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Muskegon Lumberjacks

Lumberjacks Hire Manny Legace as Goaltender Coach

November 14, 2012 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, Michigan (November 14th) - The Lumberjacks are excited to announce the hiring of former Detroit Red Wings Goaltender and NHL veteran, Manny Legace, to take over the goaltending coaching responsibilities for the organization.

Legace, the Toronto, Ontario native, spent 11 seasons playing in the National Hockey League, with six of them being with the Detroit Red Wings (1999-2004, 2005-06). He also spent three seasons playing with the St. Louis Blues (2006-09) and one season each with the Los Angeles Kings (1998-99) and Carolina Hurricanes (2009-10). Legace won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings during the 2001-02 season and accumulated 191 career victories in the NHL, with 126 coming as a member of the Red Wings. Legace says that the best moments of his career was when he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings.

"Winning the Stanley Cup in 2002 and making the Red Wings roster after camp in 2000 were the best moments of my professional career," Legace said. "When (General Manager) Ken Holland called me up and told me to make a home for myself in Detroit, it was the best feeling for me because all my hard work and dedication to making myself better had paid off in the end."

Legace is no stranger to Lumberjacks Head Coach Jim McKenzie, who played against him during his 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. McKenzie praises the Lumberjacks for hiring Legace to the coaching staff due to his experience and wealth of knowledge that he brings to the sport of hockey.

"Manny Legace is a class act on and off the ice, and he played the game of hockey the way it should be played," said McKenzie. "Manny (Legace) brings forth experience and knowledge to the game that will help our goaltenders in the long run, and he is a great asset that will also benefit the team overall."

In his short time in Muskegon, Legace has been impressed with the Lumberjacks organization as a whole in terms of the players, front office staff, and facility upgrades. Legace says that the Lumberjacks have already gone above and beyond in terms of conveying the brand of hockey they want to establish.

"I have only been here (in Muskegon) for a few days and from the first moment in stepped into the building, I was blown away by the facilities they had to offer," said Legace. "The Mervis family runs a first-class, professional organization that caters to the needs of the team and fans of the Muskegon Lumberjacks."

Legace will split time between Muskegon and the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he also serves as a goaltender coach.

"Manny Legace is a great addition to the Muskegon Lumberjacks organization. His wealth of knowledge and experience playing the game of hockey will be a valuable asset to the team," said Lumberjacks Owner, CEO, and General Manager Josh Mervis. "The hiring of Manny Legace shows that the Lumberjacks are committed to hiring quality people to teach our players how to be successful young men in college, their professional careers, and life overall."

The Lumberjacks will hit the road on Friday for a 7:05 pm puck drop against the Indiana Ice. The next home contest will be this Saturday for a 7:15 pm start against Eastern Conference foe, the Youngstown Phantoms, for Family Faiths Night and our Cans from Fans promotion. Tickets are available and can be purchased by visiting www.muskegonlumberjacks.com or 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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