Monthly Archives: June 2011

California Dreamin’…

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It’s been a busy last few days in Forceland but one of the major stories with the team this off-season has been Garrett Haar.

Haar, who was drafted by the Washington Capitals with the 207th overall pick last week, decommitted from Northeastern a day after NHL Draft. He said that the departure of coach Greg Cronin to the Toronto Maple Leafs was the major reason why he decommitted.

He plans on spending one more year in Fargo and while doing that will decide where he’ll play college hockey. Haar told The Forum on Sunday that his choices are Boston University, Denver, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota.

A few months ago when Brian Cooper’s recruitment was a hot topic, Slightly Chilled took a look at what WCHA schools could land him. This time, the focus will be on Haar and where he could go.

 

1. Boston University: Haar was already heading to Boston anyways so why not go to Boston University? It’s still Hockey East and according to Chris Heisenberg’s recruiting list for 2012, the Terriers only have two defensive commits heading into July. Haar has said he’d like to go to a program that can develop him for the NHL and BU has that reputation especially when looking at current NHL players like Kevin Shattenkirk, Matt Gilroy and NCAA Tournament hero/Bruins farmhand Colby Cohen, who were just at BU not too long ago. But here’s another problem, the Terriers aren’t graduating anyone anytime soon with the entire defensive corp returning from last season.

2. Denver: The Pioneers are expected to return three defensemen next year and have incoming d-men such as Scott Mayfield coming to campus. Of the three defensemen returning, John Lee, brother of Brian Lee, is the only one that will be a senior. In addition to Mayfield, the Pioneers could have three but as many as four defensemen (depending on where forward/d-man Wade Bennett ends up) that are expected to come in. Included in that class is Josiah Didier, a recent draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens. It appears that Denver’s blueline is crowded and it could stay that way for quite a while.

3. Minnesota: The Gophers are like the Pioneers in that sense of having three returning defensemen while having three incoming defensemen headlined by Detroit Red Wings prospect Ben Marshall. Minnesota’s defensive corp will be mainly freshmen and sophomores so it could be one of those cases where if Haar goes to Minnesota, he’ll certainly have to fight for playing time. Also the Gophers already have two defensemen commits already for this recruiting season.

4. Minnesota-Duluth: The defending champs are losing four d-men from last year’s title-winning team and have four returners. That being said, the Bulldogs are also bringing in four guys too for this season. This year’s recruiting class lone defensive commit is the Force’s Willie Corrin. Given the way this week has gone it would make plenty sense for Haar to head to Duluth which got former Force coach Jason Herter on Monday and then today received a commitment from Force forward Austin Farley.

5. North Dakota: Because playing at UND would be such a horrible thing. The Sioux graduated three defensemen, have five coming back and have three incoming recruits. Ben Blood would be the only senior and with Jordan Schmaltz (Sioux City) set to be the only defensive commit, for now, to come in 2012-13, the Sioux could easily be a viable option for Haar.

Young Americans…

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With Dubuque Fighting Saints forward Riley Barber becoming the latest member of the National Team Development Program, it raises a bit of an interesting question.

That question being: What compensation do USHL teams receive when the NTDP takes a player from their roster?

Before getting into the answer let’s look at why the question has been posed. There have been instances where players from a regular USHL club have been brought into the NTDP fold. Take Keaton Thompson. The Devils Lake defenseman was acquired by the Fargo Force in February and played the 10-plus games that would have ensured he was part of the team heading into next season.

Thompson, however, was invited and later accepted a bid to play with the NTDP.

But for every Thompson and Barber, there are players like Alexx Privatera and Dakota Mermis. Both were in the NTDP setup but they each decided they wanted to play elsewhere in the USHL and were granted their release. USHL spokesman Brian Werger said the NTDP was not given anything in return when those two players decided they were also leaving.

“It is a unique situation when it comes to transactions but we’ve worked together as a league,” Werger said. “I feel we do a good job of that.”

Now that a precedent and history has been established, let’s raise the question again: What compensation do USHL teams receive when the NTDP takes a player from their roster?

Werger said there is nothing worked out between the NTDP and the teams in the league.

In the case of Barber, Werger said that the NTDP did approach Dubuque about him before going through with the move.

“It’s an interesting question and I don’t have the magic answer,” Werger said from the league office in Chicago. “When it comes to the NTDP and the USHL teams, they work together and its part of our agreement from when they (NTDP) first came into the league. It is just an understanding.”

Points have been argued and made about the NTDP and if it is really a USHL team.

Some have debated that the NTDP isn’t a real USHL team because its U-18 team, despite playing league games, primarily plays college exhibition games and plays in international tournaments.

Then there’s the biggest point that the NTDP doesn’t work like a USHL team because it gets to hand pick its players instead of having to draft and really create a team like most other franchises.

Werger was asked about all of these items and he made some valid arguments in his own right. His most notable point was that the NTDP doesn’t get a chance to retool its roster during the season like other clubs and has to stick with the players that were picked whether it be on the U-18 and U-17 teams.

In short, whether its the NTDP or the other USHL club, there’s going to be advantages and disadvantages on either side.

“It isn’t like there are any red flags and we went into this with the understanding that’s how it was going to be,” Werger said about the league’s agreement with the NTDP. “From a fan’s standpoint, they may wonder what the heck is going on, but we’re able to make it work.”

The Best of What’s Around…

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With Jason Herter leaving the Force to become the assistant coach at Minnesota-Duluth, it seemed like a good time to recap the five most memorable experiences I had with Herter in the time he was here.

So for your entertainment, here’s the Top 5:

5. Gunning for Gothberg

The Force were nearing the end of a practice, and it was one of those situations where players were lined up on each side forming a tunnel for a breakaway challenge. There were some players who scored on Zane Gothberg, and some who didn’t. Then came Jason Herter down this tunnel firing shots on Gothberg. Some went in, some didn’t. It’s always interesting to see coaches do these things. When I covered women’s hockey at Maine in college, there was a practice where Guy Perron, who is now a scout with the Colorado Avalanche, scored a goal against his girls and celebrated with his staff by setting up an imaginary camera and then let his stick sit butt-side up as he and his assistants celebrated as if they just caught a big fish. Herter didn’t do anything like that. He just went about his business. But even still, it isn’t every day you see coaches willing to do those things at practice.

4. Eva and Cameron

The Force had a home game that also served as a cancer benefit to help area youth Eva Unger and Cameron Bye. The two were pretty much made the focus of the game, and through interviews with people, I learned that Herter spearheaded the event on the Force’s end. He called people asking if they could donate items for auction to help raise money. He went further by even contacting Omaha Lancers coach Bliss Littler to see if their game could be the one that’s showcased as Eva and Cameron’s night. Cameron’s father actually played junior hockey for Littler so it was an easy decision to make. Herter’s always been the kind of guy who has been very big on giving back to the community and this might have been the best example of that.

3. ‘My Daughter Had A Good Day At School’

Shortly before a Force practice, I was waiting for Herter and he came in with a smile – something he rarely does. He’s usually a pretty content guy; he just never smiles. But this day was different. Did the team just make a trade or get some good news on a player? Maybe, but Herter wasn’t giving anything away. So I asked, “What’s got you smiling?” His response was classic Herter: “My daughter had a good day at school.” Really? He smiled again and said that’s what it is. He talked with his daughter who was having a good day at school. We did our interview and then at the end I asked why is he really so happy. Once again, “My daughter had a good day at school.”

2. The Look Of Death

Ask anyone a bad question and chances are they’ll look at you like you have no common sense. Ask Herter any question during the season and chances are you’ll get what’s been dubbed as the “Look of Death” by the man. The LoD is part of what makes the guy so fun yet interesting to interview. You could ask what you might think is this really great, slightly complex, deep question and he’ll answer it in five words and through his somewhat Hipster glasses give this look like, “Come on. I got an NHL 11 tournament at Byron Pool’s house in 20 minutes I need to be at.” The LoD is a wonder that at the time makes you feel like you’ve asked the dumbest question ever conceived but you later realize, that’s an awesome tactic.

1. ‘It Was A Good Old Fashioned Ass-Kicking’

This was mentioned in a blog a long time ago, but this is the quote perfectly sums up Herter as a coach and as a human being. Guy doesn’t sugarcoat things and he’s going to be extremely honest. That honesty at times can be shocking. It was the Force’s 7-2 loss to Waterloo, a game where they just got bludgeoned. Even the inmates at OZ were probably like “damn” after that game. So come post-game interview time, hoping to avoid the LoD, I asked Herter: “Before we get into specifics about the game, what were your thoughts?” That is when the man gave the greatest quote I’ve heard in the last year: “It was a good old-fashioned ass-kicking. That’s my thought.” I’m used to coaches swearing. I lived in Texas covering high school football for two seasons. Plus, growing up out east, swearing is a birthright for us. But when Herter let that one rip, it was just surprising. I wrote the quote verbatim in The Forum the next day, and it wasn’t edited. It was 100-percent Herter.  The next day at the arena, Scheels Arena general manager Jon Kram sat down with me and said he asked Herter to not swear in the paper anymore.

Bye, Bye, Bye…

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The University of Minnesota-Duluth athletic department confirmed Jason Herter will be leaving the Fargo Force to become the next assistant head coach at the school.

Friend of the blog and Minnesota-Duluth beat writer, Kevin Pates, wrote on his blog and later on the News-Tribune’s website that Herter was offered the job and he was one of 45 formal candidates to apply for the position and the search was narrowed down to three.

Now that the 40-year-old Herter is leaving the Force, it means that the team will be looking for its fourth head coach in as many seasons. Dean Blais, the team’s first coach, left to take over the Nebraska-Omaha program, which arguably enjoyed its best season in school history.

Steve Johnson, the team’s second-year coach, took an assistant-coach position at St. Cloud State last September, a little more than a week before pre-season camp started for the Force.

There has been speculation as to who would be considered for the job. A name that has continued to pop up has been Lincoln head coach Chad Johnson. Johnson, a former Force assistant, was rumored as far back as April to take the job.

Johnson said earlier on Monday that he hasn’t discussed leaving Lincoln with his bosses.

It isn’t the first time Johnson’s name has been linked with the job this season. Johnson, who was at the Force’s last home playoff game against Dubuque, told The Forum that he hasn’t been offered the job and he would continue as the Stars’ head coach for the upcoming season.

Another name that has also been mentioned is assistant coach Byron Pool. Pool just finished his first year with the team and prior to that was the head coach of the Bismarck Bobcats (NAHL) where he won the Robertson Cup, the league’s championship.

Herter’s first and only season was one in which he led the Force to a fourth seed in the Western Conference playoffs before ultimately losing to the Fighting Saints, which went on to win the Clark Cup Finals.

Herter, a native of Hafford, Sask., was an assistant in the team’s first season, when it achieved an appearance in the Clark Cup Finals. After Blais left, he was not retained and did some scouting for a few USHL teams before being hired by the Force to coach the team in its third season.

Prior to his time with the Force, Herter coached midget hockey with Russell Stovers in Kansas City.

He perhaps is more known in hockey circles for being the eighth overall pick of the Vancouver Canucks back in 1989. At one time, Herter was rated as the No. 1 prospect heading into that year’s draft, which included former Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Mats Sundin.

Herter was drafted by the Canucks out of the University of North Dakota. He never played for the Canucks because he was traded by the team and only played one NHL game that came with the New York Islanders.

He continued playing hockey in the minors then moved to Europe where he finished his professional hockey career before returning to America.

Let Me Ride…

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Check the box score from the Force’s November game with Waterloo and the most noticeable stat has to be the the 200-plus penalty minutes amassed by both teams.

Take another look at that box score and you’ll find that Garrett Haar had a pretty big night. The box score says he scored three assists. Haar says he actually had a hat trick that game along with an assist. With league stats not always being the most accurate, it’s possible that both outcomes could have occured.

What isn’t in doubt, however, is the fact that it was that game where Haar could start to feel like he was taking off.

“I felt like that game we came together and my teammates said it was the best game they’ve seen me play,” Haar said. “That really helped me gain confidence and turn around my season.”

It was from that point where Haar started playing the confidence and ability that made Northeastern make a real effort at recruiting him. Now, it turns out that it is also what helped Haar become a draft pick on Saturday of the Washington Capitals.

The Capitals selected Haar with their last selection, the 207th overall pick, in the seventh round of the NHL Entry Draft.

Starting the season, Haar, to a degree, was a bit of a relative unknown. He was a Northeastern commit from California that was largely unproven and being on a team with quite a few first-year USHL players, it remained to be see how he would perform.

Haar went on to score eight points in his next 11 games following the Waterloo game and it was from that point on where NHL scouts started taking notice with Haar and what he could do.

He also went on to play with a variety of defensive partners, something he said that only made him better.

“That prepared me for when we got into the playoffs,” he said. “It didn’t matter who I played with in the playoffs. Playing with Ian (Young) or Brian (Cooper) allowed me to stay back a little more and pick and choose my spots to jump into the offense. With Dan (Weissenhofer) or Oleg (Yevenko) maybe I had to jump into the play more since they were going to be back there playing that defensive d-man game.”

Now that he has a year of USHL experience, he’s seen the animal that is the USHL playoffs, Haar will be expected to be one of the key contributors on a team that could be an early favorite to win the Clark Cup.

The Force are projected to have at least 11 players for next year with USHL experience including Haar who will be one of three players on the team that have been drafted by an NHL franchise. Tanner Lane (Winnipeg) and Zane Gothberg (Boston) are the others.

But two questions remain: With experience and now that he’s a Capitals prospect, how much attention will Haar get this season? And if he plays with Cooper, a potential first-or-second rounder for next year’s draft, what would that mean for the both of them?

“I think it might put a target on my back and I am not going to back down from that,” Haar said. “Playing with Brian is going to be great and as of right now, he is better than me and I respect that and I agree with that. Not taking anything from him but next year there will be a target on my back too and I like that.”

Back In The Day…

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Maybe this wasn’t the path everyone expected. Maybe it wasn’t the route that most would have predicted.

But as is the case with any draft so many projections, predictions and possibilities can change into something that no one saw coming or no one thought would even happen.

That’s what makes this weekend’s NHL Draft so interesting when using Force coach Jason Herter as its prism.

Believe it or not 22 years ago, the University of North Dakota defenseman was a fresh-faced, hideous mullet-wearing kid from Hafford, Sask., taken eighth overall by the Vancouver Canucks.

What Jason Herter looks like these days

 

Now, things are different. He’s a man. He’s 40. He has a way better hairstyle, a goatee and a pair of glasses that are intellectual yet sleek. Looks aside, Herter finds himself back at a Twin Cities-based NHL Draft for the first time since he was selected by the Canucks so many years ago.

He won’t be getting selected by a team. He won’t be walking on stage putting on a sweater as he did years ago but he does realize there are similarities between this weekend and what happened 22 years ago.

“Well, I can remember being rated No. 1 overall and going eighth and I just remember going through picks 1 and 7 how nervous I was. No, I didn’t over think it. Because you get interviewed by NHL teams and you want to start thinking ‘Did you screw up your interview’ and I didn’t read too much into it. That was 22 years ago and I was probably thinking about other things that I don’t remember. There were presentations and if you were in the first round they had a lot of media stuff the day before the draft. You meet with a lot of GMs, you go to dinners and all that kind of stuff. Having my parents in Minneapolis meant a lot to me. Coming off the farm and being able to make it in the draft was a big deal. Back then they didn’t preach being the faces of franchise. You go get drafted and you see what happens. It was a great memory but its not like the memories of winning championships. I ranked it as the beginning as the beginning of an opportunity.”

 

Oh Word?…

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In case you haven’t heard, forward Corbin McGuire, a Wisconsin commit, said on Sunday night to Bucky’s Fifth Quarter that he wasn’t going to be playing with the Force next season.

McGuire opted to return to Springfield of the EJHL where he was loaned out last season following a concussion he suffered. Below is a Q&A with Chuck Schwartz, who is the hockey editor of Bucky’s Fifth Quarter. Schwartz broke the news about McGuire and in the Q&A he talks about McGuire along with former Force defenseman and former Wisconsin commit Troy Hesketh, who is currently without a team after being cut by Sioux City earlier in the week.

Q: On your blog you said that McGuire notified you Sunday night that he wasn’t coming back to Fargo. What were the details of that conversation?

A: It was a brief, I simply asked if he had made a decision on where he would be playing next season and he responded, “Next year I’m going back to Springfield instead of the USHL because I really like the coaches at Springfield and they will work with me to make me better. Also I had the support from the coaches at UW to stay in Springfield because they think it’s a great place to play for my game.”

 

Q: Were you surprised to see that McGuire decided he wasn’t going to return to Fargo?

A: Yes, I was to tell you the truth. When he left Fargo last season after the concussion and was loaned to Springfield I interviewed him for the Sixty Minutes blog and he made it seem as though he might be able to return to Fargo at the end of last season so not going back to Fargo for next fall was surprising. The staff in Springfield must have made an impression on him.

 

Q: Because he’s a Wisconsin commit, what’s been the feeling with Badger fans in regards to what he could bring to the table?

A: Most Badger fans don’t know a lot about him because he’s played mostly on the east coast besides his brief stint in Fargo. Personally I got a chance to watch him at the USA Select 15 National Camp a few years ago and thought he was one of the top 5 1993 born forwards there. I think he even finished second in scoring that week. Keep in mind that group includes kids like Seth Ambroz and Rocco Grimaldi. He hasn’t developed as much as those other top 1993′s (he’s a late 93, not draft eligible until next year) but is still an intriguing prospect. He’s still got time to get better and mature on the ice. He’s a smaller kid but he’s thick and really good on his skates and I think he’ll be a really nice four year player in college. He’s very mature off the ice for his age and extremely intelligent, he’s an exciting prospect.

 

Q: Do you see him possibly coming back to the USHL or will that not happen?

A: The only way I see him coming back to the USHL is if Wisconsin defers him for a season to 2013. When he committed as a 15 year old he was projected as a 2012 recruit but the Badgers don’t graduate a forward this season (although Craig Smith, a junior will most likely sign with Nashville) and are set to bring in two blue chip kids in Nic Kerdiles out of the NTDP and Morgan Zulinick out of the BCHL. So if the coaching staff decides another year of junior is in his best interest I could see him making the move back to the USHL in 2012 but otherwise I think he’s pretty locked in on Springfield unless something crazy happens.

 

On Hesketh:

Q: He got cut from Sioux City just the other day. What do you think is up with Hesketh?

A: Well in this case I’m not sure it’s entirely his fault as I’m almost certain there is a USHL rule that you can only keep four 1991 birthdate players this year so he kind of got caught in a numbers game. It looks like Sioux City is going with Johansson, Montesano, Robbins and Skoff so there was really no room for him.

Although as a third round NHL Draft pick you shouldn’t have that problem. I don’t know the kid personally so I feel awkward speculating as to “what is up with him,” but from the outside it looks like a case of too much too soon. He had a scholarship to Wisconsin locked up and was drafted in the NHL before he even started his senior year of high school due to his birthdate. It wouldn’t be the first time a kid might have taken things for granted and maybe coasted by on natural ability.

 

Q: Looking at how he bounced around last year, were you surprised by any of this or did you have a feeling something like this could happen?

A: I was surprised at first, the trade from Fargo to Chicago before the season even started opened my eyes. Once he was in Chicago and things weren’t going well you start to hear some rumors and you still dismiss it because you have no reason to believe he’s not a good kid. Once it came out that he wouldn’t be admitted to Wisconsin academically it seemed like everyone and their brother had a story, most of them not showing him in the best light but who knows where that stuff comes from and if any of it is true. But he’s still a talented kid and he won’t have a problem finding a place to play hockey this season.

 

Q: Do you see him potentially trying to get back on to UW’s radar or do you feel like that chance has come and gone?

A: No, that door is shut as far as I know. If he didn’t get into school now I don’t see it happening down the road, especially with his stock as a player slipping considerably since he first committed. I do however feel like he can be a productive D1 hockey player somewhere and wouldn’t be surprised to see a lower tier WCHA team take a shot at him. He has some tools, he didn’t get drafted in the third round and given a scholarship to Wisconsin because he looked nice in his facebook profile picture.

Shoot Me Down…

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Please forgive me but I am a little lost and need some help trying to understand something.

Can someone explain why this whole thing about keeping the Sioux nickname continues to drag on and on and on like something Erykah Badu would sing?

Didn’t the NCAA give UND a deadline about the nickname? Didn’t they pretty much implement that there’s no fighting this thing? Aren’t you supposed to listen to the governing body that lets you play in its organization? Is it really a wise idea to make the NCAA upset? Haven’t other schools said they’re not going to give you the time of day until you get your act together?

Some are going to argue that there’s a state law fighting this. Does anyone really think a state law makes the NCAA so scared that if it doesn’t play by the state Legislature’s rules that UND will take its ball and/or puck and go home?

Why are there so many questions when the answer is right in front of us? Why can’t people go along with changing the nickname?

People have said “it is about pride and honor” and that’s why it’s important to keep the nickname. Others have also argued “it is about pride and honor” but in this case, it’s to respect a tribe that wants to be known for other reasons than just being on a hockey jersey or on a mammoth ice hockey arena.

The NCAA has already said it isn’t going to change the policy on Indian sports nicknames and University of North Dakota president Robert Kelley even said on Monday that basically enough is enough.

Believe it or not, Aug. 15 (the deadline for UND to cease with the logo and nickname) isn’t that far away and a solution needs to happen pretty quickly.

We all know that whatever the new mascot will be isn’t going to make everyone happy, and that’s just life.

But change is part of life, too, and in this case, it needs to happen. Now.

The Next Episode…

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Something says Garrett Haar has had some pretty interesting wake-up calls but this one could easily stand out for quite a long time.

The Fargo Force defenseman was back home in Huntington Beach, Calif., when he got a call from a scout with the Chicago Blackhawks asking if he heard the news. The news, in this case, being Northeastern coach Greg Cronin was leaving to be an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I got a call from the Blackhawks and they asked if I was leaving Northeastern because they told me he was leaving,” said Haar, a Northeastern commit. “I told them I am waiting for my adviser to call me and we’re going to talk about it. I haven’t talked about it with anyone at this point. I only found out an hour ago.”

Haar, 17, committed to Northeastern in March 2010 and since that time has become part of a recruiting class that includes USHL scoring champ John Gaudreau former Boston University forward Vinny Saponari, who both helped the Dubuque Fighting Saints win a Clark Cup title this season.

Gaudreau said a few weeks ago to the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald that he’d be attending Northeastern next year. Saponari told Slightly Chilled in April that he would be attending Northeastern next season.

It was a group that was starting to gain some attention and be one of those classes that could do some damage once they arrived on campus.

But will Haar continue with his commitment to Northeastern?

“I would say as of right now I am letting everything sink in and I am going to be talking to my adviser at Northeastern,” Haar said. “And I am going to talk to my parents and everyone else to hear what their decisions are to see what decision I will make.”

Haar said he’s thought about the possibility of Cronin leaving for the last few months.

It had been rumored that Cronin would be leaving the program and those rumors intensified after he was suspended for recruiting violations.

“It’s been in the back of my mind,” Haar said. “I’ve heard he might be leaving for four months. How can you not think about it because that’s where I am going to school.”

There’s no denying that quite a few people will be awaiting Haar’s decision and with good reasons.

He entered the 2010-11 season, his first in the USHL, as a relative unknown and turned into one of the premier defensemen in the league.

Haar scored 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 51 games for the Force helping team reach the playoffs for the third consecutive season. He didn’t let up in the playoffs either having scored three points in five games.

Though Haar missed the Force’s tryout camp earlier in June, he’ll return to a team that could have 12-USHL experienced players making them a favorite to win the Clark Cup.

Creating offensive chances while consistently improving on his defensive skills is what helped Haar have a breakout season along with becoming a player that will be selected in this weekend’s NHL Entry Draft.

“I’ve talked to the Blackhawks, the Kings and the Coyotes along with other teams,” Haar said. “They’ve told me I could go somewhere in the fourth, fifth or sixth round.”

Sure Shot…

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Just wanted to throw out a quick weekend update on Force forward and Detroit Lakes golfer Tanner Lane.

Lane helped Detroit Lakes walk away with the Minnesota State Class 2A Boys Golf Title this week. Detroit Lakes entered the tournament as the No. 1 team in the state and Lane was a large part of that success.

The 18-year-old Nebraska-Omaha commit was consistent in being the team’s No. 1 or No. 2 golfer this season and the feeling among some at Detroit Lakes was that he’s a better golfer than he is a hockey player.

Lane shot a three-over 75 on the second day of the tournament and finished 11th in the state in regards to individual golfers. Lane and his teammates celebrated by jumping into the pond at the golf course in Jordan.

For those who missed the prior post on this, Lane did homeschooling during the Force season and then went back to Detroit Lakes High School to graduate from there, which was a request of his parents. In the mean time, his coach, Bob Gorden, looked into seeing if Lane could play high school golf after playing a season in the USHL. Everything checked out and that’s how Lane was able to play for a state title this season.

Now that he’s won a state title, his focus will surely be on trying to win a Clark Cup along with having a strong second season with the Force.

That’s all for now. Enjoy your Saturday and Sunday everybody.