Fargo was a Force in 2023-24 USHL

By Jim den Hollander 

Editor/Publisher 

Midwesthockey.info 

The Fargo Force wound up as the class of the United States Hockey League from start to finish in 2023-24.

Playing in the USA’s top and only Tier 1 Junior A league, the Force but together a stellar 50-10-2 record for 102 points, more than 25 points up on the second place Sioux City Musketeers in the Western Conference.  

After opening the season with a pair of wins at the league’s showcase event in Pittsburgh, the Force ran its season opening string to 10 games before the Dubuque Fighting Saints finally sent the Force to the loss column Nov. 3 with a 4-3 overtime edge. The first regulation loss came a few weeks later in Ann Arbor, MI against the US National Development Team. 

The Force avenged almost all losses immediately, dropping two in a row only once as the Sioux Falls Stampede swept a pair at Scheels Arena in Fargo in early March. 

The Force matched their regular season dominance, opening the post season with a 3-0 sweep against the Lincoln Lancers before being pushed the five-game limit in the Western Conference final by the Sioux City Musketeers. 

Meanwhile, in the East, the Fighting Saints captured regular season and playoff titles before the Force captured the Clark Cup against them in four games.  

Individually, Matvei Gridin (Muskegon Lumberjacks — ‘06/Kurgan, Russia) led the league with 38 goals and 83 points in 60 games. Eligible for the upcoming NHL draft, Gridin could be selected in the second half of the first round or early in the second. He has committed to attend Michigan this fall.  

Another top prospect for the upcoming draft, Trevor Connelly (Tri-City Storm — ‘06/Tustin, CA) finished second in scoring with 31 goals and 78 points. Connelly will attend Providence University this fall. 

The Force found leadership in Mac Swanson (Fargo Force — ‘06/Anchorage, AK), a possible second or third round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft who notched 26 goals and 77 points. Swanson collected both the Forward of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the league’s Awards.

The Force was well-recognized in season ending Awards as Leo Gruba (‘03/Lake Elmo, MN) received the Top Defenseman Award. Gruba collected 22 goals and 57 points with the Force and finished with an awesome +51 plus/minus rating, then added three goals and eight post season points with a +3. 

Gruba will move on to play at University of Minnesota this fall. 

Goaltender Hampton Slukysnky (‘05/Warroad, MN) made it a sweep of positional awads for the Force, compiling a record of 28-3-0 with a 1.86 Goals Against Average and a .932 Save Percentage. Slukynsky has committed to attend Northern Michigan University beginning this fall. 

The season record and personal accomplishments of the players listed above made head coach Brett Skinner and General Manager Gary Eades slam dunk winners in Coach of the Year and General Manager of the Year voting.  Hamp

Skinner was in his first season as Head Coch for the Force having honed his craft with five seasons as an Assistant coach with the Sioux Falls Stampede and a Head Coaching debut with the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness in 2022-23 

Other USHL Award winners included: Rookie of the Year John Mustard (‘06/Newmarket, ON) who put up 29 goals and 56 points with the Waterloo Black Hawks this past season. He has committed to Providence University beginning in September and will likely be drafted in the second round of the upcoming NHL Entry Draft 

Ryan Botterill (‘03/Portage la Prairie, MB) received the Curt Hammer Award recognizing the USHL player that distinguishes himself both on and off the ice by demonstrating outstanding performance skills, pride and determination. 

Botterill, who will attend University of Wisconsin this fall, 29 gals and 55 points as a member of the Youngstown Phantoms in 2023-24. 

Finally, the league’s Scholar Athlete of the Year went to Dubuque’s James Reeder (‘05/Glenview, IL). He will take his academics and hockey talent to University of Denver this fall.