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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 64: March 27, 2025
PDF Printable Download: Weekly E-Newsletter with Matt Leaf
Dear Great Falls Americans Enthusiast: As many of you know, the season came to an official end last Friday night with a 4-1 loss at Helena.
Game 1 in Great Falls on Wednesday night saw the Americans fall 2-1 in a well-played game in front of an enthusiastic crowd. That is the game that we needed, and probably deserved to win, as there were several missed opportunities to take control of the game and the series. On Friday, Helena was just the better team. Hats off to Helena for another successful season and we wish them the best as they represent the Frontier Division at the Fraser Cup Championships for the fourth straight year and as the defending champs. The Fraser Cup Finals started in St. Louis on Wednesday as Helena fell 2-1 to the West Bend Power. The other teams who have qualified are the Granite City Lumberjacks, Louisiana Drillers, Binghampton Buzz and New Mexico Ice Wolves. You can follow along on the NA3HL app or on NAHLTV.
Our season ends with an official record of 29 wins, 17 losses, 4 overtime losses and 2 shootout losses. We have made significant progress in both the on-ice product and the culture we strive to create. We have closed the gap with the top team (2-4-2-1 versus Helena after previously losing 23 straight) in which seven of the 10 games were one goal games. On the business side, we cut our losses in half from last season and are on schedule according to our three-year plan both on and off the ice. Thank you to all our partners, billet families, staff and fans for contributing to our success.
What’s up next? Our coaches are already preparing for next season. They headed to St. Louis yesterday for an NAHL combine as part of the Fraser Cup before representing the Americans at another combine and the NA3HL League Meetings in Columbus in mid-April. The draft is the end of April and other scouting trips planned includes Calgary in early May, Vegas in June and then our own Open Prospects Camp on June 21-22. Look for more prospective players to sign tenders in the coming weeks and we also expect several of our players to announce college commitments. We’ll use our social media channels and Baldy’s Puck Drop to keep you informed of all information involving the Americans during the off-season. I’ll wrap up the Fraser Cup playoffs next week and then will back off to a monthly newsletter until August.
In the meantime, I will be travelling for my role with the International Ice Hockey Federation for much of April as I head to Asiago, Italy for the U18IIA Championship and then Queretaro, Mexico for the World Men’s Division III Group B Championship. During that time, I will also serve on the Player Safety/Discipline Committee for the World Women’s Championship. Come May, it will be time to start preparations for next season and I look forward to reaching out to each of our partners to see where we can best provide value for the coming season.
I’ll close this edition with a plug for the Great Falls Sports Foundation Mixer on April 9th at the Exhibition Hall at Montana ExpoPark. This event is an annual event that raises funds to support athletic competitions that take place in Great Falls and also supports a specific cause in Great Falls. This year, they have committed to donate half of the funds raised to the Ice Plex for continuing improvements. The event runs from 5:30 PM-8:00 PM and includes food, a No-Host Bar, silent auction, door prizes and games and features guest speaker, Bob Green, former head football coach at Montana Tech. It is a great night of fun and networking with fellow sports fans. Individual tickets are available for $25 or you can buy a table and a book of ten for $200. Contact Matt (MattL.GFAmericans@gmail.com) if interested in attending to purchase your tickets.
Here are the upcoming events for you to mark your calendars:
- March 26th-30th – Fraser Cup Finals in Louis, MO.
- April 9th – Great Falls Sports Foundation Mixer at the Exhibition Hall at Montana ExpoPark. 5:30-8:00 PM with proceeds going towards the IcePlex for continued improvements. Contact Matt for individual tickets or a Table of 10.
- June 20-22 – Great Falls Americans Prospects
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 Work & Western Wear | Cascade Electric | Central Avenue Meats |
| Havre Youth Hockey* | Havre Ford* | Independence Bank-Havre* |
| Hotel Arvon-Celtic Cowboy | Central MT Lock & Safe | Century Gaming |
| High Plains Wealth Management* | Patrick Construction* | Shanty Bar-Havre* |
| 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* |
| Red;s Powersports* | Tilleman Motor Co.* | Valley Furniture* |
| 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* | |
| Morse Construction* | Creative Coffee/Yogurt* |
Thank you for being a part of our hockey family!
Matt Leaf
Great Falls Americans HC Inc
MattL.GFAmericans@gmail.com