By Greg Chandler, FOX 21 Sports

DULUTH - It may be summer, But Derek Forbort is on the ice.  No surprise there, that's where he's spent most of his time since he was a kid.

"My dad always built a rink in the backyard," said Forbort.  "My mom ran a daycare so we always had huge games going on."

"I knew I wanted my kids to play hockey," said Keith Forbort, Derek's father.  "When they were four I started a hockey rink in the backyard, even before they were ready to skate."

Forbort recently finished his junior year at Duluth East, helping the 'Hounds to the state tournament.

"We had a lot of good players, played good as a team and made it to the state tournament," said Forbort, who scored 28 points for the Greyhounds in 2008-09.  "We didn't do as good as we wanted to down there, but it was a blast."

And like most kids that grow up playing hockey in Minnesota, Forbort grew up dreaming of playing in the WCHA.

"I grew up watching UMD and all the teams come to the DECC," said Forbort.  "I wanted to play in that league."

He'll soon get his wish. Forbort has committed to play at the University of North Dakota.

"I really liked the coaching staff out there," said Forbort.  "Its a great rink, there's a lot of tradition in that program."

But saying yes to the Sioux, meant saying no to UMD.

"It would have been a great place for him to play, but he wanted to get away," said Keith Forbort.  "He'd talked about that the last couple years, he wanted to get away from home, and he chose North Dakota."

"Going to UMD would have been like going to college in my backyard," added Derek.  "I just kinda wanted to see what other things are like."

Before he starts college, Forbort still has a year of high school, but he won't spend it at East.  Instead, he's headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to play for the U.S Development Program.

"I really wanted to be ready for my first year at North Dakota, and I feel this is the best way to do that, going out there and playing a lot more games," said Forbort.  "The competition is a lot better, you're playing against a lot of Division I schools and the USHL.

The development team had nine players picked in the latest NHL Draft, and while Forbort is a prospect for next year's draft, he's not getting caught up in the hype.

"I don't pay attention to that stuff really," said Forbort.  "Its hockey, it's about having fun and I like doing that."

His dad has a similar view.

That's a long year away,"  "He's just going to enjoy this season, and hopefully this season can improve his quality of play and we'll see what happens a year from now."