By Kevin Scott
2026-27 Schedule: NA3HL Regular Season Release Schedule l Full Season (Printable PDF) l Home Schedule (Printable PDF)
GREAT FALLS, Mont., July 9, 2026 — The Great Falls Americans along with the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) have released their regular season game schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The NA3HL is entering their 17th season, and the league serves as the only certified USA Hockey Tier III Junior league that consists of six divisions spread across 19 states with 38 teams playing 47 regular season contests from September 4, 2026, until March 14, 2027.
The Americans returned to postseason play during the 2025-26 season. Great Falls will return many players from their playoff squad along with some new signees that hope to continue their regular season success from last year and qualify for the playoffs again. The 2026-27 season schedule is highlighted by a rematch from their rivals, the Helena Bighorns. Great Falls went 2-3-0-1 during the regular season against their closest Montana opponent and then lost their best-of-three series in two games to the Bighorns in the 2026 NA3HL Frontier Division Semi-Finals.
This season, Great Falls faces Helena six times with four meetings occurring before Christmas. The Americans first encounter with the Bighorns occurs on September 26th in Helena, Montana followed by a home date with Helena on November 6th. All contests against the Bighorns will begin at 7:05PM (MST).
The Americans home game on November 7th against the Badlands (SD) Sabres will begin at 3:35PM (MST) due to the University of Providence Men’s hockey game at 7:00PM that night.
The league released the Frontier Division’s 47-regular season game schedule in addition to the other five divisions (Central, East, Southeast, West, and South) on Thursday, July 9, 2026. All regular season games, which begin on Friday, September 11th and will end on Sunday, March 14, 2027, are subject to change. All teams will also play three regular season games (neutral site) at the league-wide 2026 NA3HL Showcase taking place in December (20-22) 2026, at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota. Opponents will be chosen closer to the tournament (see press release when available).
Great Falls is entering their sixteenth season of junior hockey (2011-12 – Present) and will have 22 home dates at the Great Falls Ice Plex as they begin their thirteenth season of competition in the Frontier Division of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). The Americans will begin their first month of the season playing four of their five games in Great Falls.Great Falls will open up the season in front of their home fans with a single game against the Yellowstone (Cody, WY) Quake and the Gillette (WY) Wild on September 11-12 followed by a date with the Butte Irish and the Sheridan (WY) Hawks on September 18-19. The Americans first road test will be against their Montana rivals (Helena Bighorns) on September 26. Most of the home games will begin this season at 7:05PM (MST) with the exception of the November 7th game, which starts at 3:35PM (See schedule attached for full details).
The Americans will report this season at the end of August under the direction of Head Coach/General Manager, Greg Sears, who enters his ninth season at the helm of the Great Falls junior hockey squad.
“It’s always exciting when the schedule comes out,” said Great Falls Americans Head Coach and General Manager, Greg Sears. “A little closer to the season every day and excited to get the guys into town to get started on August 22nd. i am looking forward to opening the season at home in September!”
There were no new teams added to the NA3HL’s Frontier Division for the upcoming season. Great Falls will compete against three other Montana NA3HL squads including the Bozeman Ice Dogs, Helena Bighorns and the Butte Irish as well as three from the state of Wyoming (Yellowstone Quake from Cody, WY, Gillette (WY) Wild and the Sheridan Hawks) and one from Rapid City, South Dakota (Badlands Sabres).
The NA3HL also announced three events during the 2026-27 season including the annual NA3HL (league-wide) Showcase taking place in December (20-22) 2026, in Blaine, Minnesota that features all 38 teams. The NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament will return in February 2027. The season concludes with the 2027 NA3HL Fraser Cup Championship Tournament that crowns the NA3HL’s playoff champion (March 2027) in St. Louis, Missouri.
In December’s Showcase tournament in Blaine, Minnesota, each of the 38 league members will play against other division teams featuring three games in three days. The contests will count in the overall standings and feature coaches and scouts from the NCAA, junior college ranks and the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).
The second major event of the season in February 2027 is the NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament (TPT) will highlight the NA3HL’s best players in an ‘all-star’ setting. This season, the TPT will once again take place in Plymouth, Michigan.
Finally, the NA3HL will finish off their postseason with a national tournament in late March with the 2027 NA3HL Fraser Cup Tournament held on March 2027, in St. Louis, Missouri that will crown a national champion. Prior to the national tournament, the Divisional playoffs will decide which team(s) represents each division at the five-day round-robin tournament.
Click here to view the NA3HL’s press release for more information and the NA3HL Divisional breakdown for each of the league’s six divisions below.
2026-27 Great Falls Americans Key Dates
2026-27 Season and Individual Game Tickets will be on sale soon on the official Great Falls Americans website (www.greatfallsamericans.com)
Friday through Sunday (Aug. 21-23): Americans Alumni Weekend; Alumni skate on Sun. Aug. 23rd at 12:00PM (MST)
Saturday, Aug. 22: 4th Annual Cornhole Extravaganza at the Beacon Icehouse (1349 13th Ave SW) starting at 1:00PM (MST); more information coming soon!
Monday, Aug. 24 through Friday, Aug. 28: GF Americans Pre-season Main Camp, Great Falls Ice Plex, Great Falls, MT
TBA: GF Americans Team Dinner and Fan Social at 7:45PM (MST) at Buffalo Wild Wings (117 Northwest Bypass) in Great Falls, MT
Saturday, Aug. 29: GF Americans “Blue & White” Scrimmage at 7:00PM (MST) (Free to the Public) at Great Falls Ice Plex, Great Falls, MT
Fri. Sept. 11: Great Falls Americans Home Opener vs. Yellowstone (WY) Quake, 7:05PM (MST), Great Falls Ice Plex, Great Falls, MT
Sat. Sept. 12: 4th Annual Americans Pre-Game Tailgate with “After Five” performing live at 5:00PM (MST)
Fri. Oct. 23 & Sat. Oct. 24: The weekend games against the Gillette (WY) Wild will be our annual Benefis Health Sletten Cancer Institute “Think Pink for the Girls” Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend
November 2026: 1st Liberty Federal Credit Union “Military Appreciation Month”
Saturday, December 12th: The 2nd Annual Russell Country Federal Credit Union “Teddy Bear Toss” will be held during one of the intermissions with the Americans challenging tthe Yellowstone Quake.
Sunday, Dec. 20 through Tuesday, Dec. 22: 2026 NA3HL Showcase, Blaine, MN (Teams TBA in December 2026)