MUSKEGON, MI – Before the regular season kicks off on Wednesday night with the 2025 Dick's Sporting Goods Fall Classic, the Muskegon Lumberjacks announced the opening night roster for the 2025-26 season. The roster features nine returners from the 2025 Clark Cup Championship-winning squad.
Included in the returning players is last season's Clark Cup Playoff MVP,
Tynan Lawrence (Fredericton, NB, CAN). In 56 games last season, Lawrence recorded 54 points, good for second among Lumberjacks skaters, trailing only
David Deputy (57), who joined the team halfway through the season already with 16 points to his name.
Rudolfs Berzkalns (Cesis, LAT) also returns for his second season in Muskegon and started the new year off on the right foot with a share of the team lead in points in the preseason with 3.
The Lumberjacks' line charts will feature a trio of NHL-drafted skaters with second-year skater
Carter Sanderson (Pierre, SD) (PIT, 2025 #169) joined by
Viktor Norringer (Kungsbacka, SWE) (NSH, 2024 #127), and
Melvin Novotny (Stockholm, SWE) (BUF, 2025 #195).
Among the new faces at Trinity Health Arena are three players with previous USHL experience.
Carl Axelsson (Danderyd, SWE) was acquired from the Sioux Falls Stampede early in the offseason and enters his second season in the league with a 1-1 record in 4 career games.
Jake Stuart (Manhattan Beach, CA) was selected by the Jacks in the Phase II Draft. Stuart spent each of the last two seasons at the National Team Development Program (NTDP), splitting time between the USHL, Kroger College Series, and international play with Team USA. Finally,
Chuck Blanchard (West Hartford, CT) was acquired by the Lumberjacks in the final week of the preseason. Blanchard played the 2024-25 season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, collecting 15 points in 55 games last season.
Ty Bergeron (Flat Rock, MI) is the youngest player on the Lumberjacks this season, as the only player with a 2009 birth year. While playing for the Honeybaked 15U AAA team last season, Bergeron signed a tender agreement with the Lumberjacks and is expected to play a large role in the team's success during his Draft-1 season.
The 2025-26 campaign is shaping up to be a good one for the Lumberjacks, starting with a rematch of last year's Clark Cup Final between Muskegon and the Waterloo Black Hawks on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. For a full numerical roster, head to muskegonlumberjacks.com, where more information on the season and upcoming games is also available.
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About the Muskegon Lumberjacks
The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States. The club's goal is to create an environment where student-athletes develop into successful young men, both on and off the ice. This includes playing the game the right way while maintaining academic excellence in the classroom and staying actively involved in the West Michigan community. The organization is committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and top-notch family entertainment while serving as positive role models for the youth and local community.
