By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter / X @BlackAndGold277
Boston Bruins prospect Beckett Hendrickson and his USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints travel tonight to the Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota, to play game one of the Clark Cup Finals against the host Fargo Force. Dubuque and Fargo were the top two teams in their respective conferences, along with one and two in the USHL League standings. The Fargo team ended the regular season, capturing the West with a 50-10-2-0 record and 102 points in 62 games. On the other hand, Dubuque finished their season with a 41-13-3-5 record and 90 points in 62 games played, locking up the East.
Hendrickson, a 6′-2″ 175-pound left-shooting center, had a tremendous 2023-24 regular season that saw him play on two teams and become one of the Fighting Saints’ better players in this postseason. Last season, the former fourth-round NHL Draft selection of the Boston Bruins in 2023 spent 43 games with the USHL Sioux Falls Stampede, playing alongside fellow B’s forward prospect Chris Pelosi, where he posted 18-25-43 numbers. In February of 2024, the Stampede traded Hendrickson to Dubuque, where Beckett finished the regular season with the fighting Saints, appearing in 16 games and contributing 9-12-21 numbers.
So far in these USHL Clark Cup Playoffs, the Fighting Saints are 6-2 going into tonight’s game one in North Dakota. Hendrickson is having a solid postseason, helping the Dubuque club this spring, appearing in seven games and contributing 2-3-5 numbers. Beckett is committed to the University of Minnesota and will play his freshman year in the 2024-25 NCAA season. The Minnesota native has been part of the Great Lakes Region, which has produced some of the best hockey players in the United States. Hendrickson was also part of the US National Program before landing in Sioux Falls in his first year of USHL development.
As a Gophers first-year student next season, I would find it interesting to see where Minnesota Head Coach Bob Motzko puts Hendrickson in the lineup. Beckett is a center by nature, but a few scouting reports have recommended that Hendrickson be coaxed to learn a wing position as a possible fast path to the NHL with increased versatility.
Does he stay a center and be linemates with the current Dubuque left-shooting right winger Erik Pahlsson, who’s also off to the University of Minnesota next fall to start his freshman year? Does he move to the left as a left-shooting forward with Pahlsson on the right and Nashville Predators prospect and center Matthew Wood, who recently transferred from the University of Connecticut and would make a decent bottom-six forward-line option? Who knows…
Regardless of where Henderickson plays and his role next season, he’ll be put in a good position for continued development entering his first year of Big Ten competition. With many Gophers players returning, such as Jimmy Snuggerud, and recent recruitment via the portal process, this NCAA club looks to be a team that could make some noise nationally in the collegiate rankings.
Here’s What the Scouts Have to Say About Boston Bruins Prospect Beckett Henderickson
“It should come as no surprise that Hendrickson is noted for being an intelligent, two-way player. He has probably held many conversations with Dad, currently an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild, focusing on what it takes to be a complete hockey player. The younger Hendrickson has shown a knack for reading offenses, leading opponents to turn the puck over.”
-Jim Bay, The Hockey Writers-
“Hendrickson is a speedy, responsible forward who does a lot of little things right and has a solid offensive game as well. His north-south speed was visible; it allowed him to carry the puck up ice and be an efficient back checker when needing to track back towards his own zone.”
-Douglas Larson, FC Hockey-
Live Stream the 2024 USHL Clark Cup Finals
Here’s how to Watch Tonight’s Game One Action and the Rest of the USHL Finals! Subscribe to a single finals game or a Clark Cup Playoff package at Flo Hockey, your one-stop shop for multi-level developmental hockey.
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