USHL Fall Classic: Fargo Force Prospects

The USHL's newest franchise had a tough go at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic, going 0-3-0 and being outscored 4 goals to 15, but the expansion Fargo Force sport the youngest roster in the league. The Force inherited the rights to the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets players after they folded prior to the USHL Entry Draft last May, but head coach Dean Blais has chosen to make his own mark and select and sign a number of top first-year draft-eligible prospects, including impressive forwards Josh Birkholz and Oleg Lee. Fargo's roster also includes two players eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, and one not eligible until the 2011 Draft. With only four Jr. Blue Jackets from last season may mean a rough beginning for the return of the USHL to Fargo, but the team could have the most players taken from its rosters of any USHL team come June at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. McKeen's correspondents Kevin Wey and Max Giese both had the opportunity to watch the Fargo Force at the Fall Classic and enter notes on several players eager to make an impact this season.

Nate Condon (Col), C, Fargo

Despite being an NHL draft pick, he was nowhere close to dominating the USHL competition .. in fact, he was fairly invisible .. showed a little speed from time to time, but only has average speed by USHL standards .. still seems fairly thin despite being listed at 6-foot-0, and 185 pounds .. could use more power for his skating and more strength for physical battles .. made a few nice passes, but also mishandled the puck at times .. does have a fairly hard wristshot .. has a ways to go before he stands out in the USHL .. in 2007-08, he scored 33 goals and 29 assists in 26 games for Wausau West High School of the Wisconsin High School Hockey League and scored 20 goals and 25 assists for Team Wisconsin in the Upper Midwest Elite Hockey League prior to the high school season .. committed to University of Minnesota .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0

Additional Notes from Max Giese

Struggling mightily to adjust to the USHL after playing Wisconsin High School hockey last year .. his speed has notably regressed compared to his surroundings, as he needs technical adjustment in his stride and needs to add more power through increased leg strength .. attempted these silly-looking moves that may have worked in Wausau, but defenders here weren't fooled at all and separated him from the puck with ease .. his lack of body strength was very noticeable and he was physically manhandled .. they gave him some time on the penalty kill, but his defensive game was poor because he couldn't keep up with the pace of the opponents' puck movement .. the only positive Condon took away from here was the odd glimpse of playmaking ability.

Oleg Lee (2009), LW, Fargo

Russian was amongst the most talented players in the USHL entering 2008-09 .. has explosive speed and his powerful strides allow him to reach speed within three strides .. a smooth skater and a confident stickhandler .. 5-foot-11, 209-pound winger willing to play a physical game .. is not a one-dimensional player, as he shows commitment to backchecking .. if given a consistent shot in a top-six role by Fargo, he should be able to put up good numbers .. only Birkholz approaches Lee in natural talent on the Fargo roster .. in 2007-08, he played for Moscow Dynamo-2 of the Pershaya Liga (third tier of Russian hockey) .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-1-0-1, 2 pim.

Josh Birkholz (2009), RW, Fargo

One of the fastest players at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic .. has very good speed and can use it to beat defensemen wide and drive the net almost at will .. also uses his speed effectively on the forecheck and does a good job of staying open to the play defensively .. possesses a decent set of hands to make nice stickhandling moves and has a decent wristshot, but did not display finishing ability on this occasion .. 6-foot-1, 185-pound right-winger also uses his speed to lay out some big hits .. consistently finishes his checks .. could tear the USHL up with his speed if he can capitalize on the numerous chances he creates in blowing by the opposition .. could turn out to be one of the top draft-eligible prospects in the USHL in 2008-09 .. in 2007-08, he scored 35 goals and 24 assists in 30 games for Blake School in Minnesota High School Hockey League .. committed to University of Minnesota .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0, 2 pim.

Additional Notes from Max Giese

One of the top draft-eligible forwards out of the USHL this year .. a robust goal scorer with commanding speed down the wing .. drops your jaw with his strength coming down the wing, as he possesses the speed and power to beat a defender wide before assertively attacking the net for a prime scoring opportunity .. wide-tracked skater with a powerful stride and a fast top-gear to burn defenders to the outside .. has a great shot with splendid one-on-one ability .. not a cerebral playmaking-type, he'd rather accelerate through the neutral zone and jam the puck down the opponent's throat himself .. however, he moves the puck adequately when his options have run out .. plays on the penalty kill and is a willing shot-blocker .. a ferocious hitter that also possesses some special power moves to the net.

Mike Lee (2009), G, Fargo

Mixed review .. 6-foot-0, 190-pound butterfly goalie has sufficient size for NHL consideration and his crease movements are generally quick .. able to go down, back up, or over fairly quickly .. does a good job controlling rebounds, unless it is off his glove or a weak goal .. had more than one shot that he did not glove crisply and that created a dangerous scoring opportunity .. showed a tendency to go down early, and gave up a weak goal to Cedar Rapids' Nick Oddo that he committed early on and that Oddo ricocheted off Lee's pad while he was already in the butterfly .. based on expectations from his Minnesota high school career, he is considered the top first-year, draft-eligible goaltender in the USHL, but this was not the best of starts .. in 2007-08, he played 1480 minutes and had a goals-against average of 1.10 and a save percentage of .940 for Roseau High School of the Minnesota High School Hockey League .. committed to St. Cloud State University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 95:37 minutes played, 0-2-0, 5.02 goals-against average and a .814 save percentage.

Additional Notes from Max Giese

The top, draft-eligible goaltender out of the USHL this year .. big and technically trained butterfly goaltender .. owns a polished technique with an impressive foundation to build on .. has striking athleticism and competitiveness, as he never gives up on a puck .. refined puckhandler that can launch cross-ice feeds to teammates .. gives a wide five-hole in his stance, but takes it away instantly .. maximizes his net coverage from the butterfly with a wide V and by keeping his shoulders upright .. mechanically sound with exceptional pad control .. really leans into each save .. moves fluently laterally from the butterfly and has fast legs .. tracks the puck well into his blocker, however his glove side is a weakness .. holds his glove properly when stationary, but it tends to pop up high a bit when moving .. goes down on every shot, although for the most part he is patient and did a commendable job making shooters commit first .. trusts his defenders and takes the shooter on odd-man rushes .. has the dexterity to recover quickly, but he is guilty of staying down too long and going down on shots he doesn't need to .. loses his angle at times and can be exposed short-side.

Nick Oliver (2009), C, Fargo

Scheduled to play a split season between Fargo and Roseau High School .. 6-foot-2, 195-pound forward has the makings of a power forward, but must improve his skating .. appeared uncertain on his skates and his stride was a cross between traditional skating and a slow run .. stickhandling was also a little rough, although he did show some patience with the puck on his stick .. despite skating and balance limitations, he did fairly well in one-on-one battles down low, along the boards and made some big hits .. has a future as an imposing checking-line center if he improves his skating and is worth monitoring for purposes of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he scored 17 goals and 25 assists in 31 games for Roseau High School of the Minnesota High School Hockey League .. played for Team USA Under-18 Select Team at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and scored 2 goals in 4 games .. committed to St. Cloud State University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-0-1-1, 7 pim.

Additional Notes from Max Giese

A defensive-oriented center that is strong as an ox .. his skating limits him, as he's heavy footed with poor acceleration .. okay once in full-flight and opponents don't want to get in his way when he has a head of steam .. lacks finesse and his puck instincts are bland .. effectively utilizes his brute strength to shield the puck and cycle it along the wall .. excels at digging the puck off the wall and getting it out to his pointmen before driving the net attempting to create a screen .. has a strong work-ethic away from the puck and makes mature defensive reads .. a mean and physical player that loves to hit hard and can really deliver the punishment on the forecheck .. a grinder-type that can wear defenders down .. if his skating can improve, he could be an effective checker at the next level.

Cole Gunner (2009), C, Fargo

Unheralded prospect made himself known at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic .. has good speed and has some shiftiness, as he does change speeds and even stutter steps from time to time .. has quick feet, but also generates power in his strides and crossovers .. has good balance and can battle through checks .. also has good agility, as he can sidestep opponents .. a tenacious player on the forecheck that finishes checks and does run around a bit, but that can be corrected .. also skates hard on the backcheck and can strip opponents of the puck .. 5-foot-10, 160-pound (his listed size, but seemed and looked bigger) forward plays with some grit and gets a little dirty at times .. has a decent set of hands, but did not get many shots off, especially considering all of his effort .. at minimum, he projects as a defensive forward, but could become a decent two-way player at higher levels .. definitely worthy of monitoring for purposes of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he scored 21 goals and 33 assists in 27 games for Richfield High School in the Minnesota High School Hockey League .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-2-2

Additional Notes from Max Giese

Has the wheels and motor to win foot-races, but he still needs to improve on his acceleration .. stiff handling the puck and lacks finesse .. his hockey sense is sub par .. battles and hits back when opponents go to take the body on him, even border lining on being dirty sometimes .. a meat-and-potato type.

Matt Leitner (2009), LW/RW, Fargo

Did not appear to be any better than he was with Ohio in 2007-08 .. still has decent speed and good hands to make some slick stickhandling moves to create plays, but his role with Fargo is far diminished on a young, talented Force team that primarily needs more experience .. puts forth a good effort on the forecheck and can strip opponents of the puck, but his effort on the backcheck did not appear to be as good as last season, when Leitner was a player that succeeded by putting in a good effort and through positioning .. listed at 5-foot-10 and 170-pounds, the first-year, draft-eligible forward will need to improve on his numbers from last year and find his two-way effort for consideration on draft day .. in 2007-08, he scored 12 goals and 23 assists in 57 games for the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-1-1, 15 pim.

Additional Notes from Max Giese

Hasn't progressed and looks to be the same player we saw last season .. his skating isn't dynamic .. guilty of being the last man back on the backcheck and the first to leave the zone looking for offensive opportunities .. does possess soft hands with a few one-on-one moves and above-average playmaking ability .. smallish and physically hasn't developed over the last year .. making matters worse is his low competitiveness level in the trenches .. last year you ignored some of his negatives because he was young and on a bad team, but he isn't going to receive a pass again this year from NHL scouts .. he seemed out of his element here with Fargo and was kept invisible.

Steven Spinell (2009), D, Fargo

Ranked 189th by CSS amongst all North American skaters for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected .. was big before, but has gained even more mass over the off-season and is now listed at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds .. was not fast before, but does not appear to have lost a step despite gaining 15 pounds or so .. very strong physically, as he's able to push opponents over or basically throw them off the puck or into the boards, including NHL-draft-pick-forwards with some size of their own .. aggressive physically with open-ice hits and hard hits along the boards, but does not take stupid penalties .. able to stand-up opponents high in the defensive zone and angle them to the boards to finish them .. has a very crisp, hard first pass that is almost always on the tape .. has a hard slapper from the point and a crisp wristshot .. will skate the puck himself on occasion, and opponents don't seem to want to get in his way .. skill set and strength make him an almost perfect future fifth-through-seventh defense prospect and should gain the attention of the discerning NHL scouting eye .. in 2007-08, he scored 5 goals and 12 assists in 59 games for the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets .. committed to Miami University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-1-0-1, 2 pim.

Additional Notes from Max Giese

Went undrafted at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, but that may not happen again next June .. was an absolute pillar of strength for Fargo and controlled the game in all situations .. a physical defenseman with tremendous strength and a real snarl to his game .. separates his man from the puck with striking ease .. it seemed like the opponent's offensive rush would die the instant Spinell contested it .. not a dynamic skater or puck-mover, but was able to make the first pass cleanly out of his own zone.

Gavin Hartzog (2009), LW/RW, Fargo

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, but was nowhere near as thick as Spinell, and actually looked more the thickness of Green Bay Gambler forward Max Cook (6-foot-1, 175 pounds, since traded to Indiana) .. showed a little bit of speed on the forecheck and to get to loose pucks .. biggest impact at 2008 Fall Classic was his hitting, as he had a few big hits .. unselected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and looks likely to be a long shot once again, but is worth monitoring .. in 2007-08, he scored 27 goals and 24 assists in 24 games for Marquette High School of the Wisconsin High School Hockey League and 7 goals and 2 assists for Team Wisconsin at the Chicago Showcase Tournament where he was named the Tournament MVP .. committed to University of Wisconsin .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0.

Additional Notes from Max Giese

Outperformed fellow Team Wisconsin alumni and current teammate Nathan Condon, despite being the one of the two that went undrafted this past June .. his mobility requires continued work, especially in his first few strides .. however, his skating isn't bad considering his size and has improved from last season .. processes the game fairly well and had no trouble keeping up with this level of play .. wasn't dominant, but did show a nice touch around the net .. defensively, he was quick to mark his man and did an adequate job in his own zone .. can knock guys off their feet when he takes the body and was effective manufacturing offensive opportunities when he was working below the hash marks.

Keegan Flaherty (2009), RW, Fargo

Played for Green Bay at the 2008 Fall Classic but was traded to Fargo for a draft pick on Sept. 30 .. has very good speed, some explosiveness and power in his strides .. generates power in his crossovers .. puts in a good defensive effort, as he uses his speed on the forecheck and is also a threat to strip the puck on the backcheck .. 6-foot-0, 180-pound right-winger will fight through checks .. has a fairly hard wristshot and snapshot, but not yet a proven scorer at USHL level .. offensive awareness is somewhat suspect .. unselected in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, he is still a long shot to go in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but a change of scenery may be the ticket .. in 2007-08, he scored 4 goals in 47 games with Green Bay .. not committed to college program of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic Stats: 3-1-0-1, 2 pim.

Eamonn McDermott (2010), D, Fargo

Small, mobile defenseman .. smooth skater with good all-compass mobility .. does a good job of staying in a low position at all times, including acceleration and pivots .. has good speed skating the puck and demonstrates poise and confidence .. heads-up stickhandler, he has good vision to find teammates for prime chances .. makes crisp passes and all of his passes should be right on the tape after he adjusts to USHL speed .. 5-foot-10, 160-pound blueliner does a good job using his stick for timely pokechecks or clogging passing lanes .. superior skating ability allows him to keep gaps small, starting in the neutral zone .. only major knock is size, as his listings of 5-foot-11 and 5-foot-10 appear awfully generous .. in 2007-08, he played midget major for the Cleveland Barons and scored 1 goal and 11 assists in 26 MWEHL regular season games .. played for Team USA Under-18 Select Team at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and was pointless in four games .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0

Additional Notes from Max Giese

A pint-sized, puck-moving defenseman .. a gifted skater with articulate passing skills .. has that sixth sense vision and his poise is outstanding .. has ingenious decision-making with the puck and creatively manufactures offense from the point .. maintains a tight gap while defending and effectively uses his stick to disrupt the opponents puck-handling options .. defends odd-man rushes properly, taking away the pass and giving the goaltender the shooter .. ultimately, he is probably too small to play in the NHL, as he looks like a Mite out there that should only be on the ice between intermissions.

Cody Campbell (2010), G, Fargo

Mike Lee was the headline goaltender for Fargo heading into the tournament, but Cody Campbell is the superior netminder .. butterfly goaltender able to go down quickly and get back up quickly, too .. has quick, lateral crease movement and is adept at loading and pushing off with one leg .. north-south crease movement is also quick, as he can come out quickly to reduce angles and move backward quickly if necessary .. skilled with both gloves .. able to go into the splits easily and appears to have very good hip and groin flexibility .. most talented goaltender at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic in my opinion, let alone on his team .. only potential drawback is he's only 5-foot-11 and 145 pounds, but he has time to grow .. in 2007-08, he played Midget AAA for Pikes Peak Miners U16 .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 41.04 minutes played, 0-0-0, 2.92 goals-against average, .929 save percentage

Colten St.Clair (2011), C/RW, Fargo

Second-youngest player at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic and he looked like he belonged in the USHL .. showed good speed with the puck and was able to go wide and drive the net on older competition .. demonstrated good offensive awareness at times and made a couple ill-advised passes at others, but no worse than most USHL rookies .. had fairly soft hands and his passes were generally crisp .. defensive awareness was decent and he saw some time on the penalty kill .. 5-foot-10, 180-pounder was able to make a couple of big hits and was definitely not afraid to engage physically .. 15-year-old would have to plateau awfully early not to end up selected in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he played Midget AAA for P.F. Chang's .. committed to Colorado College .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0, 2 pim

Additional Notes from Max Giese

Displayed some flashes of talent and his maturity impressed despite being one of the youngest players in the league .. skates well with the puck and quietly was able to beat a few defenders wide through the neutral zone .. blessed with skilled hands and slick passing skills, St. Clair sees the ice remarkably well in possession and has the poise to keep his head on a swivel when attacking the zone .. definitely more of a playmaker than a finisher right now .. St. Clair needs to get more selfish with the puck, as he tends to always want to pass first .. has a projectable frame and landed the occasional big bodycheck .. definitely a prospect.