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NAHL St. Cloud Norsemen

Norsemen Tender South Korean Sangyeob Kim After Seeing him Shine at Pre-Draft Camp

June 21, 2023 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
St. Cloud Norsemen News Release


Just ahead of the 2023 NAHL Draft the St. Cloud Norsemen formed a partnership with a player they were able to watch play at one of their Pre-Draft Camps. Sangyeob Kim made the trek from South Korea to Prior Lake, MN and his dedication and travel paid off as he was tendered by the Norsemen ahead of the 2023 NAHL Draft.

Kim, who is a 19-year old South Korean forward, reached out to the St. Cloud coaches throughout the season and is elated to be a part of the organization. "I had a lof conversations with the coaching staff. They always helped me to play better and also have helped me to adapt," credits Kim. "They want me and I like the Norsemen system with a great coaching staff."

Kim played for Korean University and the South Korean U20 National Team last season where he was over a point per game player with a 5-1-6 stat line in 5 games. The year before Kim scored 4-5-9 in 5 games for the U18 National Team and 4-2-6 in 4games with Kyung Bock High, while in 2020-21 he put up 4-3-7 in 5 games. While a small sample size, according to his Elite Prospects page he has scored 17-11-28 in 19, almost a goal per game and almost 1.5 points per game over the last three seasons.

Kim laid the foundation to get tendered by St. Cloud by keeping in touch with the Norsemen staff before he even arrived in Prior Lake and put himself on St. Cloud's radar. "We had some dialogue throughout the year going back and forth on some e-mails. We got to Prior Lake and he instantly stood out to us at camp, just with his ability to 1. Get up and down the ice and 2. To do that with a whole lot of skill," compliment St. Cloud Norsemen Assistant Coach Brock Kautz. "I think everybody there saw he was able to put up a good amount of points but he also did a lot of little things right like absorb a hit to make a play and he moved the puck when the pucked needed to be moved. He stood out to us in a few different areas and we're very excited to see him hopefully in a Norsemen jersey next year."

When asked about his game, Kim points out "My strength is skating skill and shooting accuracy. I always work hard with my speed, helping and trying to score in the game," describes Kim. "My habit is always working hard."

Kim is a big fan and models his game after a Czech superstar on the Boston Bruins. "My favorite hockey player is David Pastrnak because he scores every game and I like his shooting skill," Kim explains. "I've heard I'm similar to Pastrnak; I follow his skating and shooting skills a lot."

The Norsemen participated in two Pre-Draft Camps in the off-season, one in Brighton, MI and the one Kim attended in Prior Lake. NAHL teams put together teams and compete against one another and it allows not only the teams that field teams in those Pre-Draft Camps that have eyes on the players, but countless other organizations in the league will send scouts as well to prepare for the draft. Ryan Santiago from New Lenox, IL benefitted from his exposure as he attended the Brighton camp and was selected by Lone Star Brahmas in the NAHL Draft last week.

"It's nice to get so many kids from all different areas into one arena and to see those kids perform. And for us, it's about building relationships with kids. The goal is to find a few of those kids and potentially get 'em on our team whether that's the following year or a year or two down the road," Kautz illustrates. "I think it's super important. It's right before the draft and I know there's a couple kids that made draft lists and got picked up. For us out of Prior Lake we ended up tendering a kid that we think is going to be a huge asset moving forward.

Up next for the St. Cloud Norsemen is their invitation-only Main Camp which will take place in Andover, MN next week with the goalies reporting on Wednesday, June 28th, and skaters coming in on Thursday, June 29th, with camp wrapping up on Sunday, July 2nd. And it's safe to say, Kim may be one of the most excited members of the Norsemen for the NAHL season to get underway. "It's good to be with a great coaching staff and be on the best team in the NAHL," beams Kim. "I'm waiting for the season to start and it's good to be able to have a lot of experience."

Sangyeob Kim has represented his native country on the South Korean National Team the past two seasons

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North American Hockey League Stories from June 21, 2023


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