Minot, ND – While there were no games to be played over the Minotauros Christmas break there was still work to be done. Head Coach/General Manager Shane Wagner picked himself up a pair of Christmas presents adding a pair of junior veterans and NCAA DI commits; forward Gabe Temple and defenseman Robert Kincaid.
Temple, a Michigan Tech commit, was acquired for future considerations from the Odessa Jackalopes where he was held off the scoresheet in 11 games. Despite the slow start to the season the Tauros are getting a veteran forward who has produced everywhere else he has played. Two seasons ago he posted 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points in 56 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights (now the Danbury Hat Tricks) in the NAHL East Division. That performance earned him a spot in the 2019 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament and an invitation to play for the NAHL Selects team at the 2019 IIHF Sirius Junior Club World Cup (with former Tauro Sam Skinner). He posted a team best two assists in four games in helping the club finish fifth in the tournament. After returning from Russia Temple posted five goals and eight assists for 13 points for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede before being traded to the Muskegon Lumberjacks where he posted an assist in three games before Covid ended the season early. The ’00 birthyear forward will depart for Michigan Tech after finishing this season with the Tauros.
Kincaid, an ’02 birthyear is committed to the University of Maine but has two and a half seasons of junior eligibility remaining. Acquired from the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League Kincaid has 68 games of junior experience already. The defenseman has posted five goals and 27 assists through his career and also added seven more points (2g 5a) in five playoff games. Like Temple his play earned him spots in the AJHL Top Prospects Tournament and a spot representing the AJHL at the 2019 IIHF Sirius Junior Club World Cup. Kincaid’s goal and two assists were sixth among tournament defenseman and helped the AJHL Selects to a silver medal finish.
The Tauros return to action tomorrow night against the Bismarck Bobcats in Bismarck. Aside from the two new faces the Tauros will get a look at the possible future with Minot native (and long-time Tauro billet) Brasen Boser and University of North Dakota commit Jaksen Panzer stepping into the lineup as Affiliate Players. As always fans can follow the games on HockeyTV.com, Mixlr, Facebook, and GoTauros.com.