The USHL sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Chad Demers, former player and coach for the Fargo Force.
Demers battled brain cancer for six years before he passed away earlier this week. Demers served in a variety of capacities in the USHL & NCAA. He played for the Force from 2008-2011, serving as captain in his final season. After playing four years at the Air Force Academy, Demers entered the Air Force before he was medically discharged in 2018.
Demers’ drive and determination kept him in the game as Director of Hockey Operations at Air Force and Associate Head Coach for Fargo for the 2022-23 season. The Grafton, N.D. native spent last season behind the bench for Augustana University before his illness forced him to step aside. During their home opening weekend, the Force recently raised $66K through their “Rally 4 Demmy” night.
“You don’t have many friends in life as loyal and trustworthy as Chad. He had courage when it came to coaching. Our staff spent so many long days and nights together. We knew what he was going through, but he never complained or felt sorry for himself… Chad is a great example of how to deal with adversity and tough times. He truly loved to coach for the right reasons. He cared about the team and especially the players. He was a great young coach with so much promise.” – Pierre-Paul Lamoureux, Former Head Coach, Fargo Force
“Chad was so much more than a coach for us. He was a brother, a husband, a father. Those are the things that were most important to him. He just cherished his wife and kids. That’s what makes this so hard.” – Garrett Raboin, Augustana Head Coach
