Jason Lawmaster signs on for 2005-06

Published on August 3, 2005 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, MI.--- It seems that it might be evolving into a somewhat early harvest in the off-season for the two-time reigning Colonial Cup Champions of the United Hockey League, the Muskegon Fury, as minor pro hockey and the UHL's winningest franchise continues to make some most positive inroads in re-loading their talented roster for their latest title defense and the 2005-06 season. With three league crowns claimed in the past four seasons and a grand total of an all-time UHL best four championships through the past six calendar years, the Muskegon organiza-tion appears to have advanced one step closer to completing their summer task.

Today, the Fury Club Owner and Team President Tony Lisman, in collaboration with Director of Hockey Opera-tions / Head Coach Todd Nelson, have announced that rugged, ruffian right wing / defenseman JASON LAWMAS-TER has assented to terms and signed a new one-year contract with the club for the upcoming 2005-06 UHL cam-paign. Adhering to club policy, terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

LAWMASTER, 26, will set sail on his seventh pro season, his third in the UHL and with the Fury. The muscular, mighty 6-1, 205lb native of the Detroit, MI suburb of Westland has enjoyed two top-drawer campaigns with the Muskegon club as an integral and instrumental member of the two consecutive coronated-crowned kingpins' campaigns.

In the Fury vintage season of Colonial Cup IV in 2004-05, Lawmaster achieved his best-ever career season as far as offensive scoring numbers are concerned. Demonstrating his exceptional value to the Fury squad through his exemplary versatility, he registered pro career bests in games played (76); goals (19); assists (34); and total points (53). In addition, for a second straight season, he led Muskegon in PIM with 238 while earning a sound and solid +11 rating. Included in the "Lawman's" total offensive output were 6-PPG, 3-GWG, 4-FG and 1-SHG. Always generating immense energy and a strong, intimidating physical presence in the "Team Title" lineup, the Fury's famous #34 culminated the regular phase of the season by capturing the Fury "Best Checker" Award for a second successive season.

In the Fury's skyrocketing, meteoric rise to the circuit's summit for a second straight season, Lawmaster continued to perform with great gargantuan gusto despite being felled with an injury in the opening round playoffs series against archrival Quad City. Limited to six post-season appearances, the right-hand shooting Fury supreme catalyst was 6(0-1-1) with 42-PIM and 13-SOG. Post-season excellence seems to define the Fury's latest signee, as this last Fury team championship was not only his second in as many years since his arrival in Muskegon, but also his fourth overall through the past six years.

Lawmaster's coach, Nelson, signaled a note of elation knowing that one of his more dynamic standouts is back to help spearhead another bid for the UHL's most coveted crown. "With two championships in a row, it is one of our top priorities to keep the core of our club together. That's what makes today's signing of Jason Lawmaster so important. His contributions to our club take-on many varied yet very valuable forms. He provides us outstanding versatility, being equally effective as both a defenseman and as a right wing or left wing. He offers us tremendous pro experience, having been a major part of four pro championships. He plays very hard every game, every night, bringing a true intimidating presence into our lineup. Jason knows his role quite well with our club and he continues to be a major, key part of our success."

In his initial season with the Fury in 2003-04, the year of Colonial Cup III, Lawmaster was Muskegon majestic. In 68-games, he assembled 25-points on 7-goals, 18-assists with a team-high 208-PIM while his lofty +23 rating was foremost for the hometown title timber team. The former ECHL luminary was utterly brilliant in the Fury's unprecedented, unparalleled, undefeated 11(11-0) playoffs' climb to the top of the Colonial Cup mountain, engineering 3-goals, 2-assists, 5-points and a +4 rating which was fourth best on the club. His goal-scoring touch-in-the-clutch was uncanny as two of his three playoff strikes represented GWGs. His first GWG strike set the tone and tenor for his squadron's remarkable post-season unsullied streak as it occurred in the very first playoff game, Game #1, of the opening round series against acrimonious archrival Quad City in the third period in Moline, IL and a 3-2 triumph. Lawmaster donned the hero's robes, again, in Game #2 of the Colonial Cup Finals against Elmira. In that tense, taut fraught affair, he uncorked the tie-breaking and penultimate GWG with great drama and suspense on a breakaway in the third period to break a 3-3 deadlock and send his team home with a thrilling 4-3 victory verdict. He capped his first Fury season by earning individual accolades in the form of two post-season team awards; namely the Fury Best Plus Player Award as well as the "Best Checker" Award.

Previous to his advent to Muskegon, Lawmaster was a four-year sparkplug in the ECHL with the Peoria Rivermen. In fact, in the 2002-03 season, he led his Peoria club to the league's second-best record among some 27-teams at 72(48-17-7)103-points, finishing a scant single point behind division rival Toledo for the regular season crown. Lawmaster spurred a Peoria team which led the league in victories with 48 while attaining the ECHL's premiere defensive mark for fewest GA at 181 for a stingy GAA of 2.51. His contribution was paramount to the cause as he became Peoria's top-scoring defenseman with 64(12-30-42), amassing 252-PIM and, again, a stellar +23 rating which was second best on the club.

In the 2001-02 season, he fueled the Rivermen to another close second-place standing in the ECHL Northwest Division as he, again, orchestrated his team's miserly manner on defense with his policeman-like prowess as Peoria grudgingly surrendered only 179-GA, just one more GA than top league-defending Trenton (178). Lawmaster also helped steer Peoria to two consecutive Northwest Division championships in the 2000-01 and 1999-00 seasons as well as the ultimate ECHL league-wide prize, the Kelly Cup crown, in his rookie year of 1999-00.

His abundance of talents has not gone unnoticed as four different times he has been elevated to serve significant stints in the AHL. The lifelong "Michiganian" has seen action in Kentucky (1999-00), Worcester (2000-01), Cincinnati (2000-01) and St. John (2001-02).

A breakdown of his overall pro career numbers read: 386(68-130-198) with 1,422-PIM. Prior to his pro career, he starred in the major junior ‘A' with his home state Plymouth Whalers and later with the Belleville Bulls. In 152-games, he was 152(17-66-83) with 556-PIM.

Today's signing of JASON LAWMASTER brings to seven the number of players currently under contract for the 2005-06 season with all seven representing returnees from Colonial Cup IV. Previously, Muskegon announced the player signings of goaltender CLAYTON POOL; defensemen DAVE VAN DRUNEN, CLAY WILSON; center TODD ROBINSON; right wings ROBIN BOUCHARD, RUSTYN DOLYNY.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



International Hockey League 2 Stories from August 3, 2005


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.

OurSports Central