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BALDY’S PUCK DROP Weekly E-Newsletter (September – August) |
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Baldy’s Puck Drop” Weekly E-Newsletter with Matt Leaf
Volume 110: September 10, 2026
PDF Printable Download: Weekly E-Newsletter with Matt Leaf
Dear Great Falls Americans Enthusiast: Here we go! Needless to say, our team is ready to get this season started and look forward to seeing some different opponents in the first few weeks of the season. If you haven’t heard yet, we will open the season Friday night versus the Yellowstone Quake with Toyota as our presenting partner. We will be handing out 2026-27 season schedule refrigerator magnets presented by Slabtek (Concrete Lifting) and AJ Concrete. We will also have a brief 9/11 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony honoring some local first responders prior to the start of the game, so come early to get your seat and show your respect.
Saturday is our 4th Annual Tailgate party with the band After Five performing prior to the game starting at 5:00 PM. The Booster Club will have free food and the bar will be open. We take on the Gillette Wild at 7:05 PM. The team has had three solid weeks of camp/practice and are as prepared as they are going to be. The staff can’t wait to see what we have.
We are excited about some new things taking place at the Ice Plex. We will have draft beer available this season and will offer three local craft beers along with three domestic beers. The flexibility of the draft beer will
allow us to do some more exciting promotions (i.e. a 22 oz refillable souvenir cup and/or $2 domestic ($3 Craft) after an Americans’ power play goal-presented by Gusto Distributing). We will have new merchandise available for the first time from Golden Triangle Graphics and Rowdy Mood Hats. I know that Youth Hockey has expanded the concession stand menu and are offering new items for the first time. We are hoping that the Americans game-day experience will be better than ever – it is not too late to get your season tickets and/or your individual game tickets on our website or by scanning the QR code to the right.
The team met Tuesday to vote in their leadership team for the season. Gordon Jennings (See Player Profile) was selected as the team Captain with Wyatt Rust, Keifer Lundmark and Jase Troyer being selected as Assistant Captains. These four individuals will take the lead with the squad for all internal team matters and have already set an amazing example on how to prepare professionally and create our culture. We have a saying – “Every day you fail to work to get better, you lose the opportunity to be the best!” – that is posted in our dressing room and these players are the ones tasked with setting that tone. Congratulations to Gordy, Wyatt, Keifer and Jase on being selected by your peers – Hockey Captains are a special group.
And just when you think everything is in line and we are on our way, we get an email on Wednesday morning stating that our jerseys are being held at customs with no explanation provided or release date established. They were scheduled to arrive last week, so being held at customs for a week is unfortunate and not something that was expected. Fortunately, we do have a full set of pink jerseys we can get ready (with a few number adjustments and name plates removed), so our team will be wearing our “Think Pink” jerseys this weekend.
The countdown to the Toyota Opening Night through DASH is in full force and you still have until 9:00 PM tonight to bid on the items from day 10 to day 3 and then until puck drop tomorrow for the final two countdown items. It has been a fun activation with several different unique packages and we very much appreciate all of those who have participated this far. Now that you are so close, double check to make sure you are not missing out on your favorite item(s). For those few who may not be aware – here is a run down of what is being offered:
Day 10 – A Signed and Framed Photo with you and your favorite Americans player.
Day 9 – A bench Experience (Pre-game warm-ups) for a designated home game.
Day 8 – “Brunch for Two” with your favorite player at the world-famous Sip-n-Dip Lounge.
Day 7 – Your very own personalized and customized Americans’ hoodie – one of a kind.
Day 6 – The Americans’ “First Goal Puck” signed by the player scoring the season’s first goal.
Day 5 – A specialty themed T-Shirt Collection – get a limited-edition T-Shirt from each of our three season promotions; Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness, Military Appreciation, Rodeo/Rancher Appreciation.
Day 4 – Americans’ Glassware collection including coffee mugs, tumbler and shot glass flight with board.
Day 3 – A specialty themed Hat Collection – get a limited-edition Rowdy Mood Hat from each of our three season promotions; Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness, Military Appreciation, Rodeo/Rancher Appreciation.
Day 2 – A VIP experience for you and three of your friends for a designated home game. AND
Day 1- An Americans ‘game jersey signed by the opening night Americans’ roster.
If any of those items tickle your fancy or you still need to purchase your season Montana Air National Guard Chuck-a-Pucks at a discounted rate, scan the QR code to the left and get into the action. The Montana Air National Guard “Chuck-A-Puck” is back for its second season with special prizes awarded from Teriyaki Madness, Play it Again Sports, Fire Pizza and The Sip-n-Dip Lounge during each home game. You can purchase your pucks at a discounted rate for the season in advance through DASH – simply choose the number of pucks (1-2-3 or 5) you would like to “chuck” and stop by the merchandise table to pick them up. The countdown auction items will close soon and the season chuck-a-pucks can be purchased until the end of September.
Player Profile – #22 Gordon Jennings (Captain) (Anchorage, AK) 6’2” 192 lbs. DEF– Shoots Left DOB 02/02/2007
Favorite Team: Pittsburgh Penguins Favorite Player: Quinn Hughes
Favorite Movie: Rocky 4 Actor/Actress: Will Ferrell
Favorite Food: Country Fried Steak Favorite Pre-Game Meal: Rice and Beef with Vegetables
If you were an animal: Eagle – Because I can fly.
Musical Group You Won’t Miss in Concert: Metallica
Music Guaranteed to get you hyped: Heavy Rock and Rap
Person stuck with on a deserted Island: Bryan Rust
Hobbies other than Hockey: Music, Baseball, Fishing, Outdoors
Three People you would invite to Dinner: Gordy Howe, Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin
College/University of Choice: Ohio University, Niagara University, UNLV
Like Most About Great Falls: Cafe Rio
How would you define a successful season: Winning and giving everything you got.
Here are the upcoming dates to add to your calendar:
- September 11th – Toyota Home and Season Opener versus Yellowstone Quake. Magnet Schedule Give-Away presented by Slabtek (Concrete Lifting) and AJ Concrete. 7:05 PM Puck Drop.
- September 12th – Home game versus Gillette Wild. 4th Annual Tailgate Party Featuring the Live Band “After Five” starting at 5:00 PM. Puck drop at 7:05 PM.
- September 18th – Home game versus Butte Irish presented by Northwestern Energy. 7:05 PM Puck Drop.
- September 19th – Home game versus Sheridan Hawks. Puck drop at 7:05 PM. Return to the Point S Tire & Auto Tricycle Races.
- September 25th – Come meet the Americans at OKTOBERFEST at Annies Taphouse and Homestead 1909. 5:00-10:00 PM.
- September 26th – Away game at Helena. 7:05 PM with Official Watch Party at Buffalo Wild Wings.
- October 23rd-24th – “Think Pink” Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend-Presented by Benefis Health-Sletten Cancer Institute
- November 6th-7th 2026 – Military Appreciation Weekend-Presented by 1st Liberty Federal Credit Union
- December 12th – 2nd Annual Russell Country Federal Credit Union “Teddy Bear Toss”.
- December 20th-22nd – NA3HL Showcase, Blaine, MN.
- January 8th and 15th – Rodeo/Rancher Appreciation.
- February 12th and 13th – Local Business Appreciation presented by Comparion Insurance- Todd Neighbor and Great Falls Chamber of Commerce.
- March 12th – Home game versus Badlands Sabres – Billet Appreciation presented by Toyota.
- March 13th = Home game versus Bozeman – Fan Appreciation presented by Toyota.
Thank you to our corporate partners for their continued support.
Eagle’s Nest Level
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Diamond Level
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Platinum Level
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Gold, Silver and Bronze Level Partners (* new this season)
| 3D International Restaurant & Lounge* | AJ Concrete* | All-State Signs |
| Annie’s Taphouse | Beacon Ice House | Benski Towing & Recovery |
| Big Sky Laboratory | Bravera Bank | Cascade Electric |
| Central Avenue Meats | Central MT Lock & Safe | Century Gaming |
| Comparion Insturance- Todd Neighbor | Craftmaster Cabinets | Coca-Cola |
| Croxford Funeral Home | Eagle Mount Therapeutic Recreation | Ferrin’s Furniture |
| Fire Pizza | Floors & More Abbey Carpets | Golden Triangle Graphics* |
| Great Falls Clinics | Hampton Inn & Suites | Homestead 1909* |
| Jersey Mike’s | Kubota-Johnson Distributing | Life in Bloom Floral & Gift Boutique |
| Mountain Title Company | Murphy Law | Open Door Wellness |
| Play It Again Sports | Rainbow Senior Living* | Scheels |
| She Bare Wax & Sugar Boutique | Sip-N-Dip Lounge | Slabtek* (Concrete Lifting) |
| Sletten Construction* | Stifel l Finnicum Financial Group | TDS Fiber |
| Visit Great Falls | Voices of Hope | Westgate Repair Inc. |
Thank you for being a part of our hockey family!
Matt Leaf
Great Falls Americans HC Inc
MattL.GFAmericans@gmail.com