze, Hobbs, Rocky and Tonto

Professor’s Pistols – Bender in net, Chevy, Soupy, Professor and Bullwinkle

Despite Bender’s concerns that the Pistols were out matched as the teams warmed up, the Pistols had no issues taking game one. Will it ended in a 7-6 score, the Swords were out early, but then gave up the lead and never gained it back.

Bender and Shack played stellar and the score is not indicative of how many shots were taken.

Each team lost a player after game one so 3-on-3 to 3 was played where the Swords prevailed.

Ice maker is functioning again so the beer was cold on stage. Speaking of beer, have you checked the list yet? Have you missed your night? Make sure the Tomcats are made whole.

Due to lower turnout, the Tomcats need to recruit. Have any good guys to bring out that will be a great Tomcat addition (think blending in nicely on stage after hockey)? Sounds like Bullwinkle and Swayze each have a guy. Let Rocky know. Some Tomcats with injuries or other commitments are supposed to be out soon, so that should help.

Until next week, Tomcats Forever!

Another hot one at the Kapusta last night. Making the heat even hotter…more running. The boys had to run more as we played 3-on-3 due to low turnout. Injuries, other commitments, nice weather, etc. might be keeping Tomcats from playing. Also, Flintstone was a no-show without letting Rocky know so is our first 6-pack fine of the year.

Shack’s Black Bandits – Shack in net, Soupy, Snowpants, Smiley, The Professor and would have included Flintstone

Bender’s White Lions – Bender in net, Hobbs, Tonto, Animal and Rocky

A single game was played with plenty of breaks taken. while the Lions jumped out to an early lead, the Bandits were too much and ultimately took the night by a score of 7-4.

Shack made some impressive saves to hold off the Lions pretty handedly. Rocky and Soupy made their season debuts and the running made it tough. “I should have done more pre-season running,” said an exhausted Rocky during the second break. “I am a little embarrassed this is kicking my ass so much,” he went on to say.

The hot night took an even darker turn on stage…no ice for the beer so warm beer was the only option. Seems like Tomcats do not like warm beer. We will need to bring ice each night until the hall fixes the ice maker. Snowpants offered to bring ice next week. PLEASE check the beer schedule and bring in your case on time or early.

Let’s hope the numbers grow next week. If you have a good Tomcat candidate, let Soupy and Rocky know. We might need to recruit more.

Until next week,

Tomcats Forever

(Harry Palm Press)

Many players were silently counting down the days till hockey resumed, and it helped to pass the time by reading the summer blogs posted.  

Speaking of summer blogs, I really liked the one showing Stevo on the beach; still looking in beuuuutifuk playing form.  Rumour has it he only had a few moments to stand still, as he was constantly being stalked by Tomcat fans.  

Speaking of ‘Opening night’, it felt ‘much’ different as marquis players like Rocky, Soupy and the great Hurricane were notably missing.   

Vegas odds had Hurricane ‘once again’ starting the year with yet ‘another’ goal.  With Hurricane missing, along with the notable and reliable scoring of Soupy, it really was ‘open season’ for someone to fill the gap.  

The first goal – and had I not seen it myself I may have thought it was another ‘AI ruse’ went to Skippy; who after the game was heard saying, ‘I did ask my daughter’s magic 8 ball if I’d score – and it said, ‘it is certain’.  I guess I had more confidence in my shot tonight and I hope I made Hurricane proud.  

That first game was a true nail biter with the Black Bender Beauties edging out the White Chico Chicklets  5-4. 

Game 2 was another story as Bullwinkle, Chevy, Professor, Hobbs, LaBamba and Skippy really found their grove (5-2).  

Snowpants, Animal, Tonto, Shack and the ‘surprise’ ‘re-appearance’? of Flinstone; despite the two game loss, had more to say about the continued ‘disappearance’ of the Sparky Clock.  

Scoring, heat, summer regrets of ‘I should have kept in better game shape’ and despite the aggravation of ‘manually’ keeping the score – all was quickly forgotten as the boys took to the stage to celebrate the return of Tomcat hockey.  

It also helped when the ‘season’ opener gift was revealed – a true gem, and something I expect to class up many an event to be attended.  

While you’re wondering why I didn’t reveal ‘what’ the gift was, I noticed your Handzonmecac.  

Yurri

Right off the bat I wish to say, that I booked my trip way before the lunacy started in the United States.  I also wish to say, that I went for a week, booked a condo in Canadian Dollars.  I did not buy a factory there and hire 100 Americans.

Something else you should know and some may know this, I am an American.  I was born in the States. 

I love the beach and the place I went to is called Myrtle Beach, so you can see where that would be fun for me.
I enjoyed my time in Myrtle Beach but now at this stage of the summer, I would be the one calling the folks at the Kapusta Kow and confirming start times and to see if it was alright to still play.  I would then be starting the recruitment process to see who was in to play this year and if we would have enough goalies, Rocky gets to do all that now.

Did I tell you I enjoyed my time in Myrtle Beach, I got a new tank top (so yes some money was spent there) but I look pretty good in the tank top, so please give that one to me….and they (USA)  are our neighbour and have been a good neighbour of ours for years, I felt, one delusional man should not ruin the beach experience for me, so I went.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and comes to the Windsor Tomcats ready to play in what we know as the 36th year getting together at the Kapusta Kow in September, thank you Turk, for the hockey, (first two years as the Fabulous Thunderbirds, playing basketball) thank you Legend.

36 years is a long time, but the glue that holds the Tomcats together is stronger than ever, thank you Rocky and Soupy and of course everyone else, The Terror, The Falcon, Sunny, Bullwinkle, Matador, Killer, Chevy, Shack, Tonto, Kamikaze , La Bamba, Sparky, Snowpants just to name a few along with the newbies, Hobbs, Bender, Smiley, Big Ned and Escalade.

Thanks for reading, if you want to see me in that tank top, shoot me a text, I will send you a photo. 
Tomcats Forever!

It’s that time of year again…time to transition from offseason partying and get into pre-season conditioning. The 2025-2026 Tomcat season is just one month away. Tuesday September 16th will be opening night. Look out for an email from Rocky and Soupy asking for commitment. more details will be included in the email, including some changes happening at the Kapusta we will need to navigate.

LaBamba continues to traverse the globe and recently checked into the Lizard Lounge in Seoul South Korea.

Alright, Tomcat faithful, Chevy here, stepping in for Stevo this week, mainly because he’s still muttering about “logistical oversights” and “unforeseen tournament attendance.” We just got back from what was supposed to be the golf trip of a lifetime: The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Think pristine fairways, the roar of the crowd, and us, the Windsor Tomcats, showing those pros a thing or two.

So, the plan was flawless, right? Stevo, Hatchie, Big Easy, and yours truly, along with our incredible wives/girlfriends – Tamster, Sporty Spice, Sweet Feet, and Sugar Mama – were heading to Northern Ireland. The ladies were going to enjoy some “cultural immersion” (read: shopping and not watching us shank balls), while we’d casually stroll onto the hallowed grounds of Royal Portrush, clubs in hand, ready to channel our inner McIlroy.

We rolled up to Royal Portrush, all swagger and dreams of perfectly struck irons. The sun was shining, the air smelled of freshly cut grass, and… chaos. Not the pristine fairways we’d envisioned, but barriers, crowds, and enough security to guard a small nation’s gold reserves.

“Excuse me, mate,” Stevo puffed to a rather stoic security guard, “we’re here for our tee time. Stevo, Hatchie, Big Easy, Chevy. The Windsor Tomcats, you know?”

The guard just stared, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “Sir, this is The Open Championship. You might have noticed the thousands of spectators and professional golfers.”

My jaw, along with the dreams of a green jacket, hit the tarmac. Hatchie, bless his usually sharp mind, chimed in, “So, what, we can’t just… pop on for a quick eighteen?”

The security guard actually snorted. Sporty Spice, ever the pragmatist, chimed in, “You mean to tell me you guys dragged us all the way to Northern Ireland during the biggest golf tournament of the year, expecting to just play Royal Portrush?”

Silence. The kind of silence usually followed by the sound of male egos deflating. Big Easy, ever the optimist, cleared his throat. “Well, darling, we did assume they’d have, you know, a few spare slots. For discerning gentlemen such as ourselves.”

Sweet Feet, bless her patience, just shook her head. “You guys are unbelievable.”

Tamster, Stevo’s rock, just gave him that look. You know the one. The “I told you so, but I’m too polite to say it out loud” look.

The Unplanned Detour to Royal Forty-Seven

So, with our tails tucked firmly between our legs, and the distant roar of the crowd a cruel reminder of our folly, we huddled. The dream of Royal Portrush was dead. But a Tomcat never gives up! We had a backup plan. A contingency. A course “down the road.”

That’s how we found ourselves at Royal Forty-Seven. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was… a golf course. It had grass. It had holes. It even had a rather enthusiastic groundskeeper who greeted us with a smile and a slightly chipped scorecard. The pro shop was more of a “shed with some forgotten clubs,” and the “clubhouse” seemed to double as someone’s backyard storage unit.

The ladies, to their credit, were troopers. Tamster even managed to find some humor in the “rustic” charm of it all. Sporty Spice, ever competitive, declared the putting greens “character building.” Sweet Feet just focused on her swing, probably trying to block out the sounds of Big Easy complaining about the lack of a beverage cart. And Sugar Mama? She just kept saying, “Well, at least the air is fresh.”

We didn’t set any course records. Unless “most golf balls lost in one round” counts. Hatchie somehow managed to hit a tree on a wide-open fairway, Big Easy mistook a squirrel for his caddy, and I spent more time looking for my ball than actually hitting it. As for Stevo? Let’s just say his short game was, shall we say, “a work in progress.”

The Real Victory

But you know what? As the sun set over Royal Forty-Seven (a truly majestic sight, even if it was just over a farmer’s field), with our wives laughing and the air filled with the scent of… well, certainly not championship golf, we realized something. It wasn’t Royal Portrush, and we definitely weren’t pros. But we were together, we were laughing, and we were still the Windsor Tomcats.

So, next time you see us, don’t ask about our Open experience. Ask about the time we conquered Royal Forty-Seven. It’s a much funnier story. And trust me, the ladies will back me up on that one.

Until next time, keep those swings smooth, and always double-check the tournament schedule!

Chevy out.

We hope all Tomcats and families are enjoying summer holidays and vacations. Rocky and his family are traveling through France and Italy, but Rocky, in order to make the vacation expenses a write-off, is there on “strict Tomcat business.” Rocky is said to be recruiting talent in those countries. While one might say, “why would you go to France and Italy for talent…there’s no hockey players there,” let us remind you previous Tomcat management toured through the Greek islands years ago and came across Sunny, Soupy and Shack. “Look at those gems that were found in a non-traditional hockey part of the world,” said former Tomcat President, Stevo. Rocky is hoping to catch the same luck in France and Italy. Besides, Italy is where Bullwinkle was discovered!

Have a great summer. Send Rocky any pictures to share of vacations and interesting locations where Tomcat swag is being worn.

September is not too far off!

Tomcats Forever!

The Tomcat Board of Directors meeting occurred this week, with great participation and some fresh ideas for the future of the Tomcats. Thanks to Soupy for hosting in his man cave and for providing good drinks and food for the participants. Participating this year were as follows:

• Rocky, Soupy, The Rake, Falcon, Chico, Bullwinkle, Bender, The Professor, Skippy, Chevy

Making a guest appearance was the late (yet surprising very alive) Steve Jobs who turns out to be amazing at big ideas, but not so interested in execution.

Topics and key decisions made are noted below:

1. 2025-2026 Season Costs: Two options will be presented. Both will require early payment (prior to the first night of hockey) to Rocky. Option 1: Pay $60 early, then pay $5 per night. Option 2: Pay the entire season early and not worry about paying each night. $175 for the entire season. Rocky prefers the early payment via e-transfer so a few Tomcats still living in the Stone Age might need to purchase a 56k modem finally.
   
   Season Start – Tuesday September 16th. End December 16th (pizza party). Start up again January 6th, end April 11, 2026
   
2. Tournament – The end of year tournament in April appeared to be a big hit, so we will stay with that timing. Not so much of a hit was the “play everyone twice” format we used. As such, levergaing a recommendation from a few years back from Falcon, and reiterated by Sunny ahead of the BoD, we will go to a format where each team plays the other teams, then go into Round Robin format (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3) and then play a consolation game for 3rd place, followed by the Championship.
   
   All games except for the Championship game will be 2 10 minute periods. The Championship game will be 2 12 minute periods. 2-3 minutes between periods, 5 minutes between games.
   
   Captains – to be decided by December 2025 – The BoD decided to wait to name Captains for next year based on who is playing often during the first half of next season.
   
   Mid-Season Mini Tournament – The Tomcats are considering playing a Saturday Mini Tournament in November, with much less formality than the main tournament (no draft, no shirts, etc.) and follow that up later on the Saturday with the traditional Tomcat Holiday party with spouses. So hockey in the morning, gathering in the evening.
   
3. Rule Clarification – Timeouts – Timeouts can only be called during a stoppage (after a goal, ball unintentionally goes out of play, goalie saves and puts ball behind net, etc.). You can’t call the TO simply by having possession.
   
4. Recruitment – We have had good influx of young talent last two years so no dire need but would like to still bring out “good fits” for the Tomcats when possible and another goalie option is not a bad idea.
   
5. Special Nights – Besides the idea of the Saturday mini, we will continue Big Net nights, and try to plan a game where it is Youth vs. Experience. Need to figure out median age of Tomcats and divide on that age for the night. Who will prevail…Stamina of the Youth? Smarts of the Experienced? We’ll see.
   
6. Beer Nights – Once you commit to be a regular, you will be added to the Beer list and you need to be responsible for your nights. That means you either ensure you bring beer on your assigned night, or bring it early. True Tomcats live up to this. Do not be a dud. Tomcats don’t like duds.
   
7. Future Leadership Change – Rocky mentioned he will likely look to step down as Tomcat President in the next year or two and is proposing the reigns be handed over to Soupy to become the 3rd President of the Tomcats since 1989. Rocky will garner support for this change over the next year or so.
   
8. New Ideas and Thoughts to be considered:
   – We need to fix the nets or purchase new ones. Soupy and Chico to try to figure out the approach here.
   – Sparky Clock needs to return. Sparky will be asked to make sure we can have this fixed for the Season Start.
   – Carousel of Nations – St. Vlad’s is hosting the Ukrainian Village. We would like to have a large contingent of the Tomcats there to celebrate and gather during that event.
   – Use floor tape to create a goal line between the posts to make sure the nets are aligned and goals more obvious
   – Create a fun nightly award to hand out each Tuesday – not just for player of the game, but for whoever made the night special. Great way to capture something for the blog and give a shout out each Tuesday. We need a catchy name for this and a small award to hand out (think Champions Belt, small trophy, etc.).
   – Monthly Clean up of Floor – Assign guys to show up early every 3-4 weeks before hockey to do a quick sweep/vacuum of the floor, steps, stage just to keep the playing surface as clean as possible all year.
   – Fix the fire extinguishers so they can be easy moved out of the way but still be located in the correct spot for safety reasons
   – Need to revive the Pantelone de Neige Golf Tournament for 2026 but need a Tomcat to step up. Rocky and Soupy cannot be expected to run everything and there is only a handful of other Tomcats that help with other routine tasks (empty runs, hall clean ups, etc.). We need others to step up to have fun events occur. We need less Steve Jobs types and more willing to execute.
   – Speaking of executing, The Professor agreed to become the Minister of Pizza since the previous Minister is MIA.
   – Longer term planning – We are not too far away from the 40th Anniversary of the Tomcats. Will need to keep this on the radar to plan an event fitting of 40 years as an organization.

That is the summary for now. Look for more updates on events over the summer.

Until then, Tomcats Forever and as Stevo would say, Stay Beautiful!

Want to play a different format? Think a rule or two should be changed? Have an opinion on the firmness of the ball (Soupy and Matador (aka The Ball Princesses) – your thoughts are well known, no need to bring up)’ etc.? Only way to voice your thoughts is to attend next week’s Board meeting. No complaining on any changes if you don’t participate.

Details below:

– Board of Directors meeting will be held on TUESDAY APRIL 29 at 630 PM.

– Location is The Soup-r-Dome (Soupy’s garage) in Tecumseh, 1878 St Anne St. 

– ALL Tomcats are encouraged to attend, as well as some of the newcomers to maybe provide a fresh insight into the future of the Windsor Tomcats.

– Drinks and food will be served

Let Soupy know ASAP if you plan to attend so we can estimate food and drink needs.

See you there!

Tomcats Forever