2024 USHL Draft Review: Muskegon Lumberjacks

Ryan Sikes

Jun 9, 2024, 22:33

Ryan Sikes

Jun 9, 2024, 22:33

The Muskegon Lumberjacks signed two players to USHL tender agreements and added a wealth of experienced forwards in the Phase II portion.

The Muskegon Lumberjacks were one of the first teams to sign a player to a USHL tender agreement for the 2024-25 season. The Jacks inked forward Rudolfs Berzkalns way back in mid-November, becoming the 14th tender in franchise history.

Berzkalns, who turned 16 in March and is listed at 6-foot and 165 pounds, spent this past season with the Bishop Kearney Selects 15U team, where his 63 points, coming on 24 goals and 39 assists, were the third-most on the team. The left-shot forward also got a look with the 18U team for six games, recording a goal and an assist during his time there.

"He's big. He uses his reach and his length and his size to protect pucks down low," Lumberjacks head coach Parker Burgess told The Hockey News. "He's not shy to take (the puck) to the net. He's able to think the game and make plays at a pretty high level.

"Like any 16-year-old, there's a lot of his game that still needs to be enhanced and polished and things like that. His ability to own the middle of the ice and down low on the corners and front of the net with his size, his reach, and he's got good hands for a big man and good hands in tight, and he's able to finish off some plays. We're going to give him lots of opportunities so that we can reap the benefits down the stretch."

In addition to signing Berzkalns, the Lumberjacks fulfilled both tender options for the 2024-25 season, signing forward Tynan Lawrence in mid-February.

Listed at 6-foot and 168 pounds, the left-shot forward, who hails from Fredericton, New Brunswick, spent last year at the prestigious Shattuck St. Mary's prep school. There, Lawrence, who turns 16 in August, tallied 49 points on 22 goals and 27 assists in 50 games played.

"Ty is going to be the real deal," Burgess said. "He can skate, he can shoot, he can make plays. He's a very complete player, which is pretty unique at that age. A lot of those young players, they're either highly offensive or they're more of a defensive player, or more of a role guy, and Ty does a little bit of everything.

"We were able to see him for a couple of days. He came out and skated when he had a little bit of a break there at Shattuck. When you have Matvei (Gridin) and Sacha (Boisvert) and those guys coming up, being like, 'Who's this kid?' When those guys are saying it, you have a pretty good idea that you have something special.

"He's a complete hockey player, thinks the game at an extremely high level, and has great hands and great vision. He's got a nice combination where he's not just the scorer. He's not just a passer. He can do it all offensively, and he's also very intuitive and responsible with his play without the puck, too."

Within the USHL Phase I Draft, Muskegon selected seven forwards and four defensemen. Among those defenders, the Lumberjacks drafted Lars Hutson with the 73rd overall pick in the fifth round. Hutson, who is the younger brother of Quinn, Lane, and Cole, played for the Team Illinois 15U team in 2023-24. He chipped in five goals and 13 assists, making his 18 points the second-most among defensemen on the roster.

Hutson is similar in stature to his older brothers—5-foot-7 and 120 pounds—and presents a similar skillset as a highly dynamic playmaker from the blueline.

"Being the youngest of the four brothers, he's got a bit of an edge to him," Burgess said of the selection. "He's probably had to fight and scrap his way out to keep up with his older brothers. But he has a high-level hockey IQ. He's very shifty and plays with his head up. He's not afraid to defend and battle in front of the net and in the corners. He can run a power play. He sees the ice really well. He just controls the game when the puck is on the stick and is pretty similar to a couple of his brothers, so we got a good one there. We're excited for him."

Here is a look at the Muskegon Lumberjacks' entire 2024 USHL Phase I Draft class:

Round 1, Pick 13: Rudolfs Berzkalns, F (Tender)

Round 2, Pick: Nate Celski, D

Round 2, Pick 28: Tynan Lawrence, F (Tender)

Round 3, Pick 40: Noah Survilas, F

Round 3, Pick 43: Ryder Cali, F

Round 5, Pick 73: Lars Hutson, D

Round 7, Pick 92: Will McLaughlin, D

Round 7, Pick 102: Roberts Naudins, F

Round 7, Pick 103: Keaton Martin, F

Round 8, Pick 118: Max Cullen, F

Round 9, Pick 128: Cole Anderson, D

Round 9, Pick 133: Pavel Goryachev, F

Round 10, Pick 148: Kristian Reznicak, F

With key players Sacha Boisvert, Matvei Gridin, and Ethan Whitcomb, among others, moving on to the next level, the Muskegon Lumberjacks primarily focused on adding to their forward group in the USHL Phase II Draft.

A fair amount of returning players are expected on the back end for the upcoming 2024-25 season, but Muskegon desired a blueliner with a year of junior hockey under his belt who can play big minutes right away.

Enter Drew Mackie. The Jacks selected the 18-year-old defenseman with the 13th overall pick in the first round. Mackie, listed at 6-foot and 168 pounds, spent this past season with the NAHL's Aberdeen Wings. There, he finished tied for the most points (27) among blueliners and the fifth-most assists (23) on the team overall.

"The one thing we loved when we were really digging in and watching him is it seemed like every play he made, the puck was advanced," Burgess said of the pick. "Like, if the puck's on Drew's stick, it's going to end up in the neutral zone and on somebody's tape. If he gets (the puck) in the neutral zone, it's for sure getting in the offensive zone.

"He's able to make high-level breakout plays. He's a great skater. He likes to get up and down the ice and pick his spots. He's got some tenacity to his defense in front of the net and in the corners."

Following up on the Mackie selection, the Lumberjacks began a run of nine forwards in the next ten draft picks, beginning with Gleb Burlaka in the second round.

Muskegon is no stranger to finding quality European talent, with recent examples in forward Matvei Gridin in the 2022 Phase II Draft and goaltender Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev as a mid-season signing this past year. The 17-year-old, listed at 5-foot-11 and 150 pounds, skated with the Avangard Omsk U17 in Russia during the 2023-24 season. Burlaka led the teams in goals (20), assists (44), and points (64).

"If you're a young Russian player or you're an advisor for a young Russian player, I think you would want to put them in a position with a team that's going to have patience and understanding and see the big picture," Burgess said of the Burlaka selection.

"There's a transition for sure. It's not easy culturally or hockey-wise, and maybe there's some other places where that player's not going to get as much of an opportunity, or the organization may not have as much patience with them. We've done a good job building a reputation that doesn't matter where you're from: U.S., Canada, Russia, Sweden.

"If you're a good person, you're a good kid, you work hard, and you can play the game, we've got room for you here. It was more or less that we had done some digging on the kid and knew the agency. They obviously knew our track record with Russian players, and they just seemed like a perfect fit, and we're excited for him."

Here is a look at the Muskegon Lumberjacks' entire 2024 USHL Phase II Draft class:

Round 1, Pick 13: Drew Mackie, D

Round 2, Pick 28: Gleb Burlaka, F

Round 4, Pick 51: Carter Sanderson, F

Round 5, Pick 68: Raiden LeGall, G

Round 5, Pick 73: Jack Christ, F

Round 6, Pick 77: Matthew Manza, F

Round 6, Pick 83: Isac Nielsen, F

Round 8, Pick 120: Brady Milburn, F

Round 9, Pick 135: CJ Watroba, F

Round 10, Pick 141: Sebastian Vitali, F

Round 10, Pick 150: Aidan Pasic, F