Muskegon Signs Berzkalns to USHL Tender Agreement
November 20, 2023 - United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release
The Muskegon Lumberjacks announced today that they have signed forward Rudolphs Berzkalns to a USHL tender for the 2024-25 season.
A native of Cesis, Latvia, Berzkalns moved to the United States three years ago to join the Bishop Kearney Boys Hockey Program in Rochester, N.Y. In two seasons in Rochester Berzkalns has recorded 115 points in 118 games through the 14U and 15U levels.
"We are so excited to add Rudy to our program," said Steve Lowe, Muskegon's President of Hockey Operations. "He is a world class person first and foremost, Rudy is very mature for his age and after getting to know him over several months we couldn't be more excited to add his character, his leadership qualities, and his love for the game to our group in Muskegon in the 24-25 season."
"It's always a good thing when a player of Rudy's caliber chooses to play for your team," said Parker Burgess, Muskegon's head coach. "It speaks volumes about the organization, and we are just as excited about welcoming Rudy to our team. It's important to know where Rudy is coming from. The Bishop Kearney program is consistently producing high level talent, and Rudy is one of the many USHL ready players to come out of that program."
The USHL tender process allows teams to sign up to two 2008 birth year players in exchange for their first and second-round picks in the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft. As a result of signing Berzkalns the Lumberjacks surrender their first-round pick in Phase I of the USHL Draft this upcoming spring. Each tendered player will be on their respective team's roster the next season and play at least 55% of the team's regular season games.
Berzkalns becomes the 14th tender in Lumberjacks team history, joining Cameron Aucoin (2023), Owen Keefe (2022), Sacha Boisvert (2022), Gavin McCarthy (2021), Carson Rehkopf (2021), Owen Mehlenbacher (2020), Ivan Miroshnichenko (2020), Dylan Gratton (2019), Alex Gaffney (2018), Andrei Svechnikov (2016), Graham Lillibridge (2015), Mitch Eliot (2014) and Chaz Switzer (2013).
United States Hockey League Stories from November 20, 2023
- Fighting Five: Friday Night in Omaha - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Dahlmeir Repeats as USHL Goalie of the Week - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Burnevik Wins USHL Forward of the Week - Madison Capitols
- Burnevik, Gruba and Dahlmeir Selected for League Honors - USHL
- Lumberjacks Tender 2008 Forward Rudolfs Berzkalns from Bishop Kearney - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Muskegon Signs Berzkalns to USHL Tender Agreement - USHL
- Thanksgiving in Party Town - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Gamblers Split Weekend Series with Madison - Green Bay Gamblers
- USHL Sunday Rewind - USHL
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.
