 |
BALDY’S PUCK DROP Weekly E-Newsletter (September – August) |
 |
Baldy’s Puck Drop” Weekly E-Newsletter with Matt Leaf
Volume 41: October 17, 2024
PDF Printable Download: Weekly E-Newsletter with Matt Leaf
Dear Great Falls Americans Enthusiast: Always a good feeling coming off a productive home sweep against a well-coached playoff contender. Our 3rd and 4th line guys were challenged last week to provide some secondary scoring and they delivered – resulting in 3-1 and 4-1 wins. The 4th line of Blake Komrofske, EJ Sanchez and Gavin Denis (this week’ profile player) were relentless in their forecheck all weekend which resulted in a ton of attack zone time and a couple of goals. Blayne Jusczak added a goal as the 3rd line played equally as well. You have heard me say how much depth we have with this team and this past weekend that became evident as the coaches rolled all four lines all weekend with balanced scoring from all. All players will continue to be challenged in that regard and will be our strength with consistency.
A congrats does go out to Goalkeeper Kaden Rhyder for earning Frontier Division “1st Star of the Week” as he saved 51 of 53 shots this past weekend for a .962 save percentage and improved his season record to 7-3 with 2.18 goals against average. Kaden leads the league in games played and should continue to be a workhorse of us all season.
The Yellowstone Quake come to town this weekend and for those who follow along, they have been struggling the last two seasons. They have lost 59 straight games – in fact their last win as a franchise was against the Americans in Cody for the last game of the 2022-23 season. It is far from an ideal situation and the league does have a minimum standard to adhere to and they are currently on probation from the league. With that being said, I have to give you a reason to still come out to the rink this weekend to support our team.
First and foremost – we are not taking Yellowstone lightly; our week of preparation has been the same as any other week and the intensity is still very high. Secondly, it will give everyone a chance to see our younger payers get a chance to play and see what the future looks like. Look for all our players to be rotated into the line-up and be given opportunities to perform in situations where they may not normally get that chance (i.e. Power Play, Penalty Kill). This weekend will be used to continue building depth and experience while fine-tuning our systems and reinforcing our culture. We would love to have everyone come on out and see the results.
Please keep in mind that Saturday’s game has a 3:35 PM puck drop as the first game of a double header with the University of Providence. Plan on sticking around for their game versus Montana State at 7:00. We also want to acknowledge the Great Falls Hospitals and Clinics as our presenting sponsor on Friday night. Look for the Booster Club’s ever popular “Yeti Cooler and Meat” Raffle tickets on sale this weekend with three chances to win an amazing cooler package filled with Montana Meat from Central Avenue Meats.
I can’t even begin to tell you how excited we are to partner with “Grow Great Falls” in wrapping our team bus. With the travel we do throughout Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas and Minnesota it only makes sense that we provide those vehicles that Rex passes with our bus with a chance to experience all Great Falls has to offer. Special thanks to Grow Great Falls for the partnership and the design for the top portion and to Chris Kelly from Kelly Signs for designing the bottom sections and the actual installation. Our team did an amazing job cleaning up the bus in preparation for the wrap prior to practice on Monday morning making the entire process seamless. Our guys have not seen the finished product, yet, but am confident they will be proud to represent the Americans and the city of Great Falls each time they step off their
new road home.
Our special “Think Pink For the Girls” Breast Cancer Awareness night is just a little over a week away. During our game on October 25th, the ice will be painted pink, our team will be wearing special edition “Pink” jerseys and there will be a special figure skating exhibition by Emily and Liv from the Great Falls Figure Skating Club during the first intermission. There will be special baskets from Life in Bloom Floral and Gift Boutique and She Bare Wax & Sugar Boutique raffled off along with several other raffle items. The special edition jerseys (signed by the player) will then be auctioned off with all proceeds going to “Think Pink For the Girls”. The auction will start during the morning of the 25th and run through Sunday evening, November 3rd. Be sure to register with DASH (QR Code) and be ready to place your bid on your favorite player’s pink jersey for a great cause. Look for some additional social media for this event next week, as well.
We will donate $1 for everyone in attendance that night (matched by City Chevrolet) and will also offer a special signed and framed 8”x10” team photo in the Pink Jerseys for sale. A very special thanks goes out to Benefis Health-Sletten Cancer Institute as our partner who has made this event possible.
Let’s Pack the Ice Plex for “Pink” Night!
Player Profile – #25 Gavin Denis (Rhinelander, WI) 5’9” 155 lbs. FOR – Shoots Right DOB 07/13/2006
Favorite Team: Pittsburgh Penguins Favorite Players: Connor McDavid
Favorite Movie: Step Brothers Actor/Actress: Will Ferrell
Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite Pre-Game Meal: Chicken and Pasta
If you were an animal: A Bird – So I could fly!
Musical Group You Won’t Miss in Concert: Don’t Have One (Editorial comment – not a lot of concerts in the Rhinelander area)
Music Guaranteed to get you hyped: Techno or Rap
Person stuck with on a deserted Island: One of my Parents
Hobbies other than Hockey: Water Skiing, Tennis, Lifting Weights
Three People you would invite to Dinner: Superman, Connor McDavid, Will Ferrell
College/University of Choice: University of Wisconsin
Like Most About Great Falls: The nearby mountains!
How would you define a successful season: Making the playoffs!
Here are the upcoming events for you to mark your calendars:
- Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th – We host the Yellowstone Quake with a 7:05 puck drop on Friday and 3:35 PM puck drop on Saturday followed by the University of Providence versus Montana State game at 7:00 PM. The 18th we will welcome Great Falls Hospitals and Clinics as our presenting sponsor.
- Friday, October 25th – you won’t want to miss our special “Think Pink For the Girls” Breast Cancer Awareness night sponsored by Benefis Health – Sletten Cancer Center.
- Saturday, October 26th – Americans travel to Butte for one game, so mark your calendars and plan to join us at Buffalo Wild Wings for our official watch party.
- Saturday, November 2nd – “Try Hockey for Free” for all kids 4-9 years Two sessions will take place from 10:00-11:00 AM and then 1:30-2:30 PM. Interested families can register their kids at www.tryhockeyforfree.com.
- Saturday, November 2nd – Special Sled Hockey Exhibition between the Eagle Mount Therapeutic Recreation Athletes and many of our Great Falls Americans The exhibition is free to the public and will take place from 4:00 PM-5:30 PM prior to the University of Providence Game. Come on out and support these special athletes and see what Sled Hockey is all about.
- Sunday, November 3rd – “Think Pink For the Girls” Special Jersey Auction closes.
- November 8th and 9th – We travel to Gillette for two games – join other passionate fans at Buffalo Wild Wings for our official watch party.
- Friday, November 15th – Home versus Bozeman at 7:05
- Saturday, November 16th – Road game versus Helena at 7:05
- November 22nd and 23rd – Military Appreciation Weekend as we host Bozeman (Friday) and Butte (Saturday) and recognize those who have served our country.
Thank you to all our existing Eagle’s Nest, Diamond and Platinum Level partners for their continued support.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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* |
Thank you for being a part of our family!
Matt Leaf
Great Falls Americans HC Inc
MattL.GFAmericans@gmail.com