West Fargo harbors D-I hockey talent in growing pool of North Dakota prospects

WEST FARGO — The city of West Fargo has become a somewhat unlikely hot bed for some of North Dakota’s top hockey prospects.

Five former West Fargo players, including one women’s prospect, have all committed to NCAA Division I programs since June. The city has also yielded several junior hockey and Division III women’s players.

“It’s great for our community,” said West Fargo Hockey Association hockey director Mike Parnell. “We have quite a few players that are accomplishing a lot, and it’s really rewarding to watch them get to live their dream.”

Among the D-I group, U.S. National U18 defenseman Lincoln Kuehne and Shattuck-St. Mary’s U16 forward TJ Hale both committed to Colorado College of the NCHC.

Kuehne notched two goals and eight assists for the U.S. in 21 games this season. Hale has six goals and seven assists in 14 games for the Sabres.

Forward Bryce Mattern

committed to NCHC newcomer Arizona State

in October. Mattern led Team North Dakota of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League with seven goals and eight assists, and tallied a league-high 2.5 points-per-game average.

Mattern led West Fargo High as a sophomore last season with 50 points. He is currently rostered on the Watertown (S.D.) Shamrocks of the NAHL.

Northstar Christian Academy forward Hunter Rudolph announced his decision to join St. Cloud State on Nov. 6. Rudolph leads the Knights 16U team at 42 points with 21 goals.

Avery Hovland, a forward for the North American Hockey Academy in Boston, committed to the University of Minnesota women’s program in June. The forward has six points with two goals through 15 games for the Hawks.

“It’s nice to see the success out of all the communities in North Dakota,” said North Dakota Amateur Hockey Association president Matt Stockert. “You’re literally looking at a bunch of kids who just made a commitment to the game of hockey itself and want to put in the time and do the extra work it takes to hone their craft.”

Among the group, only one player was a member of a North Dakota-based team last season.

Various players across the state have opted to join Tier 1 teams across the Upper Midwest and beyond in search of being exposed to higher-level scouts. Those around the state say it’s a product of the player-focused youth programs.

“Regardless of where that player moves on to, that initial exposure comes from the structure that’s within the state,” Parnell said.

The NDAHA has created its own Tier 1 team with Team North Dakota that is made up of the top talent from around the state. There are 13 Team North Dakota teams, extending from 13U boys to 19U girls, that play from August to late October and restart in the spring.

Both North Dakota and Minnesota run community-based youth hockey programs during the winter months, whereas other states across the country have Tier 1 teams that play a typical hockey schedule.

Stockert said Team North Dakota along with Minnesota Tier 1 teams play the pre-and-post season Tier 1 schedule to coincide with youth and high school hockey. He noted the team offers players a unique opportunity to play against some of the top-talent around the country.

North Dakota has six other players who have committed to Division I programs, all of which have played on Team North Dakota.

Grand Forks’ Bauer Berry committed to St. Thomas and Michael Coleman will join the University of Massachusetts. Bismarck’s Maxon Vig announced his commitment to Bemidji State.

Fargo North-South defenseman Kenleigh Fischer, who was selected to the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team, committed to St. Thomas in September. Bismarck Century forward Avery Matt will join the Holy Cross women’s team.

In addition to the college-level talent, there are over 30 players from North Dakota in three U.S.-based junior hockey leagues, and more within the various Canadian leagues.

A key factor in North Dakota’s ability to generate talent is how many resources are available across the state.

“Kids have a lot more opportunities to work on their skills,” said NDAHA player development director Grant Paranica. “We’re finding that more kids are participating in our programs and player development programs.”

Parnell said at Veteran’s Memorial Arena there’s a shooting room with synthetic ice for players to utilize before and after practices. The room also includes an area that has artificial turf. He noted that a multi-purpose room inside the arena is being renovated as a weight room.

The WFHA is partnered with private hockey development facility Hoist Hockey and private sport-focused training gym Athletic Republic. Many players around the Fargo-Moorhead area also make use of the Cullen Force Academy in the Scheels Arena.

With more and more players across the state lacing up their skates, North Dakota hockey will continue grow and harbor more talented players.

“North Dakota hockey is heading in the right direction,” Paranica said.

After graduating from North Dakota State University, Haugland joined the Forum in January of 2023. Readers can reach him at 701-241-5508 or by emailing ahaugland@forumcomm.com