MINOT, N.D. – It didn't take long for the Minot State men's hockey team to start looking toward the future.

Just two weeks after the end of the 2025-26 season, Beavers head coach Wyatt Waselenchuk is preparing for the next campaign with the team's first off-season signing as Minot State welcomes forward Cooper Kasprick, who will join the team as a freshman on the ice and in the classroom this fall.

"We couldn't be more ecstatic to welcome Cooper and his family to Minot State," Waselenchuk said. "He is a young man that we have had our eye on for two years now, and with the season he has had while captaining the Neepawa Titans in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, we feel incredibly confident bringing him in, and Cooper being a huge piece for our program for years to come."

"I'm incredibly excited to commit to Minot State University and take the next step in both my hockey and academic career," the 5-foot-11, 172-pound center from Neepawa, Manitoba, said. "After 4 years with the Neepawa Titans, I'm grateful for all my teammates, coaches, staff, and my family who supported me along the way.

"I'm really looking forward to this next chapter and bringing my best every day to help contribute to the continued success of the program!" Kasprick added.

A graduate of Neepawa Area Collegiate, Kasprick spent the last four seasons with his hometown Neepawa Titans of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and was a team captain for the Titans for the last two years.

During that time, Kasprick played in 212 games with 64 goals and 82 assists, including 17 playoff games with 2 postseason goals and 4 assists. This past season, he was third on the team with 50 total points and 29 assists, and fourth in goals with 21.

"He is a tremendous young man, with the kind of character and qualities we look for in the recruiting process – and once again, just could not be happier for Cooper to join us in the fall," Waselenchuk said.