BISMARCK, N.D. — Adam Marshall grew up playing pond hockey in Minnesota. His burgeoning hockey career will soon take him to North Dakota.
The Bobcats signed the 18-year-old forward from Plymouth, Minn. to a tender as of November 1, the first eligible date for 2022-23 signees. Marshall is currently a senior at Benilde-St. Margaret’s school in St. Louis Park, Minn. along with a member of Team Twin Cities Orthopedics in the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League (UMHSEHL).
“I am a physical guy,” Marshall said. “I will come in there, try to hit kids, score goals, and get the team wins.”
Marshall draws comparisons to current Bobcat grinder Adam Pietila, with goal-scoring ability and the hard-nosed play.
“Adam is a throwback type of player who plays with an elite motor,” head scout Niko Kapetanovic said. “He is the player you love to have on your team, but hate to play against.”
This year’s Bobcat team has a plurality of Minnesotans, and Marshall is no stranger to them. He played on the same elite league team as Drew Holt, Luke Roelofs, and Chris Kernan last season. His first call after the Bobcats offered the tender went to Kernan.
Junior-level experience made Marshall stand out to Bismarck. He played four games for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede following the 2020-21 high school season.
“I realized it is fast,” Marshall said. “It is physical and you have to be ready every single night.”
Only one item remains on the 18-year-old’s to-do list before throwing on a Bobcats sweater: take his team to the Minnesota state tournament this spring.