FARGO — Earning the regular season’s best record, the Fargo Force were awarded the Anderson Cup Trophy and the No. 1 overall seed going into the Clark Cup Playoffs. And despite reaching the Finals twice in their last three seasons, the Youngstown Phantoms swept the Force in three games.
The regular season saw Matej Marinov develop into arguably the Western Conference’s best netminder. The Quinnipiac commit went 21-4-2-3, going into mid-March before suffering a regulation loss while recording the second-best save percentage (0.917) and goals-against average (2.36) to go along with one shutout.
Up front, Fargo’s top line became one of the best in the USHL, with Cole Knuble’s 66 points (30 goals, 36 assists) in 57 games pacing all Force skaters and the seventh-most in the league. Mac Swanson developed into one of the best rookies, finishing with the fourth-most points (55) among all first-year players and earning All-Rookie Team honors.
Behind the bench, first-year head coach Nick Oliver was named USHL Coach of the Year, but left the organization after the season to be an assistant coach for Mike Hastings’ rejuvenated Wisconsin program.
Like the previous summer, Fargo was searching for a new bench boss.
However, Oliver’s connections with former Sioux Falls Stampede assistant coach Brett Skinner led to the latter being named the team’s new head coach at the end of May.
“It was a tremendous opportunity for me to advance my career and get into a great organization in the USHL,” said Skinner, who spent the 2022-23 season as head coach of the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness. “I was very fortunate to be in a good situation with Minnesota where I was not necessarily panicking to leave or looking for anything else. But when an opportunity to work in an organization like the Fargo Force comes up, you have to jump all over it.”
Skinner inherits a roster with significant pieces moving on but still several building blocks to rally around.
“I think as much as (Fargo) went for it, there is still a really good group of returners coming back that we are excited about,” Skinner added. “You are turning over teams every year, and there is a sense that you are starting from scratch. We are excited about the guys we have back, but even those guys are going to have different roles on this team and more important roles.”
Key Departures
Matej Marinov, G
Cole Knuble, F
Bret Link, F
Kyle Smolen, F
Anthony Menghini, F
Joe Palodichuk, D
Owen Mehlenbacher, F
Key Returners
Mac Swanson, F
Anton Castro, G
Charlie Russell, F
Brasen Boser, D
Zam Plante, F
Jake Fisher, F
Harper Bentz, F
Key Acquisitions
Eric Olsson, G (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Hampton Slukynsky, G (2022 USHL Phase II Draft)
Gavin Kor, F (2023 USHL Phase I Draft)
Tom Leppä, F (2023 USHL Phase II Draft)
Tender Signings
Masun Fleece, F
Three Keys To 2023-24
Unlocking Swanson
Cole Knuble said to me last year that Mac Swanson was “the best passer he has ever played with.”
The young forward is entering his NHL Draft year in 2023-24, and he will be looking to silence the doubters in his second USHL season.
Listed at 5-foot-7, 165 pounds, Swanson is a remarkable player with elite vision and became one of the premiere setup men in the league last year. Historically, players of his stature have fallen down draft boards in the NHL Draft, but Swanson can boost his draft stock significantly with another strong campaign.
He was nearly a point-per-game player in 2022-23, recording 55 points (12 goals, 43 assists) in 57 games, leading all rookies in assists, and finishing fourth overall in that department.
With his two linemates in Knuble and Link moving on, Swanson will be tasked with doing more this upcoming season. And while the new Fargo Force head coach has not known the young forward all that long, he believes Swanson will have no trouble elevating his game to another level.
“Just getting to know the kid and everything people say about him, he’s probably going to embrace that role,” Skinner said. “Different challenge, for sure, but now that he is going to be in (this league) for a second year, he is taking on more responsibility and probably more leadership responsibility that will be good for his development.”
“But focusing on what he can control, when he gets to the NHL someday, people are still going to be saying what he can and can’t do, so it is just the nature of the business and something he will have to get used because he certainly has a promising future.”
Castro’s Net
While most expected that Anton Castro might be joining Oliver at the University of Wisconsin in 2023-24, the Mendota Heights, Minn., native will be returning for another year of development in Fargo.
Castro played as the 1B goalie behind Marinov last season but still saw 33 games between the pipes, recording the third-best goals-against average (2.40) and save percentage (0.914) with a pair of shutouts.
With Marinov moving on, Castro will be expected to receive the lion’s share of starts in net, complemented by Los Angeles Kings’ 2023 fourth-round pick Hampton Slukynsky, who had a cup of coffee with the United States National Team Development Program U-18 Team last season.
Given how well Castro performed in a backup capacity last season, combined with Slukynsky’s strong showing at Team USA’s World Junior Summer Showcase, depth in net should again be a strength.
“I’ll be honest, he made a really mature decision to come back,” Skinner said of Castro returning for a third season. “He wanted the net, he wanted to play, still wanted to develop. He’s passionate about the Fargo Force, and we are lucky to get him back.
The Force will also be looking to work in Swedish netminder and 2023 USHL Phase II Draft pick Eric Olsson in some capacity.
“I think, for us, competition is always good. All three of them are good kids, and we are going to come in and work hard and let that sort itself out,” Skinner added. “It seems to always do that when you get on the ice. Obviously, to get someone like Anton (Castro) back, anytime you can have a veteran goalie that's played meaningful games in the league, and you can get that guy back, that's a huge strength for any team.”
New Leadership Group
The Fargo Force are not exempt from losing veteran leadership. It’s the nature of junior hockey, but Brett Skinner’s club will have to rely on other players to fill the void from last year’s group.
When your roster consisted of guys like Cole Knuble, Bret Link, Kyle Smolen, Anthony Menghini, and Joe Palodichuk, and acquiring a three-player in Owen Mehlenbacher, it is easy to see how Fargo won so many games last year and advanced to the Clark Cup Finals.
Now, the Force will turn to the younger players on last year’s roster to be the leaders for this year’s roster, including Swanson.
“Even though he’s a 17-year-old, I think he has a great presence,” Skinner said of the North Dakota commit.
Along with Swanson, Fargo will return forwards Charlie Russell, Zam Plante, Jake Fisher, and defensemen Brasen Boser and Leo Gruba. All are worthy candidates to take on more responsibility and wear a letter in 2023-24, but often the leaders come from unlikely sources.
“It might be a kid you drafted that you are not even that familiar with, and he steps in and has really strong leadership abilities. You are going to have a leadership group, you are going to have a group of kids that have to lead the way and, hopefully, along those lines as well, you have some of the younger guys who maybe are wearing a letter — driven off the ice and professional and kind of bring that bottom end up as well,” the new Force bench boss said.
“That's kind of what I always strive for, but I think we are going to let it play out here in the preseason, and maybe even into the start of the season and see who emerges.”
Might that leadership group include 2023 tender signing Masun Fleece, who had 71 points in 57 games for the Shattuck St. Mary’s 16U club last year? We will find out.