USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks

Lumberjacks Hire Parker Burgess as Associate Head Coach

Published on August 26, 2022 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release


MUSKEGON, Mich. - Muskegon Lumberjacks Head Coach Mike Hamilton announced today that the team has hired Parker Burgess as Associate Head Coach ahead of the 2022-23 season.

"We're excited to welcome Parker and his entire family to the Lumberjacks," said Hamilton, entering his fifth season behind the Muskegon bench. "It was a pleasure getting to know more about Parker through the interview process, and his views and philosophies of the game align with ours, so we couldn't be more excited to bring him on our staff."

"First, I'd like to thank my wife, Jessie, and my son, Bowman, for their support through the process, as well as the Lumberjacks ownership group, Steve Lowe, Jim McGroarty, Mike Hamilton, and everyone involved in the Muskegon organization for this opportunity and for believing in what I'm about as a person and as a coach," said Burgess. "We wanted to make sure we were going to a really good spot in the USHL and we couldn't have picked a better place than Muskegon."

Muskegon Lumberjacks new assistant coach Parker Burgess

Burgess, 37, comes to Muskegon after previously serving as head coach and assistant general manager of the Janesville Jets in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for the last two seasons.

"I want to thank [Jets owner] Bill McCoshen, [Jets GM] Joe Dibble, and everyone with the Janesville Jets organization for the past two years," said Burgess. "My two years in Janesville were very incredible and memorable and this was a great opportunity for me to immerse myself in junior hockey and grow as a coach, as a leader, and as a person."

In his first season in Janesville, Burgess piloted the Jets to a Midwest Division championship with a 31-13-4-0 record in the regular season, earning him the Midwest Division Coach of the Year award. In 2021-22, Burgess's Jets racked up an 11-game win streak at the height of the season and finished just over .500 with a 34-25-0-1 record. In his two seasons behind the bench as head coach in Janesville, Burgess recorded a 66-41-4-1 record and was promoted to assistant general manager for the Jets at the conclusion of last season.

Before his time with the Jets, the Calgary, Alberta native was the head coach of Nichols College for five years, guiding the Bison to a 74-48-13 record, including a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship in 2017-18, while simultaneously turning Nichols College into an NCAA D-III hockey powerhouse in the national rankings.

Prior to Nichols, Burgess spent four seasons at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, his alma mater, as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Tommies.

Before moving behind the bench, the left-handed centerman played one season of NCAA D-I hockey with Robert Morris University in 2006-07 before transferring to NCAA D-III St. Thomas in 2007-08, where he skated in 50 games with the Tommies, scoring 20 goals and 21 assists for 41 points.

Burgess will take over the Associate Head Coach role, which was previously occupied by Cody Chupp, who departed Muskegon earlier in August for the college ranks as an assistant coach with Minnesota Duluth.

The Lumberjacks kick off the 2022-23 season with the annual DICK'S Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic against the Sioux Falls Stampede and the defending Anderson Cup champions Tri-City Storm on Sept. 22 and 23, respectively. Flannel Fest, Muskegon's annual home-opening tradition, returns for its second year on Friday, Sept. 30. Fans can enjoy face painting, live music, axe throwing, food trucks, and more. The party will continue into Trinity Health Arena as the Lumberjacks take on the Chicago Steel, with more axe throwing during the intermission. Tickets are now on sale and can be made available for purchase.

Check out the Muskegon Lumberjacks Statistics

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