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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 108: August 27, 2026
PDF Printable Download: Weekly E-Newsletter with Matt Leaf
Dear Great Falls Americans Enthusiast: We are up and running for the season – it is an exciting time of the year. By the time you are reading this, our players will have skated in 6 or 7 ice sessions and completed some off-ice workouts. Considering it is still August, the sessions have been fast and intense – which bodes well for the season if they keep it up. A different player has stepped up to stand out each day, and the dressing room has been filled with friendly banter. One of the unique things about an Americans’ Main Camp is a chance to get out and experience the Great Falls area – including an afternoon workout and wiffle ball game at Ryan’s Dam on Tuesday. The weeklong Main Camp includes a few local high school players and culminates with our Annual Blue-White Intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday evening at 7:05 PM. The scrimmage is free to the public – so come on out and take a look at the 2026-27 version of the Great Falls Americans while enjoying a cold beverage or two. We’ll also have some of our new merchandise on hand and our players are always excited to play in front of a crowd after a hard week of practice.
Want to meet the players off the ice? Stop by Buffalo Wild Wings tonight (Thursday, August 27th) and enjoy some great food and drink with the players starting at 7:00 PM. The squ ad will head to the Voyagers game for some baseball fun on Friday.
I would like to recognize our most recent partners who have renewed for the coming season. Thank you to Tilleraas Landscape & Nursery plus Gills Point S Tire & Auto for continuing their support and we look forward to the Point S Tire & Auto tricycle races they proudly present at several home games throughout the season.
Hard to believe it is only 15 days until our Toyota Opening Night versus the Yellowstone Quake followed by our annual Tailgate Party with the band “After Five” on Saturday. We are planning a special Magnet Schedule give-away – presented by Slabtek (Concrete Lifting) and AJ Concrete – for those in attendance. We are excited to show off some new merchandise, beer specials and activations. Come early and secure your refrigerator magnet schedule as supplies will be limited.
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. You can purchase your season “chuck-a-pucks” through DASH by scanning the QR code to the left.
Our “Lucky Program” continues with prizes given out to fans with specially signed programs from Scheel’s, Howard’s Pizza and Annie’s Taphouse. Some exciting new merchandise options include T’s (some of the
new designs are shown below), Hoodies and Hats as well as limited edition specialty items during each of our themed weekends. There is a lot to like about the Great Falls Americans 2026-27 season. Scan the QR Code (right) to purchase your tickets and merchandise and don’t miss out on any of the live action this season.
Here are some of the new designs available on T-shirts/hoodies this season. A special thanks to Golden Triangle Graphics for the designs and support as our new merchandise partner.
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Next week, the Americans will get into their normal weekly routine with a morning skate, afternoon workout at our Official Workout Location The Peak Health and Wellness Center and some team meetings that starts to incorporate systems. They’ll get Saturday/Sunday of Labor Day weekend off and then spend the next week getting ready for our opening games. I am sure if you ask they players, they will tell you they are ready to go now, and the wait is the hardest part. We look forward to seeing everyone this Saturday night and getting the season officially started.
Here are the upcoming dates to add to your calendar:
- August 24th -28th – Great Falls Americans Main Camp
- August 29th – 4th Annual GFA Blue-White Game 7:05 PM. (Free to the Public)
- 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.
- 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 | Hoglund’s Work and Western Wear |
| 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