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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 48: December 5, 2024
PDF Printable Download: Weekly E-Newsletter with Matt Leaf
Dear Great Falls Americans Enthusiast: This past weekend was pretty much what we expected with a good Sheridan team coming to town. We were able to extend our home winning streak to 12 games on Friday night with a hard-fought 3-2 win. On Saturday night, we came up short in a 4-2 loss where we lacked some energy at times, but for the most part played well both nights and simply did not score enough goals. If you remember “Baldy’s Puck Drop” from back on September 12th, you will remember I said that our remaining games with Sheridan will all be competitive as we will both prove to be two of the top teams in the division. We head to Sheridan for one more regular season series in early February – don’t be surprised if we see them in the playoffs too.
Goalkeeper, Kaden Rhyder, left last Saturday morning to skate with the Watertown Shamrocks of the NAHL this week. I have said it before and will say it again – our primary purpose is to provide opportunities and promote our players to the next levels of the game. This may include the opportunity to skate/play with a team at a higher Junior level or to advance on to college levels of hockey. Over 350 players from the NAHL advance on to NCAA Hockey each season with 75% of those playing Division I college hockey. This is a great opportunity for the player and for our program as it confirms to all our current and prospective players that we are committed to this process and their development. Congratulations to Kaden and you will see some other players get this opportunity at some point during the season.
Another quick update, Easton Kennedy’s – who you learned tendered with Fairbanks a couple of weeks back and is back playing with his high school team – Detroit Lakes High School team is currently 3-0 after defeating pre-season 2nd ranked East Grand Forks last week. It was their first win versus East Grand Forks, a perennial Minnesota HS Hockey power, since the 2013-14 season. This is also good for the Great Falls Americans and the game of hockey in general as we wish Easton and his team continued success.
I say this because over the past couple of weeks I have had several people comment on how unfortunate it is we don’t have Easton or Kaden as it potentially impacts our team’s ability to win. Several folks commented last weekend that it is too bad Kaden got called up and they hope we have goaltending to replace him. They even indicated that Kaden was gone for the rest of the season. Time for a friendly reminder as we all keep things in their proper perspective.
I laid out the plan for Easton a couple of weeks ago and that has not changed. The plan for Kaden was to skate with Watertown this week to get the experience and he will be back this weekend – but if he does earn the right to stay in Watertown and make that team – then that is awesome and that is what we want for Kaden. Kaden Rhyder does not owe the Great Falls Americans, or their fans, anything. He has done everything we have asked of him the last season and a half. The same goes for any other player who has an opportunity and chooses to advance – it is a win-win for everyone and most importantly the game of hockey.
With that being said, YES wins are important as we do want to compete. But let me emphasize that our expectations for this team do not change because we have a player or two called up, injured, sick, traded, released or any other reason that keeps them out of the line-up. This team has been built with a tremendous amount of skill and depth and when one player is out, the next player is prepared and expected to step up. It will not be used as an excuse nor is it something where we will not promote our players because we don’t want to lose them for a weekend. I will end with this – I cannot speak on behalf of every other Junior team on how they approach these types of things. But, I will say that as long as I, and our staff, are part of the Great Falls Americans we will prioritize the best interest of the players and the game above simple wins and losses. There is a process in place for this to happen and we ask our players’ for their trust in that process – I am now asking our fans and partners to also buy into this philosophy and trust this process with your full support, as well.
We are off to Bozeman Friday and Helena Saturday for what should be two great hockey games. We also received our schedule for the
Showcase the 15th-17th and are excited about playing some teams form other divisions. We open up at 8:30 PM (CT) on Sunday versus the Texas Roadrunners. Monday we take on the New Hampshire JR Mountain Kings at 3:00 PM (CT) and close out the showcase on Tuesday morning at 9:30 AM (CT) versus the New Mexico Ice Wolves. I’ll have some more info on our opponents in next week’s newsletter – but for now set your schedules (don’t forget the time difference) and plan on watching this weekend plus Sunday/Monday from the Showcase at our official Watch Party at Buffalo Wild Wings. Tuesday- enjoy a cup of coffee as you log into NAHLTV.com.
Finally, as we head into the Holiday season, the Americans are offering a special activation through DASH in the coming weeks. You can purchase a limited-edition Baldy Christmas Tree Ornament and when you do, you will automatically be entered into a drawing for a Great Falls Americans mystery “stocking stuffer” package that will include a GFA stadium blanket, scarf, beanie and several other items that will brighten any fan’s Christmas Stocking. Check out the DASH QR code below to order your ornament and enter your chance to win.
Player Profile – #18 Jase Troyer (Great Falls, MT) 5’9” 140 lbs. FOR– Shoots Right DOB 08/02/2006
Favorite Team: Colorado Avalanche Favorite Player: Gabe Landeskog
Favorite Movie: Super Bad Actor/Actress: Seth Rogan
Favorite Food: Spaghetti Favorite Pre-Game Meal: Chicken & Rice
If you were an animal: A Bird – Then I could fly!
Musical Group You Won’t Miss in Concert: Zac Brown Band
Music Guaranteed to get you hyped: Brain Stew
Person stuck with on a deserted Island: My Brother Xander
Hobbies other than Hockey: Hunting & Fishing
Three People you would invite to Dinner: Gabe Landeskog, Seth Rogan, Suga Sean
College/University of Choice: Montana State University
Like Most About Great Falls: It’s not too big!
How would you define a successful season: Making playoffs!
Here are the upcoming events for you to mark your calendars:
- December 6th – Road game versus Bozeman at 7:30 PM. Official Watch Party at Buffalo Wild Wings.
- December 7th – Road game versus Helena at 7:05 PM. Official Watch Party at Buffalo Wild Wings.
- December 15-17 – NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, MN. Sunday 7:30 PM MT versus Texas RoadRunners. Monday 2:00 PM MT versus New Hampshire Jr. Mountain Kings. Tuesday 8:30 AM MT versus New Mexico Ice Wolves.
- December 28th – The Americans will practice at the Havre Ice Dome and then conduct clinics with their youth teams.
- December 31st – Home game versus the Butte Irish – 6:05 PM Puck Drop!
Thank you to all our existing Eagle’s Nest, Diamond and Platinum Level partners for their continued support.
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Gold, Silver and Bronze Level Partners (* new this season)
| 3D International Restaurant and Lounge | All-State Signs | Annie’s Taphouse |
| Comparion Insurance-Todd Neighbor | Automotive Machine | Beacon Ice House |
| Eagle Mount Therapeutic Recreation | Benski Towing & Recovery | Big Sky Harley Davidson* |
| Floors & More Abbey Carpets | Big Sky Laboratory | Bravera Bank |
| Hoglund’s | Cascade Electric | Central Avenue Meats |
| Hotel Arvon-Celtic Cowboy | Central MT Lock & Safe | Century Gaming |
| Life in Bloom Floral & Gift Boutique | Coca-Cola* | Craftmaster Cabinets |
| Montana Air National Guard* | Culligan Water | Ferrin’s Furniture |
| She Bare Wax & Sugar Boutique | Great Falls Hospital | Hampton Inn & Suites |
| Stifel |Finnicum Financial Group | Highwood Creek Outfitters | Jersey Mike’s |
| Tilleraas Landscape & Nursery | Johnson Distributing | Karma Coffee* |
| Murphy Law | Open Door Wellness* | Play It Again Sports |
| Purvis Chiropractic* | Scheels | STARadio |
| Stockman Bank | TDS Fiber* | Teriyaki Madness |
| Traynor Capital | Visit Great Falls* | Westgate Repair Inc* |
| Mountain Title Company* | Croxford Funeral Home and Crematory* |
Thank you for being a part of our hockey family!
Matt Leaf
Great Falls Americans HC Inc
MattL.GFAmericans@gmail.com