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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 77: October 2, 2025
PDF Printable Download: Weekly E-Newsletter with Matt Leaf
Dear Great Falls Americans Enthusiast: Welcome to this week’s edition and thank you for your continued interest in the Americans. Another fun weekend where the Americans struggled to score on Friday night in Bozeman – despite 46 shots on goal – and then bounced back with a very gritty and much needed 4-3 overtime win at home versus Helena. The game was back and forth with Helena taking 1-0 and 2-1 leads and the Americans taking a 3-2 lead into the final ten minutes before Logan Mese netted the game winner with a little over 2:00 remaining in overtime. It was a fun game with an enthusiastic crowd. Cole Murphy picked up his 2nd win of the season in goal with 49 saves.
An interesting stretch of schedule is coming up as our next 12 games are against the southern teams (Yellowstone, Sheridan, Badlands, Gillette) within the division and 13 of the next 15 games are on the road. As someone who worked with our division rep on the schedule this season – I can say it is not an easy task. This is especially true when not all teams have the same available dates to host games and the need to develop a balanced schedule. After this road stretch, we’ll have four in a row at home and six of eight division games at home. Not sure how we feel about the long stretch on the road, but I can say the team is ready to get on the road and be able to bond a bit and it is nice to have some home games during the second half of the season. My first season here in 2023-24, we had 15 of our first 17 games at home and spent the second half of the season on the road.
So, our fans in Great Falls will need to get familiar with Buffalo Wild Wings and our Official Watch Parties for each of the away games. Watching the game with other passionate fans is a great way to enjoy the games, get some awesome food and drink and it supports one of our loyal corporate partners. If you haven’t been to one of the watch parties, consider giving in a try and for those who have been regular watch party participants, thank you for the continued support and we look forward to seeing you at Buffalo Wild Wings.
The one weekend home series we do have during this stretch (October 24th and 25th) is a special weekend for us as it will be our 3rd Annual
Breast Cancer Awareness activation where we support “Think Pink for the Girls”. We are fortunate to have our partner, Benefis Health and the Sletten Cancer Institute involved, and it allows us to paint the ice pink and wear special edition pink jerseys for the 2nd year in a row. We are also excited to have two games to support this worthy cause and look for more information about the various activations and events taking place during this weekend – including the opportunity to purchase a framed and team signed team photo wearing the special edition jerseys plus a “#1Fan” special edition jersey auction.
We are currently offering our fans the opportunity to purchase your very own customized version of our home and
away jerseys for the 2025-26 season. Both our home (white) and away (blue) jerseys can be customized with your size, name and number for a limited time though our online store at www.greatfallsamericans.com. The deadline to order is October 9th with production time being 4-6 weeks and the goal of having them in well before the holidays. Don’t miss out on this one-time only opportunity to obtain your very own Americans’ jersey.
Last Friday, while the team was in Bozeman, Assistant Coach Nathan Bring and I stayed back to promote the Americans during the 2nd Annual Oktoberfest on the 100 block of Central Avenue. We set up a table in front of Annie’s Taphouse while handing out tickets, watching some kids, and adults, stickhandle and shoot a street hockey ball all while enjoying a typical German style Oktoberfest with several activities associated with the German culture. And, yes, it did include German food and beer along with a live band, some keg rolling, nail pounding and some beer stein carrying contests. The weather was perfect and we very much appreciated our partnership with Annie’s to allow us to be involved in the community and expose people to our team and the game of hockey.
Player Profile – #74 Wyatt Hanna (South Jordan, UT) 5’10” 195 lbs. FOR – Shoots Right DOB 07/23/2006
Favorite Team: Chicago Blackhawks 
Favorite Player: Patrick Kane
Favorite Movie: Money Ball
Favorite Actor/Actress: Brad Pitt
Favorite Food: Sweet Pork Tacos
Favorite Pre-Game Meal: Nothing
If you were animal: An Penquin – They are the best animals!
Musical Group You Won’t Miss in Concert: Drake
Music Guaranteed to get you hyped: Drake
Person stuck with on a deserted Island: Bo Nix
Hobbies other than Hockey: Golf
Three People you would invite to Dinner: Drake, Bo Nix, Baker Mayfield
College/University of Choice: University of Oklahoma
Like Most About Great Falls: The Team and the People.
How would you define a successful season: Winning the Championship!
Here are the upcoming dates to add to your calendar:
- October 3rd – Away game at 7:05 PM Puck drop and join our fans at Buffalo Wild Wings for our official Watch Party location.
- October 4th – Away game at 7:05 PM Puck drop and join our fans at Buffalo Wild Wings for our official Watch Party location.
- October 9th – Last chance to order your custom jersey for the 2025-26 season through our online
- October 10th – Oktoberfest at Malmstrom AFB 4:41 PM-8:00
- October 10th – Away game at 7:30 PM Puck drop and join our fans at Buffalo Wild Wings for our official Watch Party location.
- October 11th – Away game at 7:05 PM Puck drop and join our fans at Buffalo Wild Wings for our official Watch Party location.
- October 17th – Away game at 7:05 PM Puck drop and join our fans at Buffalo Wild Wings for our official Watch Party location.
- October 18th – Away game at 7:05 PM Puck drop and join our fans at Buffalo Wild Wings for our official Watch Party location.
- October 24th and 25th – “Think Pink for the Girls” Breast Cancer Awareness weekend presented by Benefis Puck drop 7:05 both nights – come check out the pink ice and performances from the Great Falls Figure Skating Club.
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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Tammy Quintrell-Stubbs
Gold, Silver and Bronze Level Partners (* new this season)
| All-State Signs | Beacon Ice House | Eagle Mount Therapeutic Recreation* |
| Floors & More Abbey Carpets | Central Avenue Meats | MNoel Photography |
| Havre Youth Hockey | Central MT Lock & Safe | Century Gaming |
| Life in Bloom Floral @ Gift Boutique | Hotel Arvon/Celtic Cowboy | Stifel l Finnicum Financial Group |
| Coca-Cola* | Craftmaster Cabinets | Culligan Water |
| Comparion Insurance | Play It Again Sports | Open Door Wellness |
| Big Sky Laboratory | Cascade Electric | Hampton Inn & Suites |
| Ferrin’s Furniture | Great Falls Hospital | She Bare Wax & Sugar Boutique |
| Jersey Mike’s | Karma Coffee | Murphy Law |
| Scheels | Stockman Bank | Traynor Capital |
| Voices of Hope* | Johnson Distributing | Mountain Title Company |
| Fire Pizza* | Montana Rib & Chop House* | Visit Great Falls |
| Croxford Funeral Home and Crematory | Bish’s RV of Great Falls* | StaRadio |
| Benski Towing & Recovery | Westgate Repair, Inc. | Annie’s Taphouse |
| Sip-N-Dip Lounge* |
Thank you for being a part of our hockey family!
Matt Leaf
Great Falls Americans HC Inc
MattL.GFAmericans@gmail.com