USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Lumberjacks Stockpile Talent Pool in 2013 USHL Phase Two

Published on May 7, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, Michigan (May 7th) - The Muskegon Lumberjacks are excited to announce the addition of 30 new players to the roster that were drafted in tonight's 2013 USHL Phase Two Draft that puts the current size at 45 players.

The Lumberjacks' first pick in the Phase Two Draft came with at 3rd overall in which Muskegon acquired the pick in a trade with the Des Moines Buccaneers and selected Defenseman Tommy Panico from Wall, New Jersey. Panico spent this past season with the Team Comcast Under-18 Team totaling 34 points (12 goals and 22 assists) in 42 games played and is committed to Massachusetts-Lowell.

Muskegon would have another first round pick at 8th overall and would select Forward Haralds Egle from Liepaje, Latvia. This past season, Egle played with the Portland Jr. Pirates out of the Eastern Junior Hockey League and tallied 48 points (22 goals and 26 goals) in 39 games played.

Prior to playing for Portland, Egle spent the 2011-12 season with the Green Mountain Glades of the Empire Junior Hockey League and recorded 47 points (18 goals and 29 assists) in 32 games played.

The Lumberjacks would move on to the second round where they would have the second pick courtesy of a previous trade with the Tri-City Storm and draft Forward C.J. Smith from Richfield, Minnesota at 17th overall. Smith spent the past two seasons with the Austin Bruins out of the North American Hockey League and scored 92 points (47 goals and 45 assists) to go along with a plus-35 rating in 129 games played.

With their second pick in the second round at 23rd overall, the Lumberjacks would use the pick on Forward Matheson Iacopelli out of Brownstown, Michigan. Iacopelli spent the 2012-13 season with the Belle Tire Midget Major Team and recorded 53 points (31 goals and 22 assists) in 47 games played.

Muskegon would continue their draft into the third round at 37th overall and choose Forward James Winkler out of York, Maine. Winkler is a Northeastern commit and scored 25 goals this past season with Berwick Academy (Maine).

With their lone pick in the fourth round at 53rd overall, Muskegon would select Defenseman Jake McCarthy from Dedham, Massachusetts. McCarthy appeared in 25 games this past season with St. Sebastian's (Massachusetts).

In the fifth round, the Lumberjacks would make a trade with the Sioux Falls Stampede and move up to the 53rd overall pick to draft Forward Michael Pontarelli from Laval, Quebec, Canada. Pontarelli spent the 2012-13 season with the Cornwall Colts out of the Central Canada Hockey League and racked up 107 points (52 goals and 55 assists) in 53 games played to go along with 26 points (15 goals and 11 assists) in 19 playoff games.

The Lumberjacks quickly turn to the 71st overall pick in the fifth round in which they received from the Lincoln Stars in an earlier trade and would pick Forward Ryan Stevens from Euless, Texas. Stevens spent the previous two seasons with the Dallas Stars Midget Major Team and totaled 24 points (10 goals and 14 assists) in 40 games played during the 2011-12 season.

Muskegon would acquire the first pick in the sixth round at 76th overall in an earlier trade with the Indiana Ice and select Defenseman Brendan Smith from Centennial, Colorado. Smith spent this past season with the Colorado Thunderbirds Midget Minor Team and totaled 41 points (14 goals and 27 assists) in 45 games played.

Later in the sixth round at 83rd overall, the Lumberjacks would lean to Defenseman Carson Gatt from Farmington Hills, Michigan. Gatt is committed to Michigan State University has spent the last three seasons playing for Detroit Catholic Central High School.

Muskegon would then lean to a busy seventh round where they would have three picks in that round. The first pick would come at 92nd overall from an earlier trade with the Tri-City Storm, and they would draft Forward Patrick Russell from Birkerod, Denmark. Russell spent the 2012-13 season with the Linköping Under-20 Team out of the Swedish SuperElit League and totaled 39 points (18 goals and 21 assists) in 42 games played.

With their second pick in the seventh round at 98th overall, the Lumberjacks would select Defenseman Cameron Cooper out of Fraser, Michigan. Cooper spent the last two seasons with the Belle Tire Under-18 Team recording 40 points (6 goals and 34 assists) in 84 games played.

The Lumberjacks would then quickly turn to their third pick of the seventh round at 102nd overall in which they acquired from the Waterloo Black Hawks in an earlier trade. Muskegon would select Defenseman Daniel Billett out of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Billett spent the previous two seasons playing for Culver Military Academy out of the High Performance Hockey League.

With their lone eighth round pick, the Lumberjacks would draft Defenseman Johan Steen from Colleyville, Texas. Steen spent the last two seasons with the Dallas Stars Midget Minor Team.

In the ninth round, Muskegon would select their first goaltender of the night in Jeremy Wik from Naperville, Illinois. Wik has spent the previous two seasons with the Chicago Fury hockey program compiling a 1.94 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in 16 games played in 2011-12. Last season, Wik had an astounding 1.88 goals-against average to go along with a .925 save percentage.

Muskegon would lean on a Wisconsin product with their 10th round pick and draft Forward Charlie Parker from Verona. Parker has spent his first three years with the Verona Wildcats in the Wisconsin High School Hockey League where he accumulated 121 points (46 goals and 75 assists) in 83 games played.

In the 11th round, Muskegon would turn to Defenseman Sean Lang with their 158th overall pick out of Apple Valley, Minnesota. Lang spent the 2012-13 season with the Coulee Region Chill out of the North American Hockey League where he totaled 21 points (7 goals and 14 assists) in 55 games played.

The Lumberjacks would move on to the 12th round of the draft and select Forward Sam Berg with the 173rd overall pick from Beamsville, Ontario, Canada. Last season, Berg spent time with both the Buffalo Junior Sabres and Hamilton Red Wings out of the Ontario Junior Hockey League where he accumulated 15 points (3 goals and 12 assists) in 38 games played.

The draft would continue to the 13th round where Muskegon would use the 188th overall pick on Defenseman Spencer Cage out of Fishers, Indiana. Last season with Culver Military Academy, Cage totaled 21 points (6 goals and 15 assists) to go along with a sparkling plus-40 rating in 42 games played.

In the 14th round, the Lumberjacks would choose Forward Colin O'Neill out of Odenton, Maryland. O'Neill spent last season with the Washington Little Capitals accumulating 46 points (21 goals and 25 assists) and spent the 2011-12 season with the D.C. Capitals totaling 39 points (15 goals and 24 assists) in 40 games played. O'Neill is committed to Massachusetts-Lowell.

The 15th round would feature the Lumberjacks drafting 218th overall and picking Defenseman Stefan LeBlanc from Oakville, Ontario, Canada. LeBlanc spent last season with the Oakville Blades out of the Ontario Junior Hockey League tallying 35 points (4 goals and 31 assists) in 55 games played.

Muskegon would pick 233rd overall in the 16th round and select Defenseman Connor Frantti, who spent last season with Culver Military Academy.

The Lumberjacks would continue into the 17th round at 248th overall and select their second goaltender of the night in Ryan Larkin out of Clarkson, Michigan. Larking spent the previous two seasons with the Honeybaked hockey program in which he compiled a 2.27 goals-against average to go along with a .895 save percentage and three shutouts in 21 games played.

Muskegon would then pick in the 18th round at 263rd overall and draft Defenseman Jean Sebastian Taillefer out of Clifford, Pennsylvania. Taillefer spent the past season with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights out of the American Junior Hockey League.

In the 19th round at 278th overall, the Lumberjacks would select a winger in Forward Robbie DeMontis out of Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. This past season, DeMontis played for The Hill Academy (Canada) and piled up 95 points (36 goals and 59 assists) in 49 games played.

The 20th round would have the Lumberjacks picking 293rd overall and selecting Defenseman Jack Sloan out of Zionsville, Indiana. In the 2012-13 season, Sloan played for the Springfield Junior Blues out of the North American Hockey League totaling 21 points (7 goals and 14 assists) in 47 games played.

The Lumberjacks would march on to the 21st round at 308th overall and pick Forward Kevin Dineen from Faribault, Minnesota. The past two seasons, Dineen attended Shattuck St. Mary's and recorded 152 points (68 goals and 84 assists) in 95 games played.

Muskegon would continue on to the 22nd round with 323rd overall pick and choose Forward Bryce VanHorn. VanHorn has spent the previous two seasons with Port Huron Northern out of the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League in which he tallied 35 points (19 goals and 16 assists) in 29 games played during the 2011-12 season.

With the 338rd overall pick in the 23rd round, Muskegon would draft a Michigan product in Forward Josh Lammon out of Jackson, Michigan. Lammon has spent the last two seasons with the Victory Honda hockey program in which he totaled 28 points (15 goals and 13 assists) in 43 games played during the 2011-12 season followed by racking up 36 points (18 goals and 18 assists) in 44 games played during the 2012-13 season.

The Lumberjacks would use their final pick of the Phase Two Draft in the 24th round at 353th overall to select Forward Adam Brodecki from Stockholm, Sweden. Brodecki spent the last two seasons with the Bryn�"s hockey program in Sweden piling up 62 points (31 goals and 31 assists) in 46 games played during the 2011-12 season followed by accumulating 74 points (29 goals and 45 assists) in 59 games played.

Season ticket packages for the 2013-14 season are still on sale for the low price of $225 for adults and $150 for children ages 3-12 for the 30 home games provided next season. Fans can place their deposits by May 31st to receive a free parking pass good for all home games next season. For more information, fans can visit the Lumberjacks website at www.muskegonlumberjacks.com or by calling (231) 724-JACK (5225).

The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud members of the United States Hockey League, the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league and the leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The Lumberjacks' organization prides itself on developing not just premier hockey talent, but also exceptional young men outside the arena of sports. For more information, visit www.muskegonlumberjacks.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from May 7, 2013


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