Fargo Force

Coaches

History

In early 2007, Fargo was granted a USHL team, intended as an anchor tenant for the then-under-construction Urban Plains Center, which is now called Scheels Arena. Dean Blais, former coach of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey program, was installed as the franchise's initial coach and general manager. The team was formed, in conjunction with a name-the-team contest to decide what the team would be called. After the choices were narrowed to Fargo Force, Fargo Phantoms, and Fargo Fire, the Force name was chosen. Twelve people submitted the Force name; as a result, they won a dinner with head coach Dean Blais and each received two season tickets to the Force's inaugural season.

As a result of the Force's entry, the area's previous hockey team, the Fargo-Moorhead Jets of the North American Hockey League announced they were leaving the area in April 2008, and folded later that year.

Blais coached the team to the USHL's Clark Cup Finals in 2008-09, leaving to take the head coaching position at Nebraska-Omaha. His successor, Chad Johnson, a former assistant, again led the Force to the Finals in 2009-10. Assistant Jason Herter took over the team in 2010 when Johnson left to join the Lincoln Stars. Jason Herter left after the 2010-11 season to become an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. John Marks became head coach after leaving the same position for the Winkler Flyers in Manitoba, Canada.

Marks retired following the 2014-15 season and was replaced by former University of North Dakota player/assistant coach Cary Eades, who had just led the Sioux Falls Stampede to the 2014-15 Clark Cup Championship.

Season-by-season record starting 2008

United States Hockey League

(1)The Force qualified for the USHL playoffs as the conference's third seed and defeated the Omaha Lancers 3-1 in a best-of-five series in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. This advanced Fargo to the Western Conference Finals, where the Force defeated the Lincoln Stars 3-0 in the best-of-five series. The Force then were defeated in the Clark Cup Finals by the Indiana Ice, 3-1.

(2)The Force qualified for the USHL playoffs as the conference's second seed and defeated the Sioux Falls Stampede 3-0 in a best-of-five series in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. This advanced Fargo to the Western Conference Finals, where the Force defeated Omaha 3-2 in the best-of-five series. The Force then were defeated in the Clark Cup Finals by the Green Bay Gamblers, 3-2.

(3)As the fourth seed in the Western Conference, the Force qualified for the USHL playoffs and defeated the Lincoln Stars 2-0 in a best-of-three series in the qualifying round of the Western Conference playoffs. Fargo went to the quarterfinals where they were subsequently swept by the eventual USHL champions, the Dubuque Fighting Saints, in a best-of-five series.

(4)The Force qualified for the USHL playoffs as the conference's fourth seed and defeated the Sioux City Musketeers 2-0 in a best-of-three series in the qualifying round of the Western Conference playoffs. Fargo went to the quarterfinals where they met, and were defeated by, the Lincoln Stars in a best-of-five series 3-1.

(5)The Force enjoyed a very successful season which saw them entering the USHL playoffs as the No. 2 seed from the Western Conference. Fargo met the Waterloo Black Hawks in the first round of the playoffs and escaped with a 3-2, best-of-five series win. In the semifinals, the Force ran into the No. 1 ranked Sioux Falls Stampede, but were able to dispatch them in a best-of-five series 3-2. The Force made it back to the Clark Cup Finals for the 3rd time in their short history, looking to reverse their fortune of several failed Clark Cup appearances. Unfortunately, Fargo's season would not end in a championship. The Force were eventually swept by the Dubuque Fighting Saints in a best-of-five series.

(6)The Force failed to qualify for any post season action. (7)The Force failed to qualify for any post season action.

Roster

As of January 29, 2017.