By: Sean Williams, minotauroshockey.com
Minot, ND – A new chapter of Minotauros hockey is set to begin this weekend, as the Tauros play host to the Aberdeen Wings at the Maysa Arena on Friday and Saturday night at 7:35 p.m. Although the team is coming off an impressive 3-1 record at the NAHL Showcase that took place last month, this weekend marks the official regular season start to the 2023-24 campaign.
Familiar faces and new faces aplenty will suit up in the Magic City this weekend, where head coach and general manager Cody Campbell hopes to guide the team to another playoff run. Captain Trevor Stachowiak leads the group of returning players, along with John Emmons, Jack O’Hanisain, Weston Knox, Adam Mahler, Colby Woogk, and Erik Chaffe who will all make their way back to Minot for another season.
Highlighting a new group set to make their Maysa debut are a variety of players taken in the 2023 NAHL Draft. Among those are forwards Colby Bear (second round), Jack Gardner (fourth round), Joel Lehtinen (seventh round) and John Small (eighth round), and defenseman Jacob Ingstrup (sixth round).
With four games under their belt, the Tauros have been led by Chad Muller’s four points (three goals, one assist); three points apiece from Knox (three assists); Small (one goal, two assists); Stachowiak (three assists); and two points from O’Hanisain (two assists); Emmons (two assists); Will Dawson (two goals); Bear (two assists); Rylan Jockims (two assists); and Lehtinen (one goal, one assist).
The Tauros welcome a Wings team who have seen a little more game action this year, as the Wings own a 3-3-1 record with 21 goals scored and 27 given up in seven games. Forwards Logan Gravnik (four goals), Leonid Bulgakov and Isak Holmstrom (three goals each), and Nikolai Tishkevich, Bennett Koupal and Jaxson Murray (two goals each) have led the charge offensively for the Wings thus far.
As always the Tauros Home Opening weekend is presented by Pearson Chiropractic tickets are available through the “Tickets” tab atop this page or by vising tickets.minotauroshockey.com. All October Minotauros home games are also part of the Circle Sanitation Fill the Bin Winter Coat Drive. Fans are encouraged to bring new or gently used winter coats and other cold weather gear to donate to their neighbors in need. This season the Minotauros and Circle Sanitation will be working with Community Action Partners to distribute the coats locally in Minot.