The Minot Minotauros are proud to announce that forward Chad Muller has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Long Island University. Muller becomes the second Tauro to commit to LIU while playing in Minot (Noah Rupprecht, 2022) but will be the fourth alum to overall to suit up for the Sharks. “Having this opportunity is something that I can’t even express in words,” said Muller, “I am so honored and happy to have this opportunity to play Division 1 hockey and at the same time further my education. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time and to finally have the ability to make it official, it truly was the greatest feeling in the world.”
Muller pointed to several reasons for choosing LIU, first was the level of competition, “something that really stuck out to me while deciding to commit to Long Island was the fact that in the NCAA they are an independent school. Meaning every weekend you have the chance to play against the top teams in the nation, and to me that was very intriguing and grabbed my attention right away.”
From there the decision was made even easier by the relationship he formed with LIU’s coaching staff; “everyone who has reached out to me from the program has been amazing and very welcoming and the goals they have as a program and their goals for their players from a development stand point match up with my personal goals as a hockey player, which ultimately made it a very easy decision.” Muller continued, “Coach Riley and the rest of the coaching staff really believe and value the way of style that I play. I like to think that I play an old school style of game that some people think has faded out of the game of hockey but to have a coaching staff that believes in my style of play and wants me on their roster because of how I play means the world to me and made me feel very welcomed in the program and have the ability to help the team win in any way I can!”
As for Muller’s style of play, in his first season with the Tauros, has posted 13 points in 23 games but he also has 94 penalty minutes. The 20-year-old forward is in his third season of junior having spent the last two seasons playing in his native Canada where he posted 48 points and 257 penalty minutes in 91 games between the Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) and the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL).
Tauros Head Coach/General Manager Cody Campbell pointed to Muller’s hard-working style as well, “Chad is a hardnosed 200 foot player that finds a way to make an impact on the game every night, whether it’s a goal, hit, blocked shot or something else he does a fantastic job of finding a way to be productive. He is also a true competitor; he does the little things consistently to help our group have success.” Campbell sees those attributes in Muller away from the rink as well which is why he believes Muller will succeed at the next level, “off the ice Chad will be a reliable teammate and hard working student, and all around someone that can be counted on to have a positive impact on the campus community at LIU.”
Once he is on campus Muller hopes to set himself for a life working in sports, “I plan to study Health Science to become a Physiotherapist. It’s something that I’ve always been passionate in and I think it will allow me to stay in the sports side of the world which is something that I want to do.” He also plans to take advantage of everything going to school in New York has to offer, “having the ability to walk around in New York, visit times square and potentially watch a Rangers game in the most famous arena in the world are all things that I think are very cool experiences that not many college students can say they’ve done.”
Finally for Muller the icing on the cake is a chance to play close to home for the first time since before his junior career, “also, during junior I have been pretty far away from home for the past 3 years so being a 6 hour drive away from my hometown is awesome. Being that close I hope that my family and some friends will be able to make it down to some games and I will be able to see them more often than I have in the past couple of years.”
Muller cites his time as a Tauro as a major part in his earning a commitment, “playing in such a great division on such an amazing team has allowed me to have this opportunity. The guys on this team and the people I play with have been very impactful on my game in such a positive way. The organization is run in such a professional way and the resources we have every day to better your game and work on your skills have helped me. Whether it’s extra ice time before and after practice or the shooting cage to get extra reps, we are truly treated like professionals here and I think that has played a major impact on this opportunity I’ve been given.”
Of course, Muller also was quick to credit those outside of the Tauros organization that helped him reach his goal as well,
The list goes on and on of people who have made a positive impact in my life and hockey career to allow me to have this opportunity. But there is one person in specific who has done more than anyone and will continue to do do anything to help me be happy. That is my Mom. I would like to thank you Mom for being the most supportive positive person and teaching me that even tho times get tough there’s always a way to push through and keep working and if you do that good things will happen! She’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met and all of the sacrifices she has made for me to allow me to have this opportunity have never gone unnoticed. I’d also like to take the time to thank my Dad, Brother and Grandma as they have always been there to support me. I would also like to thank Coach Campbell in bringing me here and giving me the opportunity to be a Tauro, I’d like to thank my team mates and everything they do and how easy and enjoyable they make it to come to the rink every day and go to work. Also would like to thank my billets for bringing me into their home and treating me like one of their own and being so welcoming and making living away from home so easy!
Muller and the rest of the Tauros take the ice this Friday and Saturday for the last games before the NAHL Christmas break. Saturday night’s game is the annual SCHEELS Teddy Bear Toss, where fans are encouraged to bring a new or gently used stuffed animal and throw it to the ice when the Tauros score their first goal of the night. The stuffed animals are then distributed to a number of causes around the Minot community, including the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Project Bee, Minot PD, Path ND, and more. Tickets for both games are available in the Tauros Hockey Tauros Hockey Mobile App, through the “Tickets” tab atop this page, or by visiting the Tauros ticketing site