Sean Williams/MDN Cody Campbell, the head coach and general manager of the Minot Minotauros, talking to the team on the bench during a timeout at the Maysa Arena last season.

The Robertson Cup Playoffs have concluded, and the Minot Minotauros recently wrapped up a 2022-23 season that saw them make the playoffs for the first time since 2020-21. Following a successful campaign last year, head coach and general manager Cody Campbell has the offseason ahead of him, where he will look to build on what the Minotauros accomplished.

As part of that process, Campbell and the rest of the coaching staff and scouting staff prepared for the 2023 North American Hockey League (NAHL) Draft, which took place on Wednesday.

Heading into the draft, the Minotauros had a total of 10 selections, giving Campbell and Co. an opportunity to strengthen the depth of the team, as they look to keep competing now and in the future.

With the 16th pick in the first round of the NAHL Draft, Campbell opted to select Hayden Stocks, a 20-year-old forward from the Neepawa Titans of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Last season, Stocks totaled 53 points on 31 goals and 22 assists in 57 games with the Titans.

Exactly one round later with the 16th pick in the second round, the Minotauros selected Colby Bear from the Battlefords North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Standing at 6’2″, 201-lbs, Bear brings good size to the Minotauros organization and is coming off a 13 goal, 27 assist season with the North Stars.

Shifting gears in the third round, the Minotauros selected defenseman Matias Myllykoski with the 16th pick. Last season, the 20-year-old played with Kiekko-Espoo in the U20 SM-sarja, a junior hockey league in Finland. In 44 games, Myllykoski had five goals and 14 assists and totaled 14 penalty minutes.

A handful of picks later, the Minotauros continued adding to their forward depth by selecting Caden Lee out of Chanhassen High School in Chanhassen, Minn. with the 24th pick in the third round. Lee netted 25 goals and added 18 assists in 28 games with Chanhassen High last season. At 17-years-old, Lee brings good size as well at 6’2″, 190-lbs.

Showing a trend of focusing on forwards, in the fourth round the Minotauros added another by selecting Jack Gardner with the 13th pick. Playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 18U team last season, Gardner had four goals and 12 assists in 56 games.

In the fifth round, the Minotauros selected forward Mykhailo Krasnozhon from HC Kosice in Slovakia. In 41 games with HC Kosice last season, Krasnozhon scored 22 goals and 20 assists and checks in at 6’0″, 198-lbs as a 19-year-old.

Having their second defenseman come off the board, the Minotauros took Jacob Ingstrup out of Kent School in Kent, Conn. with the 11th pick in the sixth round. In 22 games with Kent School, Ingstrup scored three goals and had 12 assists.

Snagging another player out of Kiekko-Espoo in Finland were the Minotauros, as they selected forward Joel Lehtinen in the seventh round of the NAHL Draft. In 31 games with Kiekko-Espoo, Lehtinen totaled eight goals and 17 assists. At 19-years-old, Lehtinen stands tall at 6’2″ and 181-lbs.

With two picks left in the draft, the Minotauros took forward John Small from the Langley Rivermen in the eighth round. Playing in 46 games for the Langley Rivermen of the British Colombia Hockey League, Small netted three goals and give assists.

For their final pick of the 2023 NAHL Draft, the Minotauros selected forward Maksim Lakic from the Rochester Grizzlies of the NA3HL. Lakic played in 19 games for the Grizzlies, scoring four goals and seven assists. Being another big body, the 20-year-old checks in at 6’1″, 190-lbs.

With their 10 picks, the Minotauros had a clear goal in mind and that was to bolster the depth of their forwards. Out of the 10 picks, eight of them were forwards. Campbell also had an ideal size in mind, as the Minotauros selected seven players who were at the six-foot mark or taller.