State high school boys hockey tourney at Stumptown Ice Den
The Daily Inter Lake
Six teams will be competing in the Montana Amateur Hockey Association high school state tournament this weekend at the Stumptown Ice Den in Whitefish.
Action begins today at 10 a.m. with pool play games.
Pool play continues Saturday, starting at 9:30 a.m., with two more games followed by a fifth/sixth place outing at 4:15 p.m. and two crossover contests at 6:30 and 8:45.
Sunday’s action concludes with the third/fourth place game at 10 a.m. and the championship match to follow at 12:15 p.m.
There is no admission charge. Concessions will be available.
There are 11 high school hockey associations in Montana and 10 teams. The top six teams are in Whitefish for A division state play while the other four are in Havre for the B division state tournament.
Competing in Whitefish are: Billings Jr. Bulls, Butte Copper City Kings, Flathead Fusion, Great Falls Americans, Helena Bighorns and Missoula Bruins.
Competing in Havre this weekend are Bozeman, Havre, Glasgow and Miles City.
The 20-game regular season began in November. Billings captured the regular-season title and enters tournament play as the top seed.
The Flathead Fusion finished in fifth place.
“We’re excited to have it here,” tournament director Jodi Harms said.
“Never (boys state) been here in the Flathead Valley before.”
Billings hosted state last year.
Harms, a former board member of the Flathead Valley Hockey Association and a current board member of the Whitefish Adult Hockey Association, said a financial bid was filed in August for state to be held in Whitefish.
The Flathead Fusion is coached by Alex Lundbohm. The team consists of players from Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Eureka, Whitefish and Kalispell.
Harms’ son Paul is a member of the Fusion and a team captain, along with Keagen Morisaki.
“My sons played on opening day of the Kalispell Rink in 2007,” she said.
“I have been involved ever since,”
Her daughter Carolyn also played hockey.
Her husband Greg is the rink manager in Whitefish.
Kalispell hosted a girls state tournament in 2012.
State A Tournament
At Whitefish
Stumptown Ice Den
Red Pool — Billings, Great Falls, Butte
Blue Pool — Missoula, Helena, Flathead
Today’s Pool Play Schedule
10 a.m. — Billings vs. Butte
12:15 p.m. — Missoula vs. Flathead
6:30 p.m. — Great Falls vs. Butte
8:45 p.m. — Helena vs. Flathead
Saturday
Pool Play
9:30 a.m. — Billings vs. Great Falls
11:45 a.m. — Missoula vs. Helena
Fifth/sixth place game
4:15 p.m. — TBD
6:30 p.m. — 1 red vs. 2 blue
8:45 p.m. — 1 blue vs. 2 red
Sunday
10 a.m. — Third/fourth place game
12:15 p.m. — Championship game
High School Division
Final Standings
Team Name GP W L T PTS GF GA PIM LAST 5 STREAK
Billings Jr Bulls 20 19 0 1 39 133 23 222 5-0-0 19-0-1
Missoula Bruins 20 18 2 0 36 139 19 173 4-1-0 4-0-0
Helena Bighorns 20 15 3 2 32 162 55 250 5-0-0 12-0-0
Great Falls Americans 20 11 8 1 23 69 79 228 5-0-0 5-0-1
Flathead Fusion 20 10 10 0 20 80 70 184 0-5-0 0-7-0
Butte Copper City Kings 20 9 10 1 19 84 87 216 0-5-0 0-5-0
Bozeman Icedogs 20 6 11 3 15 85 81 410 2-3-0 0-2-0
Havre Ice Hawks 20 5 15 0 10 68 134 232 1-4-0 1-0-0
Glasgow Ice Dawgs 20 2 17 1 5 42 151 222 2-3-0 0-1-0
Miles City Generals 20 0 19 1 1 30 193 182 0-4-1 0-19-1