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Lumberjacks hire Mike Hamilton as head coach

Posted at 8:41 PM, May 15, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-15 23:34:31-04

MUSKEGON, Mich -- The Muskegon Lumberjacks named Mike Hamilton as head coach on Tuesday.

"I want to be very clear that there`s nothing here that`s broken" Hamilton said. "We`ve made the playoffs three of the last four seasons and four seasons ago they made the championship. So we`re looking to build upon what`s already been built."

Hamilton was the team's video coach last season but has spent many years coaching hockey at the youth level in the Detroit area. His focus will continue to be on player development.

"How we`ve changed as an organization internally. To what we offer the guys - the amount of ice, the training we offer, the video we offer - is from five years ago through the roof how far we`ve grown" Hamilton added. "To be a part of the growth here is exciting to me.

Hamilton's son, Trevor, played for the Lumberjacks and was the defensive player of the year in the Big Ten this season as a player at Penn State and was recently signed by the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League.

"For my son to be hopefully down the street in Grand Rapids or worst case scenario he`s in Toledo, that just adds to it" Hamilton said. "To be able to have him close and be able to watch him play will be awesome. So there`s not enough good things I can say about what`s going on around here. Not just with the hockey team, but with the community."

The Lumberjacks will begin the 2018-2019 season in October.