Helena Bighorns One Series Away From Fifth Straight Frontier Division Title

The Helena Bighorns fell 5-4 in overtime to the Sheridan Hawks in Game 1 of their best-of-three Frontier Division final last Wednesday at Steed Arena, putting the defending Fraser Cup champions in a hole with history on the line.

The Bighorns had entered the series riding momentum from a 5-2 series-clinching win over the Great Falls Americans on Monday night. That victory cleared the first round and set up the division final against the Hawks, who came in holding first place in the Frontier division standings. Now Helena must win back-to-back games to claim a fifth consecutive Frontier Division title and punch their ticket to the Fraser Cup national tournament in St. Peters, Missouri.

"We went through a lot of adversity this year already," said Helena center Jeffrey Hershberger. "And at the end of the day, we know that we can build off each other, and we can build off this arena. And it's unbelievable. This group has what it takes. And it's going to be a battle, but we know that. And it's going to hurt to win, but at the end of the day, it's not going to matter when we have our five-peat and hopefully our Fraser Cup."

The stakes could not be clearer. Helena won the Fraser Cup in 2024, the NA3HL's national championship tournament, described by some as the league's version of the Stanley Cup playoffs. A fifth straight division title would be historic for a Tier III Junior A program, and head coach Deont Hansen's squad has shown it knows what playoff pressure looks like.

After dispatching Great Falls, one unnamed Bighorn captured the room's mood plainly: "It was just a roller coaster of emotions. It was fun to come out on top. Great Falls always puts up a good game, so it was a fun night for sure."

The Bighorns have rallied from series deficits before. With Games 2 and, if necessary, Game 3 remaining, the path to St. Peters still runs through Steed Arena.