Fargo Force

Fargo Force
City:	Fargo, North Dakota
League:	United States Hockey League
Division:	West
Founded:	2008
Home Arena:	Scheels Arena
Colors:	Black, Blue, White
Owner(s):	Ace Brandt
General Manager:	Cary Eades
Head Coach:	Cary Eades
Franchise history
2008-Present:	Fargo Force

The Fargo Force is a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team in the West Division of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

Coaches

• Head Coach/General Manager: John Marks

• Assistant Coach: Byron Pool

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.

The team would win their first Clark Cup championship in 2018 and 2nd in 2024

Season-by-season record starting 2008

United States Hockey League

Season	GP	W	L	OL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
2008-09	60	32	23	5	69	191	166	1135	3rd Western Conference	Lost Final
2009-10	60	37	17	6	80	227	214	1474	2nd Western Conference	Lost Final
2010-11	60	33	22	5	71	173	151	1201	4th Western Conference	Lost Quarterfinals
2011-12	60	31	23	6	68	188	160	1007	4th Western Conference	Lost Conf. Quarterfinals
2012-13	64	38	19	7	83	201	187	981	2nd Western Conference	Lost Final
2013-14	60	14	39	7	35	122	229	1275	8th Western Conference	Did not qualify
2014-15	60	26	28	6	58	148	191	933	6th Western Conference	Did not qualify
2015-16	60	32	26	3	66	157	150	995	5th Western Conference	Did not qualify
2016-17	60	36	19	5	77	193	149	792	3rd Western Conference	Lost Conf Semifinals
2017-18	60	37	16	5	83	192	143	976	3rd Western Conference	Won Clark Cup
2018-19	62	34	23	5	73	188	172	-	5th Western Conference	Lost First Round
2019-20	48	27	15	6	60	153	143	-	3rd Western Conference	Playoffs cancelled
2020-21	54	31	21	3	.583	169	148	-	4th Western Conference	Lost Final
2021-22	62	28	28	6	62	187	207	-	5th Western Conference	Lost Conf Quarterfinals
2022-23	62	40	14	8	88	230	159	-	1st Western	Lost Final
2023-24	62	50	10	2	102	272	143	-	1st Western	Won Clark Cup

External links

• Fargo Force Official Webpage