MUSKEGON, MI – Ahead of the start of the 2026-27 season on Wednesday afternoon, the Muskegon Lumberjacks announced their finalized coaching staff, highlighted by the addition of 2022 Clark Cup Championship-winning coach Mike Fanelli.
 
 
Fanelli joins the Lumberjacks following two seasons in the Western Hockey League as an assistant coach with the Portland Winterhawks. During his time in Portland, Fanelli helped guide the Winterhawks to back-to-back 30-win seasons and a run to the Western Conference Final of the WHL Playoffs in 2025.
 
Prior to his time in the WHL, Fanelli spent the 2024 season in the National Hockey League with the Edmonton Oilers as a Video and Coaching Analytics Coordinator. During his lone season in Edmonton, Fanelli helped the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Final as Western Conference Champions.
 
The 2024 season marked Fanelli's fifth year working in the NHL. He previously spent four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2017-21, where he was part of two Stanley Cup Championship teams.
 
"Mike is a developer first," said Lumberjacks Head Coach Colten St. Clair. "He's had experience with players at the NHL level and been a part of a couple of Cup-winning teams. He's won a Clark Cup, too, and in both scenarios, he is the same coach. Detailed and genuinely interested in the player in front of him."
 
St. Clair and Fanelli are familiar with one another, having spent two seasons together with the Sioux City Musketeers from 2021-23. Under their direction, the Musketeers captured the Clark Cup in 2022, ending a 20-year championship drought for the franchise.
 
While Fanelli's championship experience at multiple levels of hockey is valuable, St. Clair believes it is Fanelli's commitment to player development that will make the biggest impact in Muskegon.
 
"Our players are going to be better because he's here," said St. Clair.
 
The Lumberjacks are thrilled to welcome Fanelli to Muskegon as the organization continues its commitment to developing players to their full potential while pursuing another Clark Cup Championship on the Lakeshore.
   
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.