Force brings Sandler back to Fargo
Luke Sandler was never drafted in a United States Hockey League Draft until the Fargo Force used the 264th overall pick to take him in the 2011 Entry Draft. Now, Sandler does have two years of experience in the USHL, including 13 games with Fargo during the 2009-2010 season.
He was bound for the North American Hockey League before Fargo snatched him up and put him on their roster two seasons ago. Since then, Sandler has bounced around the USHL with stops in Des Moines (16 games) and Tri-City (29 games). He is hoping that his second stint in Fargo is his last in the USHL.
“It gives me an opportunity to prove myself as a hockey player in Fargo, and it’s where I started and want to finish my USHL career,” Sandler said.
The 18-year-old winger has scored just three goals and nine points in 58 USHL games over the past two seasons. Fargo Assistant Coach Jesse Davis describes him as a big winger that can go up and down the wall. He plays solid two way hockey and also has a little bit of offensive skill he can throw into the mix.
Davis made it clear that Fargo is excited to have Sandler back. He has made it through the first round of cuts and will be part of the 28-man roster partaking in the Fall Classic. It figures that two forwards will still have to be shaved off the roster before the season starts.
If he can show that he can consistently play well and work hard, there looks to be a spot on the roster for him to make a return to Scheels Arena. Sandler also knows what he needs to do to produce for Fargo, saying that he needs to be a leader and a guy his teammates can count on every night.
Some things have changed since Sandler was last in Fargo. One of those is that the Force has its fourth head coach in as many years with John Marks leaving the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League to take the reins in Fargo. Before Sandler and Marks even met, the coach played a large part in Sandler giving the USHL another try.
“I don’t know too much about [Marks], but after talking to people he is one of the reasons I decided to go to Fargo instead of another league,” Sandler said.
His Force career has consisted of exactly 13 games and one goal. Those are both totals that the 6-1 190 pound forward will look to build on during the 2011-2012 season.
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By: Tim How
Photo: Tri-City Storm
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