| Muskegon Lumberjacks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Muskegon, Michigan |
| League | International Hockey League |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Operated | 2008–2010 |
| Home arena | L. C. Walker Arena |
| Colors | Black, gold, white |
| Owner(s) | Jeff and Stacey Patulski |
| General manager | Tim Taylor |
| Head coach | Rich Kromm |
| Media | WLAW (92.5) |
| Affiliates | AHL (higher): Grand Rapids Griffins AAHL (lower): Battle Creek Revolution Evansville IceMen[1] |
| Franchise history | |
| 1992–2008 | Muskegon Fury |
| 2008–2010 | Muskegon Lumberjacks |
| 2010–2016 | Evansville IceMen |
| 2017–present | Jacksonville Icemen |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 2 (1998–99, 2004–05) |
| Division titles | 4 (1996, 1999, 2005, 2007) |
| Colonial Cups | 4 (1999, 2002, 2004, 2005) |
TheMuskegon Lumberjacks was anInternational Hockey Leagueice hockey team located inMuskegon, Michigan. After the 2010 season, the team folded and Ron Geary, the owner of theEvansville IceMen of the AAHL, purchased the franchise rights of the former Muskegon Lumberjacks from the IHL. Geary then moved the franchise toEvansville, Indiana where they became theEvansville IceMen.
The Muskegon Fury were anInternational Hockey Leagueice hockey team located inMuskegon, Michigan. The team's colors wereteal,purple, andblack. The Fury were established in 1992 after the originalMuskegon Lumberjacks of theprevious International Hockey League relocated toCleveland, Ohio. Up to that point, hockey had been in Muskegon for 32 consecutive seasons and Tony Lisman, owner and president of the Fury, would not let that tradition end. Lisman kept his vow to keep hockey in Muskegon by establishing the Fury in the one-season-oldColonial Hockey League (CoHL).
The Fury made it to theColonial Cup finals intheir third season after losing in the first round of the playoffs after their first two seasons. However, they lost to theThunder Bay Senators in six games. In the1995–96 season, they won their division but were upset in the first round to theDetroit Falcons in five games. Erin Whitten,[2] one of the few female hockey players to play professionally, played for the Fury during the1995–96 season before being traded to theFlint Generals.[3]
The CoHL was renamed the United Hockey League in 1997. In the1998–99 season, the Fury finished with the best record during the regular season and won their first Colonial Cup by defeating theQuad City Mallards in six games. The Fury would win their second title in2002. Despite finishing third in their division during the2003–04 season, the Fury would win their third championship by going undefeated through all eleven games of the three playoff series to claiming the Colonial Cup. They won the regular season championship in2004–05 and a back-to-back Colonial Cup championship.
On August 30, 2006, Bruce Ramsay was named the head coach for the2006–07 season, replacingTodd Nelson who had accepted the assistant coaching position for theChicago Wolves a few days earlier after three head coaching seasons in Muskegon.
In 2007, the United Hockey League changed names again to the International Hockey League in honor of the now defunct league.
On September 12, 2008, new owners Stacey Patulskey, Jeff Patulskey and Tim Taylor changed the team's name from the Muskegon Fury to the Lumberjacks to reflect back on what many remember as the glory days of hockey in Muskegon.
Head coach Bruce Ramsay resigned after the2008–09 season to become the head coach of theTulsa Oilers in theCentral Hockey League. Ramsay was replaced for the2009–10 season by Rich Kromm.
On February 8, 2010 it was announced that the Lumberjacks franchise would fold following the 2009–10 season.[4] The announcement coincided with theUnited States Hockey League awarding an expansion team to Muskegon taking on the nameMuskegon Lumberjacks.[4] On June 23, 2010, the International Hockey League announced that Ron Geary had finalized the transaction to purchase the Muskegon Lumberjacks' IHL franchise from the IHL and move it toEvansville, Indiana, as theEvansville IceMen at the conclusion of the 2009–10 IHL season.[5] However, the IHL would not play another season and the remaining teams, including the new IceMen, joined the Central Hockey League.
From 2008 to 2010, the Lumberjacks were affiliated with theGrand Rapids Griffins of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL). In 2008, the Evansville IceMen of theAll American Hockey League (AAHL) served as a farm team affiliate. In 2009, theBattle Creek Revolution of the AAHL served as the farm team affiliate.[1]
| Year | League | Trophy |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | UHL | Colonial Cup |
| 2001–02 | UHL | Colonial Cup |
| 2003–04 | UHL | Colonial Cup |
| 2004–05 | UHL | Colonial Cup |
NOTE: The league's name has changed over the years from the Colonial Hockey League (until 1997), United Hockey League (1997–2007), and the International Hockey League (2007–2010).