It was a destiny that was meant to be. Every since he caught a sight of the SHL finals back in his childhood, the intensity of the game captured young MInamino's attention and his dreams. He had hopes of wanting to step onto the ice donning the gear of a hockey player but never was afforded the opportunity to be able to do such a thing given how inaffordable hockey can be. At first his thought was to be a goaltender yet that would only exacerbate the necessary costs to get into the sport. As a result, the Minamino family decided against his enrollment into any on ice programs, and it quickly fell into being a dream again. It wasn't by chance when he was invited to be part of the high school program given his other athletic accomplishments where his reputation exploded as a player with little background as a hockey player, but still found a way to take advantage of his strengths as an athlete in being a domineering hockey player. From there, finding himself as a late pick as a project in the SMJHL draft, history has continued to write itself.