BISMARCK, ND – For the seventh time, the Bismarck Bobcats and Minot Minotauros will battle it out in the War in Watford as a tune-up before the 2026-2027 NAHL regular season begins.
The two squads met last season at the Rough Rider Center, splitting the pre-season series 1-1.
The Bobcats took a two-goal lead into the third period of Game 1, and held on for the 4-2 win while Minot stormed back with a 5-3 win on Saturday thanks to a Philip Wiklund hat-trick.
Wiklund is one of 18 returning players from last season’s Minotauros roster, which missed the playoffs for just the third time in the franchise’s 16-year history.
Among those returning players are Minot’s leading goal scorer from a season ago, Dane Ramirez, who found the back of the net 21 times, and leading assist-getter Briggs Knott, who recorded 27 assists.
Led by sixth-year head coach Cody Campbell, the Minotauros will look to bounce back and avoid missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.
On the other side, Bismarck went 6-2 against the Minotauros during the regular season last year and will look to carry that success into the 2026-27 campaign under third-year head coach Garrett Roth.
A two-time Robertson Cup champion as a head coach, Roth has compiled a 97-30-6-3 record behind the Bobcats bench, including a regular-season championship and Robertson Cup title two seasons ago.
After falling to the Aberdeen Wings in the first round of the playoffs last season, Bismarck brings a healthy mix of veteran leadership and youthful energy into this year’s War in Watford.
Eight players from the 2025-26 Bobcats will suit up for the preseason rivalry, including 21-goal scorer Teddy Richardson and Caden Bell, who was limited to just 21 games last season.
With both teams donning specialty jerseys commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, this year’s War in Watford will provide an early test for two clubs preparing for what promises to be a hard-fought Central Division race in 2026-27.
The games kick off at the Rough Rider Center on Friday and Saturday at 7 pm CT, with tickets still available for $10, or you can watch the action on NAHLtv.com.