The Minot Minotauros (commonly known as the Tauros) are a Tier II junior

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team playing in the

North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...

(NAHL). Based in

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 20 ...

, the Tauros play their home games at

Maysa Arena Maysa Arena is a multi-purpose venue located in Minot, North Dakota. The name Maysa is an acronym for Minot Area Youth Skating Association, a group that proposed the construction of the three-rink arena in the 1990s. The $3.9 million arena on the ...

History

The Tauros are Minot's 5th hockey team, following the El Paso/Minot Raiders of the

Southwest Hockey League The Southwest Hockey League was a senior ice hockey league that operated in the Southwestern United States from 1975 to 1977. The Southwest Hockey League (SWHL) was established in 1975 to train players for professional leagues. Ralph Engelstad ...

in 1975–76 and then as the Minot Rangers for the 1976–77 season, the Minot Maple Leafs of the Continental Hockey League for the 1985–86 season, the Minot Americans/Top Guns of the

Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...

from 1987 to 1997, and the Minot Muskies, which played in the

America West Hockey League The America West Hockey League (AWHL) was a Tier II Junior A ice hockey league. The AWHL was formed in 1992 to offer junior ice hockey to the Rocky Mountain region of USA Hockey. It originally was called the American Frontier Hockey League (AFHL), ...

for the 2000–01 season.

Season-by-season records

Notable alumni

The Minotauros have helped over 150 players move on to the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

level of play. The most notable alumni is Blake Lizotte of the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

of the

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

. Other notable alumni of the program include

Jon Lizotte Jon Lizotte (born November 10, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL). Playing caree ...

(

St. Cloud State St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Its enrollment in 2020 was approximate ...

, Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins), Johnny Walker (

Arizona State Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

Utah Grizzlies The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play their home games at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. Franchise history The current Utah Grizzlies franchise started in 1981 as the Nashville South Stars ...

) and Kyle Kukkonen (

Michigan Tech Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ...

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center. ...

References

External links

Official website of the MinotaurosOfficial website of the NAHL
North American Hockey League teams Sports in Minot, North Dakota Ice hockey teams in North Dakota Ice hockey clubs established in 2011 2011 establishments in North Dakota {{NorthDakota-sport-team-stub