Tauros Draft Three

May 12, 2020

Minot, ND – The Minotauros selected three players in today’s NAHL Supplemental Draft.  The Supplemental Draft was created to help teams deal with the uncertainty created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting inability for teams to hold tryout camps.  With 27 players already under the Tauros umbrella between players eligible to return and players signed to Tenders for next season the Tauros Hockey Operations staff was able to select from strength rather than trying to plug holes.  The Tauros added one each at forward, defense, and in goal.

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In the first round the Tauros selected 17th overall and chose forward Blaine Warnert from the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.  Warnert posted 10 points in 45 games last season on three goals and seven assists.  Prior to that he picked up some NAHL experience after captaining Chaska High School his senior year he joined the Bismarck Bobcats for the 2018-19 stretch run.  He was held scoreless in ten games in the regular season, but did score the Cats’ lone goal in the Tauros 5-1 win over Bismarck in the first round of the 2019 playoffs.  The Tauros went on to sweep the series.  As a 2000 birth year Warnert has just one season of eligibility for the Tauros.   Despite that the Tauros staff felt at his size (6’5” 190 lbs.)  he was worth the first overall pick.  Tauros Head Coach Shane Wagner said, “he’s a hard working forward that will being junior experience to our line up.”  Assistant G.M. Chris Lonke said he “plays a 200’ game” and is “not afraid to mix things up.”  Warnert is already committed to NCAA DI University of Nebraska-Omaha.

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The Tauros then had two picks in the second round.  The first was the 39th pick overall and the Tauros used it to select Keenan Rancier from the Estevan Bruins in the SJHL.  Rancier led the SJHL in games played last season with 48 and wins with 25; he posted a 2.91 GAA and .912 SV%.  Tauros Assistant Coach Wyatt Waselenchuk raved about Rancier, “We are very excited to add a goaltender with Keenan’s experience and skill level to our roster. He will certainly bring in a sense of calmness with his demeanor, as he is a very controlled, and technical goaltender. From speaking with his previous coaches, he is a fantastic teammate and has an incredible work-ethic.”

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The Tauros third and final pick in the NAHL Supplemental Draft was defenseman Cole Stofflet out of Culver Military Academy, the same school that produced Tauros Alum Johnny Walker.  Stofflet posted 46 points in 40 games last season on seven goals and 39 helpers.  An Air Force Academy commit Stofflet “is a great skater that can break the puck out every time,” according to Wagner.

As Lonke sees it the draft went perfectly for the Tauros, “We are very pleased with the draft.  We identified three players we wanted and we got all three of them.” That brings the Tauros protected list to 30 players, leaving the Tauros with eight selections in the NAHL Entry Draft on July 21st.  Peter Theodos and Ken Oda will recap the Supplemental Draft and introduce the draft picks on Tauros Weekly tomorrow on Facebook Live and the Tauros YouTube channel.   Stay tuned to GoTauros.com all summer long for Tauros news and more.