NOTE: A Special Thanks to Michael Noel (above, https://mnoelphotography.smugmug.com) for providing the photos.
By Kevin Scott
| Box Score |
Score Sheet | League Scoreboard | Americans Team Statistics |
GREAT FALLS, Mont., February 13, 2026 — It has been over three months since the Great Falls Americans (25-13-1-1) and the Gillette (WY) Wild (17-21-2-0) have played each other.
The Americans are 2-0-1-0 with the previous three games inside Wyoming’s Spirit Hall Ice Arena. The Americans and Wild had to settle their difference in overtime back on October 18th where Gillette picked up the 4-3 victory. Great Falls then defeated Gillette, 4-3 on Halloween night (October 31) and then escaped with a 4-3 decision in overtime on November 1st.
Dylan Crossley and Beau Delich lead head coach Wilson Anderle on the stat sheet. Crossley, in his first season with the Wyoming NA3HL franchise, leads all members of the Wild with 17 goals while Delich, a returner from the 2024-25 season, has a team-leading 24 assists.
Many of the highlights each night for the Great Falls Americans had Ethan MIller and/or Cooper Clouse in them. Cooper Clouse, a Fargo, North Dakota product, has registered 54 assists and is tenth in the league with 73 overall points. On Saturday night, Clouse recorded his 100th point at the junior hockey level and has now scored (goals/assists) in 29 consecutive games. Ethan Miller of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, has 12 more goals than Clouse. He has 31 goals including seven this past weekend against Montana opponents, the Bozeman Ice Dogs (3 goals) and the Butte Irish (4 goals). He is ranked #19 in points scored with 58. Also, Americans goaltender Kaden Rhyder has made his 3,000th save as a member of the Americans.
Both NA3HL squads will face off on February 28th (7:35PM) and March 1st (1:05PM) at the Great Falls Ice Plex.
AJ Prioli scored a hat trick (three goals) while Gavin Denis and Tallon Caron combined for four goals as the Great Falls Americans offense overwhelmed the Gillette (WY) Wild, 11-0 during NA3HL junior hockey action at the Great Falls Ice Plex on Friday night.
This was the third shootout win of the season for Great Falls and the second one in less than a week. They defeated the Butte Irish last Saturday (11-0) in a home game played at a neutral site at the Havre Ice Dome in Havre, Montana. They also defeated the Yellowstone (WY) Quake, 5-0 on October 3rd.
Reid Lezubski, Gavin Denis and Tallon Caron all scored to give the home team a 3-0 advantage after the first twenty minutes of action on the ice. Lezubski, one of four Canadians on the squad for Great Falls, tallied his eleventh goal of the season five minutes into the period off a pass from Brennan Pierce, a newcomer to the team, for his first assist. Wyatt Hanna added the first of his three assists. Gavin Denis got the puck in the net four minutes later with Wyatt Hanna and Reid Lezubski acquiring the assists. The Americans scored their final goal of the stanza when Jaxen Savage and Fisher Hannesson earned assists on a goal by Tallon Caron 39 seconds after Denis scored the Americans second goal. Great Falls outshot their Wyoming counterparts, 18-6.
AJ Prioli and Jaxen Savage each scored 77 seconds apart to increase the Americans lead to 5-0 with 7:40 remaining before the second intermission. Tallon Caron and Gordon Jennings took advantage of the Wild in the sin bin and got the puck to Prioli for his 16th goal of the season. Tallon Caron and Fisher Hannesson each added their second assists of the night on the lamplighter by Jaxen Savage. A sixth goal would be made by Colton Bacon with two minutes remaining. Carson Sears and Kiefer Lundmark talllied the assists on Bacon’s third scoring drive of the year. The home team registered one last goal with 31 seconds left when Cooper Clouse tacked on the Americans fourth goal of the middle period with assistance from Gordon Jennings and AJ Prioli. Clouse has now scored in 29 consecutive games (either with an assist and/or a goal) to keep his streak alive.
During the first seven minutes of the third frame, Great Falls accumulated their eighth and ninth goals by Tallon Caron and AJ Prioli, respectively. Ethan Miller added helpers for both scores while AJ Prioli and Cooper Clouse accrued one apiece. Caron’s scoring opportunity occurred with the Wild down a man (penalty). The host team led 9-0 for the next six minutes before AJ Prioli buried the puck in the back of the net for the hat trick. Cooper Clouse, the team leader in assists, captured his 52nd of the season while Gordon Jennings assisted for the 18th time. AJ Prioli netted his second power play goal of the game. After scoring once in the first period, Gavin Denis answered again in the third with 3:50 left in the contest. The eleventh and final goal was assisted by Fisher Hannessona and Wyatt Hanna.
Great Falls more than doubled the shots attempted (47-22) against Gillette. The Wild had 16 of their 22 coming after the first intermission.
The third place team in the Frontier Division finished by going 3-for-5 on the power play. AJ Prioli collected two of his three goals while the Wild were in the penalty box.
Kaden Rhyder remained perfect in the net by swatting away all 22 shots for his second victory against the Wild this season. He is now 14-5-0-1 in 21 appearances. His first victory over Gillette came on October 31st where he finished with 21 saves in a 4-1 decision in Wyoming. In 17 games this season, Andrew Knox fell for the eighth time (8-8-0-0) in his first contest against Great Falls. Anton Widas played the final 32 minutes in relief of Knox. Both Gillette netminders made 18 saves.
NOTES: Americans forward Ethan Miller was the Frontier Division Star of the Week (First Star) for the week ending February 8, 2026. The Pennsylvania native totaled 7 goals over two games against the Bozeman Ice Dogs and the Butte Irish this past weekend (Feb. 6-7). He scored all three goals in a 3-2 victory in Bozeman, Montana on Friday and then erupted for four of the eleven goals in an 11-0 win in Havre, Montana versus the Butte Irish. He has 31 goals and 27 assists in 26 appearances this season.
The Americans have a Valentine’s Day raffle and are currently selling tickets for 25 lbs. of locally grown meat courtesy
of Americans sponsor, Central Avenue Meats. The drawing will take place during the second intermission of Saturday’s home game against the Badlands (SD) Sabres. Get in touch with an Americans players to get yours today! Make sure to pick up a game program for your chance to win prizes from She Bare Wax & Sugar Boutique, Scheels and Howard’s Pizza. The Montana Air National Guard will be having “Chuck-A-Puck” as well.
The Americans will be having $10 DASH Day on Tuesday, February 24th with several items available to purchase will only be $10.00 and other
items at reduced prices for that day only. Please scan the QR Code (right) to get activated and participate in this activation.
AMERICANS E-NEWSLETTERS: The Americans have two email newsletters for fans to receive in their inbox this season. Kevin Scott, the Americans Media Coordinator, has an Americans E-Newsletter that you can get on Sunday’s during the regular season filled with game summaries, press releases, links, schedule, etc. Click here to subscribe (if you haven’t already).
Americans Owner Matt Leaf creates and sends out a weekly email called “Baldy’s Puck Drop” that features team news, player profile, sponsor information and lots of other tidbits relating to Americans hockey that is published on Thursday mornings. Click here to receive the weekly newsletter (if you haven’t already).
NEXT CONTEST: The Americans will host the Badlands (SD) Sabres for the final time this season on Saturday, February 14th starting at 7:05PM (MST). After Saturday’s home contest, the Americans have three regular season home dates remaining: February 28 – March 1 vs. Gillette Wild and the regular season finale on March 7th against the Butte Irish. They will also have three away contests against Helena (Bighorns), Bozeman (Ice Dogs) and the Butte Irish. All games can be seen on NATV, the official streaming service of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL).
A busy week for the Great Falls Americans next week especially for Cooper Clouse and Fisher Hannesson, who were selected to play for Team White (Frontier players) at the 2026 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament in Plymouth, Michigan on Monday-Tuesday, February 16-17. You can catch the games on NATV. Click here to view the tournament times and full rosters. Great Falls will make the trip to Helena, Montana to face the Bighorns on Friday, February 20th (7:05PM) and then challenge the Bozeman Ice Dogs on Saturday, February 21st at 7:30PM.
Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom (1101 7th Street South) is the place to be after Friday and Saturday night home games where the Americans invite their fans and supporters to their post-game dinner.
Buffalo Wild Wings, located at 17 Northwest Bypass in Great Falls, hosts the “Americans Watch Party” this season when the Americans are on the road. Fans are invited to get food and drinks and watch the game.
NATV is the NA3HL’s new streaming platform and is the place to catch all the action for fans that are unable to attend the home and away games this season. Click here to learn more about how to view any of the Americans home and away contests.
For complete schedules/results, promotions, team stats, rosters and much more information, please go to our official website: www.greatfallsamericans.com