Helena Bighorns Blank Bozeman Ice Dogs 5-0 in NA3HL

The Helena Bighorns recorded a 5-0 victory over the Bozeman Ice Dogs, according to the NA3HL official game record for Feb. 7, 2026. The league’s game sheet lists the result as a Helena shutout and notes that full box-score details and player statistics are available through NA3HL and team channels.

Shutouts are rare at this level, and a 5-0 margin underscores strong defensive structure and goaltending for the Bighorns. For Lewis and Clark County residents who follow junior hockey, the result carries immediate importance for home-ice momentum and the ongoing Helena-Bozeman rivalry that draws steady local attendance and community support.

Weekend coverage of the series produced differing accounts across local outlets and stat platforms, suggesting multiple meetings between the clubs that merit reconciliation in official logs. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported two Helena wins in its print replica: a 7-1 Helena victory in Bozeman on Friday night and a 6-4 Helena win in Helena on Saturday. The Chronicle’s Saturday recap credited Cory Mozak with two goals and an assist and Travis Whitehead with a goal and two assists, and it listed Helena’s shots on goal at 50 to Bozeman’s 33. The Chronicle also noted that Bozeman goalie Matt Cleveland made 44 saves and included comments from Icedogs coach John LaFontaine: “They've got 20 veteran players, they're going to be a team to beat this year,” “We have to tighten up our defense, we don't want to give up more than 30 shots a game,” and “The defense needs to be held more accountable.”

Stat tables hosted by the Montana Amateur Hockey Association and SportNGIN provide detailed player and goalie entries that appear to reflect a high-scoring contest between the clubs. Those tables list Helena goalie entries as #21 Lowek Vonada - MIN 0:00, SOG 0, GA 0, SV 0, SV% .000 and #40 Jacob Garcia - MIN 51:00, SOG 43, GA 6, SV 37, SV% .860, with a Helena totals row showing MIN 51:00, SOG 43, GA 6, SV 37, SV% .860. Bozeman goalie lines include #1 Jaxon Hinshaw - MIN 51:00, SOG 26, GA 2, SV 24, SV% .923. The same SportNGIN block lists individual skater lines such as Helena #4 William Carroll - 1 G, 0 A, 1 PTS, 1 SOG and Bozeman #38 Bodie Shepardson - 3 G, 1 A, 4 PTS, 3 SOG. Those numbers should be matched to specific dates in official box scores before attributing them to the Feb. 7 shutout.

Local site 406mtsports published multiple items from the weekend, including a photo-captioned Friday game at the Helena Ice Arena that it described as a 4-3 Icedogs victory. Photo captions identify Porter Tirrill in front of Bozeman goaltender AJ Ruskowski and show Helena goaltender Alexander Rogers deflecting a Bozeman shot. The site also ran a headline, “Helena Bighorns shut out Bozeman, prepare for Great Falls,” and included the line, “Justin Sullivan could not have envisioned a year ago having the collegiate prospects he has now.”

Community ties remain active off the ice. A Helena Bighorns Booster Club social post reads in part, “🛠️ The Helena Bighorns Booster Club will have Valley Bank Chuck a pucks for sale, and selling 50/50 tickets is the Animal Shelter and Care of” - a truncated announcement that indicates booster fundraising and local charity support.

For fans and local stakeholders, the NA3HL’s official 5-0 result is the primary record for Feb. 7. Full player and goaltender statistics, period scoring and venue confirmation are available through NA3HL and team channels. As the clubs move toward matchups against divisional opponents such as Great Falls, the weekend’s mixed reports highlight both the intensity of the Helena-Bozeman rivalry and the need for official box-score verification to sort the weekend’s outcomes and their impact on standings.