Former USHL Stars Shining in World Championship

The USHL has been represented well during the 2013 IIHF Hockey World Championship that is taking place in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland this year with 13 of the 25 players on the United States roster having played in the league. The tournament started back on May 4th and runs through the 19th. Here is a quick rundown of the U.S. players that have spent some of their junior careers in the USHL:

·         Jeff Petry – Des Moines Buccaneers (2005-06, 2006-07)

·         Jacob Trouba – USNTDP (2010-11, 2011-12)

·         Craig Smith – Waterloo Black Hawks (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)

·         Aaron Palushaj – Des Moines Buccaneers (2005-06, 2006-07)

·         David Moss – Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (2000-01)

·         Tim Stapleton – Green Bay Gamblers (2000-01, 2001-02)

·         Ryan Carter – Green Bay Gamblers (2001-02, 2002-03)

·         Drew LeBlanc – Chicago Steel (2006-07, 2007-08)

·         Paul Stastny – River City Lancers (2002-03, 2003-04)

·         Justin Faulk – USNTDP (2008-09, 2009-10)

·         Chris Butler – Sioux City Musketeers (2003-04, 2004-05)

·         John Gibson – USNTDP (2009-10, 2010-11)

·         T.J. Oshie – Sioux Falls Stampede (2004-05)

The United States has enjoyed quite a run in this year’s tournament thus far with the final slate of games to take place this weekend. In the seven-game preliminary round, the U.S. finished third in their group with a record of 5-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) which was good for 15 points behind Russia (15 points with a 5-0-0-2 record and won tiebreaker with a +15 goal differential compared to +8 for the U.S.) and Finland (16 points with a 4-2-0-1 record). Here is how the U.S, fared in the preliminary round:

·         May 4th vs. Austria – WON 5-3

·         May 5th vs. Latvia – WON 4-1

·         May 7th vs. Russia – LOST 5-3

·         May 8th vs. Finland – WON 4-1

·         May 11th vs. France – WON 4-2

·         May 12th vs. Germany – WON 3-0

·         May 14th vs. Slovakia – LOST 4-1

The United States was able to barely squeak into the knockout round qualifying for the fifth seed out of the top eight teams and had to play a familiar foe in Russia in the quarterfinals. Yesterday morning (or night in Europe), the U.S. was able to avenge their preliminary round loss to the Russians by trouncing them, 8-3, to move on to play the top-ranked Swiss (Switzerland) in the semifinals tomorrow.

The other semifinal matchup contains Sweden against Finland playing one another tomorrow with the winners playing one another for the Gold Medal on Sunday (the Bronze Medal game will be on Sunday as well before the Gold Medal game).

In terms of former USHL’ers having good tournaments, you have to look no further than the captain of the United States in Paul Stastny, who now is playing for the Colorado Avalanche. The former Lancer has totaled 13 points (6 goals and 7 assists) in 8 games played, and his point total currently puts him in a tie for second among all players in the tournament. Also, his 6 goals rank him alone in fourth, and his 7 assists put him in another tie for second.

Another USHL product that is putting forth a good tournament stat-wise is Justin Faulk of the Carolina Hurricanes. The former USNTDP product has notched 6 assists in the tournament putting him alone in third among all defenseman in the tournament in scoring.

Lastly, Craig Smith of the Nashville Predators has had himself a nice tournament as well. The former Waterloo Black Hawk has issued 9 assists in the tournament putting him at the top of the list among all players in that category.

So there you have it, a quick rundown of how the United States has done so far through the tournament as they look to add another Gold Medal to the trophy case. Check back here on Monday to see if the boys were able to bring home the bacon! Below is a video of their recent victory over Russia in the quarterfinals:

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Carter Foguth and Chad McDonald Make Michigan Hockey Magazine

In the latest two editions of Michigan Hockey Magazine, you will find a pair of Lumberjacks in the “You Should Know” section of the magazine in Defenseman Carter Foguth and Forward Chad McDonald. You will find Foguth inserted into the April 29th edition, while McDonald can be found in the May 13th edition. Below is a picture of both Foguth and McDonald in their respective Michigan Hockey Magazine editions. Foguth (Minnesota State) and McDonald (Ferris State) will both be playing in the collegiate ranks next season.

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The NHL Scouting Combine Draws Near

The NHL Scouting Combine is just around the corner that will be taking place in its usual spot of Toronto, Ontario, Canada from May 27th to June 1st. The combine will feature 86 of the top North American skaters including the top seven goaltenders. Also, the top 15 European prospects will be attending including the number one-ranked European goaltender. Stay tuned for updates to see if any former, current, or future Lumberjacks will be attending the combine in a few weeks!

Getting to Know: Defenseman Tommy Panico

by Bryan Fongers

When the Muskegon Lumberjacks drafted Team Comcast Defenseman Tommy Panico with their first pick at third overall in the 2013 USHL Phase Two Draft, they immediately knew what they were getting out of the Wall, New Jersey native; a hockey player that will give you an honest day’s work.

Panico was a hot commodity by many USHL teams before the draft took place as they all had him ranked near the top of the draft boards. When talking to him, you immediately get the notion that he is already ready to go for his first season in the USHL and is excited to play for the Lumberjacks.

“It was an awesome feeling knowing that I was picked that high (in the draft), and I am excited to show the Lumberjacks organization what I am made of,” said Panico over the phone. “I really enjoyed the conversations that I had with Mr. (Josh) Mervis and Mr. (Keith) Sullivan leading up to the draft. Their excitement for drafting me with their first pick makes me feel welcomed and anxious to get to Muskegon.”

Even though Panico has not seen the city of Muskegon in person yet, he has heard rave reviews from other credible sources.

“I have heard nothing but positive things about Muskegon and that it is an awesome place to play,” said Panico. “My mom has friends that live in the state of Michigan, and they all say that they enjoy living there which makes me feel more excited to play there.”

Being a top draft pick in any sport, there are always a lot of expectations placed upon that player in regards to contributing and making an immediate impact. For Panico, he had a feeling that he was going to be drafted high, but was going to be happy regardless of where he was chosen.

“After talking to a lot of teams, I had the suspicion that I was going to be a first round draft choice, but I was going to be happy with wherever I landed,” said the six-foot-one, 185-pounder. “To me, there’s really no pressure with being a top draft pick as long as you are confident in your game. I am going to go into camp ready to contribute and work my hardest at making the team.”

Panico spent this past season playing for the Team Comcast Midget Major Under-18 squad that finished ranked fifth in the nation with a stellar 46-16-7 record that included qualifying for the Tier 1 Youth Under-18 National Tournament. Panico put up 34 points (12 goals and 22 assists) in 42 games played and says that playing against some of the best midget major teams helped him prepare for what the USHL is going to bring.

“The level of competition (this past season) was incredible in the sense that it really helped me focus and prepare for what’s to come at the next level,” said Panico. “We were considered as one of the best midget major teams in the country all season, so we knew that we were going to get everyone’s best shot game-in, game-out.”

Before playing for Team Comcast, Panico spent the previous two seasons in with New Jersey Junior Titans hockey program in both the Atlantic Youth Hockey (AYHL) and North American Prospects Hockey Leagues (NAPHL). During his time with the Junior Titans in the AYHL, Panico racked up 60 points (21 goals and 39 assists) in 76 games played and followed it up by accumulating 28 points (14 goals and 14 assists) in 23 games played in the NAPHL. The future Lumberjack explained that while the offensive stats are nice, it’s also important to be a contributor on the defensive side of the puck.

“I consider myself to be more of an offensive-minded defenseman that is not afraid to jump in on the offensive rush,” said Panico. “However, I also take a lot pride on the defensive end and continue to work hard on being a better defenseman. I want to be the best two-way defenseman I can be.”

Not only does Panico’s USHL future look bright, but so does his college hockey future as he has a commitment to play for the University of Massachusetts-Lowell out of the Hockey East Association following his junior career. Panico says that the River Hawks’ hockey program brings the complete package that he couldn’t pass up on.

“When I visited the campus, I was blown away by the top-notch facilities, and the coaching staff made me feel welcomed and right at home,” said Panico. “It is an up-and-coming program that had a great season last year making it to the Frozen Four, and I am excited to join the program down the road and am proud to be a future River Hawk.”

For Panico, he is eagerly awaiting his chance to show everyone what he is made of at the USHL level, and it begins this upcoming June with the Lumberjacks’ Tryout Camp. His fire and passion for the game of hockey will fit in well with the Lumberjacks’ organization, and the fans will grow to embrace him immediately.

The Muskegon community will learn to admire a guy like Tommy Panico because whether it is playing in his hometown of Wall, New Jersey or being 817 miles away in Muskegon, Michigan, he will embrace his next opportunity in life and continue to play the game that he loves.

To see a little sneak peek at the kind of skills Panico has, you can view a clip of a slick goal he scored while playing for Wall High School this past season here.

Breaking Down the 2013 USHL Phase Two Draft

If there was one main thing to take away from last week’s USHL Phase Two Draft from the Lumberjacks, it was that they had a lot of restocking to do, but had 30 draft picks in which to do just that.

After having what some people would call a “veteran-laced bunch” last season, the Lumberjacks’ front office staff and scouts knew that they had quite a few holes to fill, but had a great idea of where they wanted to go with their draft picks. The roster had to be maximized at 45 players going into this June’s Invite Camp, so the Lumberjacks had many options at their disposal.

Unlike last year’s Entry-Level Draft, the Muskegon Lumberjacks’ focus this year was to load-up on more skill and offensive playmaking.  The Lumberjacks will look to improve on their 183-goal tally from last regular season while trying to replenish their defensive core after losing a multitude of blue liners to the collegiate ranks and/or hitting the age limit. Muskegon came into this year’s Phase Two (or Entry) Draft with their first pick at 3rd overall courtesy of a trade that happened awhile back with the Des Moines Buccaneers.

With the third overall pick, the Lumberjacks selected Defenseman Tommy Panico out of Wall, New Jersey. Lumberjacks Vice President and General Manager Keith Sullivan expects Panico to be their next cornerstone defenseman as he spent this past season with the Team Comcast Major Midget squad totaling 34 points (12 goals and 22 assists) in 42 games played. Panico is expected to contribute immediately this coming fall as they saw him as their best available player in the draft. Panico is a great two-way defenseman that can contribute to any facets of the game (penalty kill, power play, etc.).

Panico may have been the only New Jersey product chosen by the Lumberjacks in the draft, but he was not the only East Coast player chosen. Overall, the Lumberjacks would pick five players that hail from the east side of the country that included Forwards James Winkler (3rd round – York, Maine) and Colin O’Neill (14 round – Odenton, Maryland) along with Defensemen Jake McCarthy (4th round – Dedham, Massachusetts) and Jean Sebastien Taillefer (18th round – Clifford, Pennsylvania).

Muskegon would then go to work on the frontline and use the 8th overall pick in the draft on Latvian sensation Haralds Egle from the town of Liepaje. Egle recently committed to play his college hockey for the University of Vermont following his junior hockey career, and lots of scouts are very intrigued with his offensive upside. With the Portland Junior Pirates, Egle tallied 48 points (22 goals and 26 assists) in 39 games played. He may not be tall (stands at only 5’10”), but he was very shifty, and the Lumberjacks’ front office also expect him to contribute now.

Egle was one of three foreign-born players to be selected by the Lumberjacks that included Forwards Patrick Russell (7th round – Bikerød, Denmark) and Adam Brodecki (24 round – Stockholm, Sweden).

The Lumberjacks would then dip into the talent-rich Minnesota pool with their next pick at 17th overall (acquired in a trade awhile back with the Tri-City Storm) in the second round and select Richfield native C.J. Smith. In his two-year North American Hockey League career with the Austin Bruins, Smith would pile up 87 points (43 goals and 44 assists) in 121 games played.

Smith was one of three Minnesota products to be chosen by the Lumberjacks in the draft in which the other two individuals weren’t picked until the later rounds (Defenseman Sean Lang – 11th round and Forward Kevin Dineen – 21st round).

The Lumberjacks had another second round pick at 23rd overall and selected a Michigan-born product in Forward Matheson Iacopelli out of Brownstown, Michigan. Iacopelli played the majority of last season with the Belle Tire Major Midget squad totaling 48 points (26 goals and 22 assists) in 44 games played. Iacopelli also had a cup of coffee with the Springfield Junior Blues out of the NAHL issuing four points (three goals and one assist) in four games played.

The Lumberjacks would select the majority of their prospects out of Michigan with six to be exact. Their next “Michigan Made” prospect would be made in the 6th round with Detroit Catholic Central product Defenseman Carson Gatt out of Farmington Hills, Michigan. The rest of the Michigan-born products include Defensemen Cameron Cooper (7th round – Fraser, Michigan) along with Forwards Bryce VanHorn (22nd round – Port Huron, Michigan), Josh Lammon (23rd round – Jackson, Michigan) and Goaltender Ryan Larkin (17th round – Clarkston, Michigan).

In order to keep in touch with their Midwestern counterparts, the Lumberjacks’ staff made sure that they made their presence known in their neighboring states drafting at least a player in Illinois (two players), Indiana (one player), and Wisconsin (one player). Notable players include Goaltender Jeremy Wik (9th round – Naperville, Illinois), Forward Charlie Parker (10th round – Verona, Wisconsin), and Defenseman Spencer Cage (13th round – Fishers, Indiana).

Another striking stat from the Phase Two Draft is that Sullivan and his team drafted four players from north of the border in Canada. Out of the four players selected, three hailed from Ontario and the other from Quebec. The top Canadian draft pick went in the 5th round as they would select Forward Michael Pontarelli (from Quebec). With the Cornwall Colts last season out of the Central Canada Hockey League, Pontarelli tore up the league tallying 132 points (67 goals and 65 assists) in 72 games played.

Concerning the rest of the Canadian-born talent, the Lumberjacks would pick the other three prospects that were raised in Ontario in Forwards Sam Berg (12th round – Beamsville, Ontario, Canada) and Robbie DeMontis (19th round – Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada) along with Defenseman Stefan LeBlanc (15th round – Oakville, Ontario, Canada).

Like today’s NHL, size is becoming more and more of a factor every season at any hockey level, so Muskegon had make sure that they stock piled some of the “big boys” available. Out of the 30 players picked, 18 of them were at least six-feet tall in which the tallest two players stood at 6’5” and are both defensemen in Connor Frantti (15th round) and Jack Sloan (20th round).

Lastly, the Lumberjacks were not afraid to take players that hail from states that are not known for their hockey-rich talent such as Texas and Colorado. Muskegon drafted two players from each state that include the following in which they deemed as some of the best players to come out of these two states:

·         Ryan Stevens - Forward drafted in the 5th round from Eules, Texas

·         Brendan Smith – Defenseman drafted in the 6th round from Centennial, Colorado

·         Daniel Billett – Defenseman drafted in the 7th round from Highlands Ranch, Colorado

·         Johan Steen - Defenseman drafted in the 8th round from Colleyville, Texas

Overall, players were chosen from 12 different U.S. states, three different European countries, and two different Canadian provinces. Sullivan and his Lumberjacks staff had a plan to “spread the wealth” and find talent from as far East as Latvia to as far West as Colorado. Also, they wanted to recognize and draft the wealth of talent that continues to evolve year-by-year in the home state of Michigan.

Here are some more interesting tidbits on this year’s Lumberjacks draft class for the 2013 Phase Two Draft:

Last Level Played: Juniors – 10, High School/Prep – 10, Midget Major – 5, Midget Minor – 3, SuperElit – 2
State/Country of Origin: Michigan – 6, Canada – 4, Minnesota – 3, Texas – 2, Colorado – 2, Illinois – 2, Indiana – 2, New Jersey – 1, Maine – 1, Massachusetts – 1, Wisconsin – 1, Maryland – 1, Pennsylvania – 1, Latvia – 1, Denmark – 1, Sweden – 1
By Position: Forward – 15, Defenseman – 13, Goalie – 2
Birth Year: 1993 – 2, 1994 – 7, 1995 – 5, 1996 – 14, 1997 – 2
Average Height and Weight: 6’0”, 179 pounds
College Commitments: 8 – Massachusetts-Lowell (Panico, Smith, and O’Neill), Northeastern (Winkler), Union (NY) (Pontarelli), Michigan State (Gatt), Mercyhurst (Lammon), Vermont (Egle)

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2013 USHL Clark Cup Finals Update

The first two games of the Clark Cup Finals were held this past weekend in Dubuque with the Fighting Saints continuing their home dominance with a pair of 4-1 victories, respectively, on Friday and Saturday nights. 

In game one on Friday, Fargo would snag a quick 1-0 lead just 2:59 into the game until Dubuque would rattle off the final four goals of the night including three in opening frame cruise to the home win. Fargo would only tally one shot on goal in the third period, while Dubuque’s offense would be led by Forwards Mike Szmatula (two goals and one assist) and Shane Sooth (three assists) with three points each.

The following for game two, the Fighting Saints would snag two first period goals and never look back the rest of the way en route to another three-goal victory at home. Forward Peter Quenneville (two goals) and Szmatula (one goal and one assist) would lead the offense with two points each as Dubuque finds themselves one win away from the title.

Dubuque currently leads the best-of five series, 2-0, with the next two match-ups (if necessary) in Fargo this coming weekend. Here is the schedule the rest of the way:

·         GAME 3 – Friday, May 17th @ Fargo at 8:35 pm

·         GAME 4 – Saturday, May 18th @ Fargo at 8:05 pm (if necessary)

·         GAME 5 – Tuesday, May 21st @ Dubuque at 8:05 pm (if necessary)

2013 USHL Clark Cup Finals

This year’s Clark Cup Finalists are finally set after the Dubuque Fighting Saints and Fargo Force had to go through grueling conference finals series with both teams going the distance a winning their respective series, three games to two. This season, both teams have played each other only twice with the home team winning each game. Way back on October 6th in Dubuque, it was the Fighting Saints coming away with a 2-0 shutout victory as Goaltender Arthur Brey stopped all 21 shots he faced. On December 31st in Fargo, the Force would the 2012 calendar year with a 4-2 victory in which Forwards Dominic Toninato (two goals) and Alex Iafallo (one goal and one assist) would lead the offense with two points each. Here is the schedule for the best-of-five series in which the Fighting Saints hold the home ice advantage:

·         GAME 1 – Friday, May 10th @ Dubuque at 8:35 pm

·         GAME 2 – Saturday, May 11th @ Dubuque at 8:05 pm

·         GAME 3 – Friday, May 17th @ Fargo at 8:35 pm

·         GAME 4 – Saturday, May 18th @ Fargo at 8:05 pm (if necessary)

·         GAME 5 – Tuesday, May 21st @ Dubuque at 8:05 pm (if necessary)

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Sheboygan Press on Forward Collin Peters

Right after getting drafted by the Lumberjacks in the seventh round of the Phase 1 Draft, the Sheboygan Press wrote a piece on Sheboygan, Wisconsin native Forward Collin Peters on his reaction to being drafted by the Lumberjacks along with what he is expecting going into the Invite Camp in June. You can find the article right here.

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Get to Know Forward Ty Pelton-Byce

During the recent USHL Combine, the league had a chance to do a short interview with Lumberjacks’ eighth round pick in the 2013 Phase 1 Draft, Forward Ty Pelton-Byce out of Verona, Wisconsin. Below, click below to listen to the interview and enjoy!

2013 USHL Draft Phase 2

10:07 am - After an exciting and busy Day 1 of the USHL Draft, I recently returned from Chicago after doing the two-hour draft show and am ready to tackle the second day of the draft! Phase 2 of the USHL Draft (or Entry Draft as they used to call it) will kick off tonight at 5:00 pm, and just like last night, I will be providing LIVE updates on here along with the Lumberjacks’ Facebook and Twitter sites. Before we get into this year’s draft, let’s take a look a back at some of the top picks that the Lumberjacks acquired in the Entry Draft (or Phase 2) and made impactful contributions on the ice:

·         Matt DeBlouw – Forward from Chesterfield, Michigan

o   DeBlouw was picked by the Lumberjacks in the second round (21st overall) of the 2010 Entry Draft and spent two seasons with Muskegon totaling 40 points (13 goals and 27 assists) in 91 games played combined between regular season and playoffs.

o   In the 2011 USHL Playoffs, DeBlouw racked up 8 points (3 goals and 5 assists) to go along with a plus-six rating in six games played which led the team.

o   During the 2011-12 season, his 23 assists led the team and his 34 points put him alone in second.

o   DeBlouw recently finished his freshman campaign at Michigan State University.

·         Ryan Lomberg – Forward from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

o   Lomberg was the Lumberjacks’ first pick (6th overall) in the 2011 Entry Draft and spent one season in Muskegon during the 2011-12 season.

o   In 52 games played, Lomberg led the team in points (40) and goals scored (22) along with ranking fourth in assists (18).

o   Lomberg recently completed his freshman season at the University of Maine.

·         Adam Gilmour – Forward from Hanover, Massachusetts

o   Gilmour was the second overall pick by the Lumberjacks in the 2012 Entry Draft and spent one season with the team during the 2012-13 season.

o   In 64 regular season games played, Gilmour led the Lumberjacks with 47 points, 28 assists, a plus-17 rating, and was third with 19 goals scored.

o   Gilmour also tallied a goal in three playoff games this past season and will be attending Boston College next year.

·         Frederik Tiffels – Forward from Cologne, Germany

o   Tiffels was the Lumberjacks’ second round pick (17th overall) in the 2012 Entry Draft and recently completed his first season in the states.

o   Tiffels finished with 25 points (3 goals and 22 assists) to go along with a plus-13 rating in 50 regular season games played and also chipped in with a goal in three playoff games.

o   Tiffels also represented Germany in the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship this past December and January and is committed to play for Western Michigan University.

Now that we have talked about some of the top picks in the Lumberjacks’ first three Entry Drafts, let’s look into two “diamonds in the rough” that were acquired in the later rounds of previous drafts:

·         Mason Jobst – Forward from Speedway, Indiana

o   Jobst was the Lumberjacks’ seventh round pick (96th overall) in the 2011 Entry Draft and has played the better part of the past two seasons with Muskegon.

o   Jobst has amassed 34 points (8 goals and 26 assists) in 96 games played combined between regular season and playoffs with the Lumberjacks and appeared in all 67 games this past season (including playoffs).

o   His consistent contributions on the penalty kill this past season was one of the main reasons why the unit finished the regular season ranked fourth in the USHL (84.62 percent).

·         Cullen Hurley – Forward from Eagan, Minnesota

o   Hurley was the Lumberjacks’ 19th round pick (272nd overall) in the 2012 Entry Draft and recently completed his first season in Muskegon.

o   Hurley appeared in 66 games (including playoffs) this past season for the Lumberjacks totaling 24 points (11 goals and 13 assists) to go along with a plus-six rating in 63 regular season games that includes notching a playoff goal in the three games played.

o   Hurley was also another regular on the Lumberjacks’ solids penalty kill this past year and tallied his first USHL goal on October 12th, 2012 in Cedar Rapids.

o   Cullen is the older brother of Lumberjacks Forward Connor Hurley, who was selected third overall by Muskegon in same draft right after Gilmour.

So there you have it, these are just some of the many prospects that the Lumberjacks have drafted through their first three years in the USHL. Stay tuned later today for LIVE updates of the Phase 2 Draft as the Lumberjacks look to reload towards a potential championship run in 2013-14!

5:05 pm - The Lumberjacks acquired the 3rd overall pick in the Phase Two Draft via a trade a while back with the Des Moines Buccaneers and select Defenseman Tommy Panico from Wall, New Jersey and Team Comcast.

5:10 pm - Muskegon also earns the 8th overall pick in the draft and select Forward Haralds Egle from the Portland Pirates, a Liepaje, Latvia native.

5:17 pm - Moving on to the second round, the Lumberjacks have the second pick in the round (17th overall) in which they acquired it from the Tri-City Storm this past season. They decide to pick Forward C.J. Smith from the Austin Bruins, a Richfield, Minnesota native.

5:24 pm - With their second pick in the second round at 23rd overall, Muskegon chooses Forward Matheson Iacopelli from Belle Tire, a Brownstown, Michigan native.

5:40 pm - With their lone third round pick at 37th overall in which they acquired it from the Omaha Lancers this past season, Muskegon picks Forward James Winkler from Berwick. He is a York, Maine native. 

5:57 pm - Their only pick in the fourth round lands at 53rd overall, and Muskegon goes with Defenseman Jake McCarthy out of St. Sebastian’s, a Dedham, Massachusetts native.

6:06 pm – In a draft day trade with Sioux Falls, the Lumberjacks select Forward Michael Pontarelli at 63rd overall from Cornwall, a Laval, Quebec, Canada native.

6:15 pm - In a trade with the Lincoln Stars a while back, the Lumberjacks take the 71st overall pick in the fifth round and select Forward Ryan Stevens from the Dallas Stars, a Eules, Texas native.

6:22 pm - Muskegon takes the first pick in the sixth round at 76th overall in which they acquired it from the Indiana Ice in a trade and select Defenseman Brendan Smith from the Colorado Thunderbirds and a Centennial, Colorado native.

6:31 pm - With their second pick in the sixth round at 83rd overall, the Lumberjacks lean to Defenseman Carson Gatt from Detroit Catholic Central.

Stay tuned to the Lumberjacks’ Twitter (@MuskegonJacks) along with the USHL website for further updates as I am going to work on the release for tonight’s Phase Two Draft! Have a good night everyone!

2013 USHL Draft Phase 1

8:00 am - Good Morning to all the Jacks fans out there! It’s officially draft season in the USHL, and I am currently on my way to Chicago to do the two-hour draft show tonight that will be broadcast LIVE on the USHL website with Zack Fisch, the voice of the Dubuque Fighting Saints. As we get set for Phase 1 of the USHL Draft tonight (or Futures Draft if you would like to call it that), let’s look back at two Lumberjacks who have made solid contributions to the organization after being drafted by Muskegon in the Futures Draft (or Phase 1):

·         Joe Cox – Forward from Chelsea, Michigan

o   Cox was a second round pick (29th overall) in the 2010 Futures Draft by the Lumberjacks that spent two seasons in the Compuware (Detroit) Hockey Program from 2009 to 2011.

o   During the 2009-10 season with the Tier I Midget Minor Team, Cox recorded 39 points (18 goals and 21 assists) in 38 games played and followed it up the following season with the Tier I Midget Major Team totaling 40 points (16 goals and 24 assists) in 39 games played.

o   Cox spent two seasons with the Lumberjacks accumulating 60 points (26 goals and 34 assists) in 119 games played and was a vital part in Muskegon’s run into the playoffs this past season as he would contribute on both the power play and penalty kill.

o   During the 2012-13 season, his 20 goals scored ranked him tied for second on the team (one behind the team leader), while his 40 points put him alone in second.

o   Cox will be attending Michigan State University next season.

·         Riley Alferd – Forward from Vancouver, Washington

o   Alferd was a fifth round pick (75th overall) in the 2011 Futures Draft by the Lumberjacks that spent the 2010-11 season with the L.A. Selects Tier Minor Midget Team recording 27 points (8 goals and 19 assists) in 35 games played. The following season, Alferd played for the L.A. Junior Kings Tier I Minor Midget Team totaling  24 points (5 goals and 19 assists) in 34 games played.

o   During the 2011-12 season, Alferd appeared in four games with the Lumberjacks and received his first USHL point in the Lumberjacks’ final game of the season in Dubuque with an assist.

o   Alferd spent the entire 2012-13 season with the Lumberjacks accumulating 11 points (5 goals and 6 assists) in 55 regular season games played. Alferd also played in three playoff games this past season notching an assist.

o   His first career USHL goal came November 10th, 2012 in Dubuque.

3:10 pm – We are less than four hours away from Phase 1 of the 2013 USHL Draft taking place! I am currently sitting in the conference room of the studio in downtown Chicago getting my notes prepared for the two-hour draft show tonight at 7:00 pm EST, which fans can view if you click on the link right here. Here is a quick reminder that the Lumberjacks did lose one of their first round picks in tonight’s Phase 1 Draft (8th overall) due to the signing of Compuware Defenseman Chaz Switzer to a three-year tender. Stay tuned for further updates down the road as we get set to cover tonight’s draft!

7:08 pm – The Lumberjacks use the 7th overall pick in the Phase 1 Draft on Forward Grant Jozefek from Mendham High School in New Jersey…a scoring machine during his freshman year this past season!

7:10 pm – Muskegon has the 8th overall pick in the first round as well, but have used it already on signing Compuware Defenseman Chaz Switer to a three-year tender late in October.

8:04 pm – After not having a pick in the second round, the Lumberjacks have the 38th overall pick and use their lone third round pick on Forward Jacob Coleman out of the Pittsburgh Penguins Junior Hockey Program.

8:25 pm – Moving on to the fourth round we go as Muskegon uses the 53rd overall pick in the Phase 1 Draft on their second defenseman of the night in Cameron Lee out of Ferguson’s Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada.

8:35 pm – The Lumberjacks would use their first of two picks in the fifth round and 63rd overall to draft a net minder in Goaltender Callum Booth from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

8:40 pm – With their second pick in the fifth round, Muskegon goes back to the frontline to select Forward Gabriel Fontaine out of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Fontaine comes from the Magog Cantonniers Midget AAA team in Canada.

8:54 pm – Moving on to the sixth round of the draft, and at 83rd overall, Muskegon selects another winger in Forward Owen Green out of the Buffalo Sabers Junior Hockey Program.

9:20 pm – In the seventh round, the Lumberjacks continue to add more scoring punch for the future in Forward Collin Peters out of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

9:45 pm – With the final pick in their Phase 1 Draft, the Lumberjacks select in the eighth round (113th overall) another Forward in Ty Pelton-Bice from Verona, Wisconsin.

That concludes Phase 1 of 2013 USHL Draft for tonight! Time to go write-up my press release and had a blast covering the draft in downtown Chicago! See you all tomorrow night!

Brendan Woods Takes Home Postseason Team Award

It doesn’t matter if he is still on the team or not, but Lumberjacks and Wisconsin Badgers’ alum Brendan Woods continues to make the news as he recently won a team award for his outstanding work in the faceoff circle this past season. Woods won an award for achieving the best faceoff percentage during his sophomore campaign at the University of Wisconsin. His blistering 61.6 winning percentage was good enough for the top spot on the Badgers. In his two years with Wisconsin, Woods compiled 22 points (10 goals and 22 assists) in 75 games played that included picking up a WCHA tournament title in the 2012-13 season along with an NCAA Tournament appearance.

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Just a reminder to everyone that the 2013 USHL Draft (Phases 1 and 2) will be taking place on two nights on Monday, May 6th and Tuesday, May 7th at 7:00 pm EST and 5:00 EST, respectively. Phase 1 (or the Futures Draft) will be on Monday, while Phase 2 (or the Entry Draft) will be on Tuesday. We will be providing LIVE updates from both nights when the Lumberjacks are on the clock, so stay tuned for further updates here or on our Twitter (@MuskegonJacks) and Facebook pages as we get closer to the draft days!