3View: Willmar WarHawks

The 3View video series will feature an in-depth look into all NA3HL teams in preparation for the 2025-26 season, with one team being highlighted daily, leading all the way up until the start of the regular season on September 5th. 3View will include interviews with each team’s head coach, as they provide fans with their expectations and outlook for the 2025-26 season. 

Willmar WarHawks

Head Coach: Payton Ruter (Entering 3rd season)

2024-25 season record: 22-24-1-0 (4th in West Division)

2024-25 leading scorers: Aidan Callaghan / Nathan Hinze (44 points)

2025 Playoffs: Eliminated in the first round by the Granite City Lumberjacks

2025-26 Division: West Division 

Entering his third season behind the bench, Head Coach Payton Ruter takes immense pride in leading his hometown junior team, the Willmar WarHawks. For him, it’s about more than hockey, it’s about representing his community while building a culture where every player matters. Ruter emphasizes the WarHawks mentality of “next man up,” with each player not just competing for themselves but playing for the guy beside them. Every night, each player has a role to fill in the WarHawks puzzle, and nobody is just a number. After last year’s first-round exit, the team is fueled by a bitter taste and is eager to get back to work, determined to build on their success and push further this season.

Next up: Wisconsin Woodsmen