Fargo Force players and affiliates recognized by NHL Central Scouting

NHL Central Scouting has released a preliminary "Players to Watch" list and also ranked the top prospects in the USHL.  The "Players to Watch" list are mainly prospects that are younger and scouts will be watching them for the next years to come up until their NHL draft eligible year.  The preliminary rankings list, ranks the top USHL players that scouts are watching for the draft upcoming in the NHL.

Four of the top five players on the USHL list are in the USNTDP program.  At the top of the list is Derek Forbort, a big defenseman for Team USA.  Fargo was only able to claim one player on the Top 25 Skaters list.  Eamonn McDermott impressed the scouts enough to be number 19 on the list.

For the "Players to Watch" list, there are a few names that should be familiar to Force fans. 

Joey Benik, St. Francis star that scored over 70 goals as a junior last year, is a "C" rated prospect.  This means that he is on scouts' radar, and could be a late round NHL selection.

Willie Corrin is also an affiliate player for the Fargo Force playing in Minnesota HS for International Falls (Home of Dean Blais).  Corrin is a defenseman and, like Benik, also a "C" rated prospect.

Zane Gothberg, Fargo Force's first round selection in the USHL draft this year, is a "A" rated prospect as goaltender of the Thief River Falls' hockey team this year.  The Force are expecting to have him in their lineup next year, before Zane heads to the University of North Dakota.