Sean Williams/MDN Trevor Stachowiak (81) of the Minot Minotauros controlling the puck during a game against the Aberdeen Wings last season at the Maysa Arena.

It’s an exciting week for the Minot Minotauros, as they are set to host their main camp at the Maysa Arena for the first time ever. As head coach and general manager Cody Campbell begins the process of putting together his roster, he couldn’t help but share his excitement for main camp to begin.

“We are excited about the group of returners, tenders and draft picks we have but we are just as excited about the group of free agents we have recruited for camp. We have a long way to go when it comes to putting a championship caliber roster together but camp this week is a big part of that process,” Campbell said.

Not only is it an exciting time as Campbell and the Minotauros get to take the ice together for the first time ahead of the 2023-24 season, having main camp on their home ice and in their facilities also gives the team a chance to display what they can provide to incoming players and families.

“We couldn’t be happier to hold main camp here in Minot. To give the incoming players and families a look at everything we are able to offer as an organization and the countless great things that the community and people of our community have to offer is exciting. We hope this is the first year of many Tauros main camps to be held in Minot and at the Maysa Arena,” Campbell said.

While being back on the ice will be exciting for many, it’s going to be a very busy week for Campbell and Co., as they are tasked with putting together the best group of players they can. In doing so, Campbell shared that they won’t be focused or prioritizing any specific position group during camp.

“We aren’t focused on one singular position leading into camp. We are going to use this week to assemble the best group of 30-35 players to return to Minot in August for training camp and have those guys continue to compete for roster spots from there. However, we do feel very strongly about the talent level of the players coming to camp as a whole.”

After making the playoffs last season and having a first-round exit, Campbell wants to see the team improve from top to bottom of the roster by not only compiling the best talent, but also finding a group of guys who will bring a strong work ethic to the ice every single day.

“We want to improve on everything, top to bottom. Our goal is to put the most talented and hard-working group of young men on the ice that we can and continue to bring exceptional people into our community here in Minot,” Campbell said.

The departure of key players from last year’s roster like Hunter Longhi, Chase LaPinta, and the goaltending duo of Lawton Zacher and Noah Rupprecht gives Campbell multiple areas like scoring and goaltending that he will keep an eye on during camp, but he feels confident in the group he has coming to Minot this week.

Main camp will not only feature new players on the ice, but it will also feature a new assistant coach. On Tuesday, the Minotauros announced that they have hired Tyler Ebner as an assistant coach, replacing Kyle Sharkey who has taken another coaching role elsewhere.

Ebner played in 87 games in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) before playing at the NCAA Division III level. After his playing days came to an end, Ebner started coaching at the Division III level with SUNY-Fredonia and will now head back to the NAHL as a coach with the Minotauros.

Main camp will begin tonight at 5 p.m. and run through Saturday. On Thursday, the team will begin a session at 8:30 a.m. and have another one at 4 p.m., then on Friday they will have a morning session beginning at 10 a.m. and a Prospects Game at 7 p.m. that night.

On the final day of main camp on Saturday, there will be an All-Star Game starting at 10 a.m. All sessions are open to the public with no admission charge.