By Kevin Scott
2023-24 Schedule: Full Season (Printable PDF) l Home Schedule (Printable PDF)
GREAT FALLS, Mont., July 13, 2023 — The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) along with the Great Falls Americans Junior A hockey team have released their North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) regular season game schedule for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
The NA3HL, which is entering their 14th season, serves as the only certified USA Hockey Tier III junior league that consists of five divisions spread across 17 states with 34 teams playing 47 regular season contests from September 8, 2023, until March 3, 2024.
For the first time in many years, the Great Falls Americans did not qualify for the 2023 Playoffs but will return many players from last season’s roster along with some new signees that hope to make a strong run throughout the regular season and qualify for the playoffs. The schedule for the 2024 season for the Americans is highlighted by rematches between the two teams that finished atop the Frontier Division from the 2022-23 season. The Helena (MT) Bighorns won the regular season and division title by defeating the Gillette (WY) Wild in the Frontier Division Finals for the right to qualify for the Fraser Cup (National Tournament) where they made it to the National Semifinals. Great Falls will face Gillette (Sept. 22-23) twice in Wyoming and the Americans will host the Wild for two games in February. The Americans and Bighorns will face each other seven times this season with five occurring in the month of February.
The league released the Frontier Division’s 47-regular season game schedule in addition to the other four divisions (Central, East, West, and South) on Thursday, July 13, 2023. All regular season games, which begin on Friday, September 8 and will end on Sunday, March 3, 2024, are subject to change. All teams will also play three regular season games (neutral site) at the league-wide 2023 NA3HL Showcase taking place on December 17-19, 2023, at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota. Opponents will be chosen closer to the tournament (see press release when available).
“Our priority is doing the right things for the players, so they have advancement success. The release of the schedule is always an exciting day because players and teams now have an idea of how the season shapes up with regular season games and events. The NA3HL enjoys all the same events that the NAHL does and has great owners and coaches. We all share in the common mission of creating an enhanced level of play and competition that is focused on a player’s development and advancement. Not only are players advancing to college hockey, but there is a record amount of advancement to the NAHL, which creates a true dual advancement path,” said NAHL Commissioner and President Mark Frankenfeld. “The NA3HL is turning into a destination league because of this dual advancement path and the fact that the college commitments and NAHL tender and draft picks continue to increase for NA3HL players is further proof that the NA3HL is a premier place to play. We can’t wait for the season to start!”
Great Falls is entering their thirteenth season of junior hockey (2011-12 – Present) and will have 22 home dates at the Great Falls Ice Plex as they begin their tenth season of competition in the Frontier Division of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). The Americans will begin their first three weeks of the season at home where they will face the Yellowstone Quake (Cody, WY) and Gillette (WY) Wild each twice followed by three games against the Badlands Sabres (Rapid City, SD) before their first road test on Sunday, October 8th when they travel to Bozeman, Montana for a challenge with the Bozeman Ice Dogs. Many of the home games will begin this season with a new time of 7:00PM (MST) (See schedule below for full details).
The Americans will report this season on Monday, August 28 under the direction of Head Coach/General Manager, Greg Sears, who enters his sixth season at the helm of the Great Falls junior hockey squad.
“It is always an exciting day when the schedule comes out,” said Great Falls Americans Head Coach and General Manager, Greg Sears. “We look forward to our opener on September 8th against the Yellowstone Quake. We can’t wait to get started in August!”
In addition to the three other Montana-based NA3HL squads (Bozeman Ice Dogs, Helena Bighorns, and the Butte Irish), Wyoming also has three squads competing including the Yellowstone Quake (Cody, WY), Gillette (WY) Wild and the Sheridan (WY) Hawks and one in Rapid City, South Dakota, the Badlands Sabres. There were no new teams added to the division this season. NOTE: The Butte Cobras changed their name to the Butte Irish in August 2023 (see story).
The NA3HL also announced three events during the 2023-24 season including the annual NA3HL (league-wide) Showcase taking place from December 17-19, 2023, in Blaine, Minnesota that feature all 34 teams. The NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament will also be held again but dates and location have not been announced by the league yet. The season concludes with the 2024 NA3HL Fraser Cup Championship Tournament that crowns the NA3HL’s playoff champion (March 20-24) in St. Louis, Missouri.
In December’s Showcase tournament (December 17-19) in Blaine, Minnesota each of the 34 league members in 17 states 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 is the NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament which will coincide with the 2024 North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) Top Prospects Tournament that will highlight the NA3HL’s best players in an ‘all-star’ setting.
Finally, the NA3HL will finish off their postseason with a national tournament in late March with the 2024 NA3HL Fraser Cup Tournament held on March 20-24, 2024, 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 five divisions below.
The 2023-24 Americans season schedule is below.
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Day/Date |
Game |
Time |
Location |
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SEPTEMBER 2023 |
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Fri. Sept. 8 |
vs. Yellowstone Quake |
7:00PM |
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Sat. Sept. 9 |
vs. Yellowstone Quake |
7:00PM |
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Fri. Sept. 22 |
vs. Gillette Wild |
7:00PM |
Great Falls Ice Plex |
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Sat. Sept. 23 |
vs. Gillette Wild |
7:00PM |
Great Falls Ice Plex |
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Fri. Sept. 29 |
vs. Badlands Sabres |
7:00PM |
Great Falls Ice Plex |
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Sat. Sept. 30 |
vs. Badlands Sabres |
7:00PM |
Great Falls Ice Plex |
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OCTOBER 2023 |
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Sun. Oct. 1 |
vs. Badlands Sabres |
12:00PM |
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Sun. Oct. 8 |
@ Bozeman Ice Dogs |
4:30PM |
Haynes Pavilion, Bozeman, MT |
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Thurs. Oct. 12 |
vs. Badlands Sabres |
7:00PM |
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Fri. Oct. 13 |
@ Sheridan Hawks |
7:30PM |
Whitney Rink in the M&M’s Center, Sheridan, WY |
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Sat. Oct. 14 |
@ Sheridan Hawks |
7:30PM |
Whitney Rink in the M&M’s Center, Sheridan, WY |
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Fri. Oct. 20 |
@ Butte Irish |
7:30PM |
Butte Community Ice Center, Butte, MT |
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Sat. Oct. 21 |
vs. Butte Irish |
7:00PM |
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Sun. Oct. 29 |
vs. Bozeman Ice Dogs |
2:00PM |
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NOVEMBER 2023 |
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Sat. Nov. 4 |
vs. Helena Bighorns |
7:00PM |
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Fri. Nov. 10 |
@ Helena Bighorns |
7:05PM |
Steed Arena, Helena, MT |
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Sat. Nov. 11 |
@ Helena Bighorns |
7:05PM |
Steed Arena, Helena, MT |
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Fri. Nov. 17 |
vs. Sheridan Hawks |
7:00PM |
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Sat. Nov. 18 |
vs. Sheridan Hawks |
7:00PM |
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Fri. Nov. 24 |
vs. Butte Irish |
7:00PM |
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Sat. Nov. 25 |
vs. Butte Irish |
7:00PM |
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Sun. Nov. 26 |
vs. Bozeman Ice Dogs |
6:00PM |
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DECEMBER 2023 |
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Fri. Dec. 1 |
@ Bozeman Ice Dogs |
7:15PM |
Haynes Pavilion, Bozeman, MT |
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Fri. Dec. 8 |
@ Yellowstone Quake |
7:05PM |
Riley Arena, Cody, WY |
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Sat. Dec. 9 |
@ Yellowstone Quake |
7:05PM |
Riley Arena, Cody, WY |
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Mon. Dec. 17 |
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Vs. TBA |
TBA (MST) |
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Tues. Dec. 18 |
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vs. TBA |
TBA (MST) |
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Wed. Dec. 19 |
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TBA |
TBA (MST) |
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JANUARY 2024 |
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Fri. Jan. 5 |
@ Butte Irish |
7:30PM |
Butte Community Ice Center, Butte, MT |
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Sat. Jan. 6 |
@ Butte Irish |
7:30PM |
Butte Community Ice Center, Butte, MT |
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Fri. Jan. 12 |
vs. Bozeman Ice Dogs |
7:00PM |
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Sat. Jan. 13 |
vs. Bozeman Ice Dogs |
7:00PM |
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Fri. Jan. 26 |
@ Bozeman Ice Dogs |
7:30PM |
Haynes Pavilion, Bozeman, MT |
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Sat. Jan. 27 |
@ Bozeman Ice Dogs |
7:30PM |
Haynes Pavilion, Bozeman, MT |
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FEBRUARY 2024 |
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Fri. Feb. 2 |
vs. Helena Bighorns |
7:00PM |
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Sat. Feb. 3 |
@ Helena Bighorns |
7:05PM |
Steed Arena, Helena, MT |
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TBA |
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TBA vs. TBA |
1:00PM (MST) |
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TBA |
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TBA vs. TBA |
6:00AM (MST) |
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Thurs. Feb. 8 |
@ Badlands Sabres |
7:05PM |
Roosevelt Park Ice Arena, Rapid City, SD |
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Fri. Feb. 9 |
@ Gillette Wild |
7:05PM |
Spirit Hall Ice Arena, Gillette, WY |
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Sat. Feb. 10 |
@ Gillette Wild |
7:05PM |
Spirit Hall Ice Arena, Gillette, WY |
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Wed. Feb. 14 |
vs. Helena Bighorns |
7:00PM |
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Fri. Feb. 16 |
vs. Helena Bighorns |
12:00PM |
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Sat. Feb. 17 |
@ Helena Bighorns |
7:05PM |
Steed Arena, Helena, MT |
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Fri. Feb. 23 |
@ Badlands Sabres |
7:05PM |
Roosevelt Park Ice Arena, Rapid City, SD |
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Sat. Feb. 24 |
@ Badlands Sabres |
7:05PM |
Roosevelt Park Ice Arena, Rapid City, SD |
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Sun. Feb. 25 |
@ Badlands Sabres |
12:05PM |
Roosevelt Park Ice Arena, Rapid City, SD |
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MARCH 2024 |
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Fri. Mar. 1 |
vs. Butte Irish |
7:00PM |
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Sat. Mar. 2 |
@ Butte Irish |
7:30PM |
Butte Community Ice Center, Butte, MT |
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End of 2023-24 Regular Season |
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Click here to view the entire 2024-25 team-by-team schedule.