The Head Coach and General Manager of the Fargo Force, Dean Blais, will be saying farewell to the team as of July first. With a renowned talent for developing elite hockey players and several coaching awards under his belt, it is no surprise that Blais has been chosen to lead the 2010 U.S. National Junior Team. “I am honored and excited to be the head coach of this team,” stated Blais. “It will be my fourth appearance with the U.S. National Junior Team and I am looking forward to the challenge.” The team will compete in the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Saskatchewan this December.
Originally from International Falls, MN Dean Blais has been dedicated to men’s hockey serving as player, head coach, associate coach as well as assistant coach. Blais led the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team for ten seasons, making it to the NCAA Championship in 1997 and 2000. During this time he was twice named the National Coach of the Year and he left the program with an overall record of 262-115-33.
Blais has also served as assistant coach for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team and was an assistant to Team USA at the 2000 IIHF World Championship.
The Fargo Force will be gaining a new Head Coach and General Manager effective July 1, 2009. Steve Johnson, formerly the Head Coach of the Lincoln Stars, has been selected as the most qualified candidate to lead the team during the 2009-2010 season. “I am honored and excited to be the head coach and general manager of the Fargo Force,” stated Johnson. “I am looking forward to the challenge of building on the foundation that Dean Blais laid here in the Fargo area.”
Over the past decade, Johnson has proven his success in the hockey world being credited as three time USHL Coach and General Manager of the Year. He has also achieved six Team Championships including: two time Clark Cup Champions, three time Anderson Cup Champions, Gold Cup Champions and an overall .600 winning percentage.
Johnson has played a key role in developing successful hockey careers for familiar names such as Robbie Bina, Ryan Potulny, Jeff Panzer, Phil Lamoureux and Andy Schneider, to name a few. “Steve brings a ton of talent to the bench in addition to what resides on the ice,” stated Skip Prince, USHL Commissioner. There is no doubt that the Fargo Force will be able to pick up where they left off and continue to have success in the future under Johnson’s leadership.
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