USHL News
February 16, 2010

USHL Expands to Muskegon, Michigan for 2010-11The United States Hockey League today announced that it will expand to Muskegon, Michigan and a new membership will begin play in the 2010-11 season, bringing the League's total to 16 Member Clubs.

"This is a red-letter day for the USHL," said Commissioner Skip Prince. "Together with USA's Hockey's NTDP team out of Ann Arbor, the entry of Muskegon into the USHL places us squarely in the midst of one of hockey's hotbeds in Michigan, and in front of some of the most knowledgeable fans in the game."

The new Muskegon organization, which will be known as the Muskegon Lumberjacks, will be owned and operated by Blue Ox Hockey and Lou and Josh Mervis. Part of the USHL since the League acquired its exclusive Tier I designation by USA Hockey in 2002, the Mervis family originally operated the USHL Danville (Illinois) Wings. Mervis Industries, the family's principal business, is a leader in manufacturing and recycling of industrial by-product which operates in 12 cities throughout the Midwest.

"We spent a lot of time and effort exploring multiple cities that would be a solid USHL market, but Muskegon clearly established itself as not only the right fit for us, but for the League," said Josh Mervis.

"The city has a rich tradition of hockey and a knowledgeable fan base whose passion and loyalty rivals hockey fans anywhere in North America."

The new Muskegon team will play its home games at L.C. Walker Arena, a multi-purpose facility which seats 5,100 for hockey games. Blue Ox Hockey will also operate L.C. Walker Arena in a joint venture with Jeff and Stacey Patulski, who have managed the building in addition to holding ownership of a hockey organization in Muskegon for the past two seasons. Tim Taylor, a well-respected hockey executive and native of Muskegon, will assume the position of COO of the USHL Lumberjacks.

"The opportunity for the USHL to have strong, committed, experienced local management in Muskegon, a city that has hosted this great game in numerous leagues for fifty years, is a statement by all of us – the League, the city and its great fans, and the Mervis family – that the pinnacle of USA Hockey's development model has a home here," said Commissioner Prince.

Muskegon becomes the second Michigan entry into the USHL, as the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) became a full-time member of the League prior to this season. With the recent addition of the Dubuque (Iowa) Fighting Saints and the expansion to Muskegon, the USHL will have an all-time high of 16 Member Clubs for the 2010-11 season.

can you spell watered down?

With the 3 new USHL and 5 new NAHL teams, (8 teams with 23 players minimum, or AT LEAST 184 additional player from AAA). Look for that level to be impacted the most. It's an easy financial decision, but only for those that are mature enough to move away from home.

6 New NAHL Teams coming into play next year:

Aberdeen Wings
Austin Bruins
Chicago Hitmen
Coulee Region Chill
Dawson Creek Rage
Fresno Monsters

This is a lot of new teams and will water down league with more travel, players who would not have spots. Parents pick up some costs as usual in NAHL.

2 New USHL Teams coming into plat next year

Dubuque Fighting Saints-Closer to Chi-town in the area of Iowa teams.
Muskegon Lumberjacks-Established in area with player base near Indy and Chi-town.

This is a good expansion for league, and good options for Chi-town players. It will dilute, but it remains to be seen.

Hockey »
Kevin Patrick tabbed the first coach for the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks
By Ron Rop | Muskegon Chronicle
March 11, 2010, 5:44AM

Kevin PatrickKevin Patrick has been named the first head coach of the United States Hockey League’s Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Patrick, 41, is currently an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team and will be pulling double duty until the Badgers’ season is over.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to be back in the USHL, the premier junior hockey league in the United States,” said Patrick, who has spent the last 12 years in the college ranks and overall has been coaching for 17 years.

“I’m really looking forward to bringing those top players to Muskegon,” said Patrick, who was a four-year letterwinner as a defenseman at the University of Notre Dame. He was a team captain his last two seasons with the Irish.

He played four games professionally, two for the St. Thomas Wildcats in the old Colonial Hockey League and two games for the New Haven Senators of the American Hockey League.
From there, it’s been all coaching for the native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

He began his coaching career for Deerfield Academy, a prep school in Massachusetts. He spent one season in the USHL as an assistant coach and assistant general manager for the Green Bay Gamblers. He’s also been active in USA Hockey and served as a coach in several Select Festivals from 2002-2005.

He spent four years as an assistant coach at Union College in New York, followed by three years as an assistant at Bowling Green and the last five as an assistant at Wisconsin. In his first season at Wisconsin, he helped the Badgers capture the NCAA championship.

Currently, the Badgers are preparing for the WCHA playoffs, which begin Friday.

“We are thrilled to have Kevin Patrick lead the Muskegon organization during our first season in the USHL,” Lumberjack owner Josh Mervis said. “His knowledge of the game and superb track record of recruiting student-athletes made him the ideal person to develop a culture of success both on and off the ice in Muskegon.”

Patrick is married to Julie and they have two sons, James, 7, and John, 5.

The similariies between the new USHL Muskegon team and the INDY Ice are interesting. Both organizations are in cities with former Pro-league teams and have owners previously involved with higher level teams. The similarities continue with the naming of Kevin Patrick as head coach in Muskegon. Patrick like Jeff Blashill comes from D1 hockey where both held positions as assistants in charge of recruitment. Both college programs with these recruiters developed into top D1 programs and NCAA title contenders.

Will be interesting to see if Patrick's college success translates into USHL success as has been the case for Blashill.

Josh Mervis will run this franchise into the ground. He is an absolute blow hard that name drops people that he doesn't even know. Untrustworthy and a backstabbing loser. I wouldn't send my pet monkey to play anywhere near this Douche. I'm surprised the city of Muskegon bought his line of crap. good luck. franchise will be dead in 2 years because everyone will run from this guy, including players and coaches.

scooter, It's going on three years but I think you're right. Nobody can stand the guy

Blue Ox lost to Sapp Brothers early in their truck stop effort. I just hope if they are political in the hockey world, the loose again!