Helena Bighorns

The Helena Bighorns are a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) based in Helena, Montana USA. The team plays their home games at the 1,600-seat Helena Ice Arena. The team is owned by Oren Koules, president of Evolution Entertainment and former part-owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL).
The Helena Bighorns were members of the NorPac from 2007 to 2011. In 2011, the American West Division of the NorPac league broke away to form the American West Hockey League. In the March of 2014, the NA3HL accepted the AWHL as a new Frontier Division.http://www.na3hl.com/news/story.cfm?id=11149
==History==
The original Helena Bighorns were members of the former Tier II America West Hockey League from 2001 to 2003 after replacing the departed Helena Gold Rush that had operated last in the 1999–2000 season (formerly known as the Helena Ice Pirates from 1994 to 1999). In 2003, the AWHL merged with the larger Tier II North American Hockey League and the Bighorns played in the NAHL until 2006.
In 2004, the Tier III Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac) expanded into Helena with the Queen City Cutthroats and were immediately successful, winning the Cascade Cup in their first year. In 2006, the NAHL Bighorns withdrew from the NAHL and the NorPac franchise would take the name of the formerly higher level team beginning with the 2006–07 season.
===NorPac years (2004–11)===
The Helena Bighorns/Queen City Cutthroats won six straight NorPac America West Division Championships between 2005 and 2010. They also won the NorPac Cascade Cup six times, 2005, 2006 and four straight from 2008 to 2011.
===American West years (2011–14)===
The Helena Bighorns have won three straight American West Hockey League Championships in the 2011–12, 2012–13, and 2013–14 AWHL seasons prior to the league merging with the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) in 2014.
==Season-by-season records==
===Helena Bighorns (AWHL)===
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	PIM 	Regular Season Finish 	Playoffs
America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League	America West Hockey League
2001-02 	56 	27 	24 	- 	3 	2 	218 	197 	59 	1700 	7th 	Lost Quarterfinals
2002-03 	56 	29 	26 	- 	1 	0 	247 	207 	59 	1305 	4th North 	
===Queen City Cutthroats===
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	PIM 	Regular Season Finish 	Playoffs
Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League
2004-05 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	
2005-06 	44 	33 	11 	- 	- 	- 	226 	132 	66 	1278 	1st East 	
===Helena Bighorns (NAHL)===
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	PIM 	Regular Season Finish 	Playoffs
North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League	North American Hockey League
2003-04 	56 	28 	22 	- 	6 	- 	205 	191 	62 	854 	5th West 	
2004-05 	56 	33 	19 	- 	4 	- 	203 	168 	70 	1160 	3rd West 	
2005-06 	58 	17 	35 	- 	1 	5 	186 	246 	40 	1383 	5th West 	
===Helena Bighorns===
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	PIM 	Regular Season Finish 	Playoffs 	 	
Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League	Northern Pacific Hockey League
2006-07 	44 	31 	13 	- 	231 	125 	62 	1374 	2nd Rocky Mountain 	Lost Final 	 	
2007-08 	48 	41 	7 	- 	297 	96 	82 	1288 	1st America West 	Won Championship 	 	
2008-09 	48 	35 	13 	- 	218 	108 	70 	1017 	2nd America West 	Won Championship 	 	
2009-10 	48 	20 	28 	- 	188 	191 	40 	1052 	4th America West 	Won Championship 	 	
2010-11 	50 	48 	2 	- 	400 	80 	96 	- 	1st America West 	Won Championship 	 	
American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League 	American West Hockey League
2011-12 	48 	39 	6 	3 	279 	85 	79 	- 	2nd overall 	Won Championship 	 	
2012-13 	48 	44 	2 	2 	334 	55 	90 	- 	1st overall 	Won Championship 	 	
2013-14 	48 	46 	1 	1 	317 	80 	93 	- 	1st overall 	Won Championship 	 	
North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League	
2014–15 	47 	34 	11 	2 	194 	98 	70 	1073 	2nd of 7, Frontier Div.5th of 31, NA3HL 	Won Div. Semifinals, 2-1 vs. Gillette WildLost Div. Finals, 0-2 vs. Great Falls Americans 	 	
2015–16 	47 	26 	21 	0 	174 	155 	52 	1136 	5th of 7, Frontier Div.19th of 34, NA3HL	Did not qualify 	 	
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Regular Season Finish 	Playoffs 	 	
2016-17 	47 	15 	31 	0 	1 	130 	202 	31 	6th of 8, Frontier Div. 	Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 1-2 vs. Gillette Wild 	 	
2017-18 	47 	30 	13 	4 	0 	205 	143 	64 	3rd of 6, Frontier Div. 	Won Div. Semifinals, 2-0 vs. Great Falls AmericansLost Div. Final 0-2 vs Yellowstone Quake 	 	
2018-19 	47 	38 	7 	2 	0 	252 	115 	78 	1st of 7, Frontier 	Won Div. Semifinals, 2-1 vs. Missoula BruinsWon Div. Finals, 2-1 vs. Great Falls AmericansFinish 0-2-0-0 in Pool A of Nationals-eliminated from further play	 	
2019-20 	47 	17 	26 	2 	2 	145 	192 	38 	6th of 8, Frontier 	Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-2 vs. Great Falls Americans 	 	
2020-21 	40 	17 	20 	2 	1 	126 	133 	37 	5th of 8, Frontier 	Did not qualify 	 	
2021-22 	47 	42 	3 	2 	0 	289 	94 	86 	1st of 8, Frontier 	Lost Semifinal 	 	
2022-23 	47 	36 	8 	1 	2 	187 	74 	75 	1st of 8, Frontier 	Lost Semifinal 	 	
2023-24 	47 	44 	2 	1 	0 	278 	95 	89 	1st of 8, Frontier 	Won Fraser Cup 	 	
==Tier III Junior Hockey National Championship==
In 2005 and 2006, the Queen City Cutthroats participated in the USA Hockey Tier III Junior B National Tournament. In 2007, NorPac and its teams were promoted to Tier III Junior A status and the Bighorns competed in the 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Junior A National Tournaments. In 2011, USA Hockey dropped the A and B designations but sometimes had the leagues split into different divisions during the tournament (American/National for 2012 or Div 1/Div 2 for 2015 with 2013 and 2014 having all leagues compete in one tournament). The Bighorns represented the American West Hockey League in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
In 2011, the Helena Bighorns won the Tier III Junior A Hockey National Championships by defeating the El Paso Rhinos 5-1 in Rochester, Minnesota. The Helena Bighorns won the bronze medal at the 2014 USA Hockey Tier III National championships.
Round robin play in pool with top 4 teams advancing to semi-final.
Year	Round Robin 	Record	Standing 	Semifinal 	Championship
2006	W, Boston Jr. Bruins (EmJHL) 3-1L, Phoenix Polar Bears (WSHL) 4-8L, St. Louis Jr. Blues (CSHL) 1-5 	1-2-0 	3rd of 4Div. I 	Did not advance 	Did not advance
2008	L, Northern Cyclones (AtJHL) 1-5W, Minnesota Ice Hawks (MnJHL) 4-2W, Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks (CSHL) 5-0 	2-1-0 	2nd of 4Div. II 	Did not advance 	Did not advance
2009	W, New York Bobcats (AtJHL) 3-1W, El Paso Rhinos (WSHL) 4-3L, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (EJHL) 3-6 	2-1-0 	2nd of 4Div. I 	Did not advance 	Did not advance
2010	L, Dubuque Thunderbirds (CSHL) 2-4W, Boulder Bison (WSHL) 5-0T, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (EJHL) 3-3 	1-1-1 	3rd of 4Div. I 	Did not advance 	Did not advance
2011	W, Rochester Ice Hawks (MnJHL) 6-1W, Queen City Steam (NA3HL) 4-0L, Walpole Express (AtJHL) 3-4 	2-1-0 	1st of 4Pool III 	W, Walpole Express (AtJHL) 4-3 	W, El Paso Rhinos (WSHL) 5-1NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2012	L, Long Island Royals (MetJHL) 1-3L, Atlanta Junior Knights (EJHL South) 0-1W, Chicago Junior Bulldogs (NA3HL) 10-3	1-2-0 	3rd of 4Pool I, National Div.	Did not advance 	Did not advance
2013	OTW, New Jersey Rockets (MetJHL) 2-1W, Boch Blazers (ESHL) 11-2L, Atlanta Junior Knights (EJHL South) 3-5 	2-1-0 	2nd of 4American Pool 	OTL, North Iowa Bulls (NA3HL) 2-3	—
2014	W, Marquette Royales (MnJHL) 6-2L, Boston Jr. Bruins (USPHL Premier) 0-6L, New Hampshire Jr Monarchs (EHL) 3-5 	1-2-0 	3rd of 4Red Pool 	Did not advance 	Did not advance
==Alumni==
The Bighorns have had a number of alumni move on to NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA collegiate programs, higher levels of junior ice hockey, and professional ice hockey.
==References==
== External links ==
*Official site
*NA3HL Official Website
Category:Northern Pacific Hockey League team
Category:American ice hockey teams
Category:Established in 1998
Category:North American Hockey League team
Category:North American 3 Hockey League teams