Richland Rangers Jr. Gold Win Montana Coal Classic Tournament

The travel itinerary alone sounded exhausting. Over a single weekend in Billings, a short-benched squad of fourteen young skaters faced five separate opponents, logging back-to-back games with barely hours to catch their breath between the final buzzer and the next opening faceoff.

Yet when the dust settled at the Montana Coal Classic Tournament’s JV division, the Richland Rangers Jr. Gold hockey team stood at the top. The squad went undefeated through the weekend, overcoming a grueling schedule, a lack of early-season practices, and a roster blending eleven returning Jr. Gold players with three cross-rostered Bantam players under the direction of coach Westin Davies.

From Great Falls to the Championship Ice

The tournament opened on Friday, Oct. 30, with the Rangers squaring off against the Great Falls Americans. That initial matchup set an aggressive tone for the weekend, resulting in a 9-1 victory.

Farba w sprayu montana gold ml classic denim light

Saturday, Oct. 31, brought two games for the Rangers. The team returned to the ice that morning to face the Billings Bulls, skating away with a 7-1 win. After just a couple of hours away from the rink, the Jr. Gold team returned for an afternoon showdown against the Bozeman Icedogs, who the Rangers shut out 5-0.

That heavy Saturday workload rolled directly into an early-morning test on Sunday, Nov. 1. Needing a win against the Helena Bighorns just to secure their spot in the championship game, the Rangers fought through to claim a 4-1 victory. That pushed them into the championship game against the Yellowstone Yeti. Concluding a fiercely contested match, the Rangers secured a 4-2 triumph to claim the Montana Coal Classic Tournament championship.

The strength of the team is each member. The strength of each member is the team. — Phil Jackson

A Packed November at the Ranger Rink

While the Jr. Gold squad brings home hardware from Billings, the local hockey calendar in Sidney is only accelerating. The Ranger Rink is preparing for a heavy stretch of competition and community events running through the middle of November.

On Nov. 13, Hurley’s Oilfield sponsors the arena’s first ever Chuck A Puck event. Pucks go on sale upstairs before the game and during the 1st two periods for cash only, priced at 1 puck for $5, 5 pucks for $20, or 12 pucks for $40, with the winner taking home half the pot. At the same time, the arena welcomes two NA3HL (Tier III Junior Hockey) teams to Sidney as the Yellowstone Quake take on the Great Falls Americans at 7:30 p.m. on both Nov. 13 and Nov. 14.

The weekend finishes with another event on Nov. 14. Richland Youth Hockey partners with Les Schwab for the arena’s first ever Teddy Bear Toss. Fans are encouraged to bring a fresh plush toy to toss onto the rink surface as soon as the Yellowstone Quake net their opening goal, while a limited supply of stuffed toys will be on sale at the facility for anyone needing one—Cash only.

Keep reading