x
Breaking News
More () »

Lumberjacks name Hamilton head coach

The Muskegon Lumberjacks announced Mike Hamilton as their fifth head coach in Lumberjacks history on Tuesday afternoon.

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Hockey history is being made for the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

On Tuesday, May 15, the Lumberjacks held a press conference at LC Walker Arena to announce big news -- they've hired a new head coach. Mike Hamilton will serve as the fifth head coach in franchise history.

"We're looking to build upon what's already been built," Hamilton said said. "Coach LaFontaine did a great job of instilling value in the guys in the community, making sure they carry themselves in the classroom. So those are things we're going to build upon."

Hamilton is from Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. and was an assistant coach this past season under John LaFontaine. He worked to develop players and their skills by analyzing videos of them on the ice.

Hamilton has coached hockey for almost 25 years -- he has helped players like Alec Martinez of the LA Kings, Bobby Ryan of the Ottawa Senators and Cam Fowler of the Anaheim Ducks, develop their skills and build their NHL careers.

Mike Hamilton is also the father of former Lumberjack captain Trevor Hamilton, who played in Muskegon from 2014-2016. Trevor Hamilton was named the Big Ten defensive player of the year this spring at Penn State University, and recently signed a one-year contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Which makes the Lumberjacks job that much sweeter for Mike.

"For my son to be hopefully down the street in Grand Rapids, or worst case scenario in Toledo, that just adds to it. To be able to have him close and be able to watch him play whenever possible is special."

The Lumberjacks say Hamilton will oversee Lumberjacks main camp that runs from May 24-27 at LC Walker Arena. The schedule will be released this week on muskegonlumberjacks.com.

The Lumberjacks also announced they hired Mike McCall as President of Business Operations. McCall has previously worked alongside the city of Muskegon to renovate LC Walker Arena. He plans on increasing the Lumberjacks visibility in the Muskegon area.

More information about Hamilton and McCall can be found here.

Catch a Lumberjacks game this season. Visit their website for their schedule and ticket prices.

►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.

April Stevens is a multi-platform producer at WZZM 13. Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.

Before You Leave, Check This Out