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USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Five Players Highlight Muskegon in NHL Central Scotuing Final Rankings

April 12, 2016 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, MI - The Muskegon Lumberjacks are excited to announce that five players with ties to the organization were released on the NHL Central Scouting Service final rankings for the upcoming 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Matthew Cairns, Mitch Eliot, Kenny Johnson, Rem Pitlick and Eric Schierhorn all represent the city of Muskegon and the Lumberjacks in the final release.

Eliot, a native of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, is the 132nd rated prospect among North American skaters. The defenseman completed his second season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks this season, and his USHL career numbers total five goals and 12 assists in 113 games. The physical two-way defenseman is committed to Michigan State University following his junior hockey career, and was the Muskegon Lumberjacks tender for the 2014-2015 season. The 6'0", 190 pound prospect, captained the United States team in the Hlinka Memorial Cup this past summer, and was also a participant in the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game in September, and the USHL Top Prospects game in January.

Pitlick, a native of Plymouth, Minnesota, is rated as the 93rd overall prospect among North American skaters. The forward is in his second year of draft eligibility, and has become a highly touted USHL prospect after his record breaking season. The USHL scoring champ finished the season with a total of 89 points in 56 games, while also becoming the fourth skater in USHL Tier One (2002-Present) history, to score at least forty goals in one season. Pitlick is in his second season in the USHL, and first with Muskegon after being acquired from the Waterloo Black Hawks last summer. In his first season with Waterloo, Pitlick played in 47 games, collecting 16 points. The 5'9" 194 pound prospect was a participant in the USHL Top Prospects game, and also spent his youth hockey days playing for the historic Shattuck St. Mary's Program. Pitlick is committed to the University of Minnesota following his junior hockey career.

Schierhorn, an Anchorage, Alaska native, was named to the final rankings as the 26th rated North American goaltender. The Lumberjacks alumni just completed his freshman season with the University of Minnesota, leading them to a second place finish in the Big Ten. In 31 games this season, Schierhorn recorded a 2.67 goals against average and .907 save percentage, while posting a record of 17-14-0. The netminder led the big Ten in wins (17) and shutouts (3) to earn to Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. Schierhorn was also nominated for the 2016 Mike Richter Award, which honors the most outstanding goaltender. Schierhorn spent two seasons with the Muskegon Lumberjacks posting a combined record of (46-30-6), and helping lead the Lumberjacks to their first Clark Cup Finals appearance last season.

Cairns and Johnson are both affiliate players in the Muskegon Lumberjacks organization. Cairns, a defenseman from Mississauga, Ontario, and according to the NHL Central Scouting Service rankings, Cairns is the highest rated prospect inside the Lumberjacks organization. Cairns is the 86th rated prospect by NHL Central Scouting, and was an 11th round pick by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the 2015 Phase Two Draft. In 46 games in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, Cairns has scored nine goals and collected 24 assists for the Georgetown Raiders. Cairns is committed to Cornell University following his junior hockey career.

Johnson, a native of Ann Arbor Michigan, currently plays for Shattuck St. Mary's Prep. Johnson, the brother of NHL veteran Jack Johnson, is listed as the 117th North American prospect. The defenseman registered seven goals and 23 assists in 40 games this season, and was a 6th round draft pick by the Chicago Steel in the 2014 Phase 1 draft. The Lumberjacks acquired Johnson in a trade for Trevor Hamilton back in late January. The 6'3" 214 pound defenseman is committed to the University of Michigan following his junior hockey career.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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