Hockey Programs

1989-90 Regular Season--Lumberjacks vs. Flint Spirits      The Muskegon Lumberjacks were coming off their second Turner Cup championship of the 1980s. Ever since Larry Gordon purchased the franchise in 1984, the Lumberjacks were at or near the top of the league standings, winning 50+ games every year but on in that stretch. The Lumberjacks were the primary affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.      1989-90 was no different, as Blair MacDonald's team once again won the Huber Trophy as regular season champions. Their 55-21-6 record was four points behind second place Kalamazoo and just two ahead of West Division champ Indianapolis.      Muskegon was tied for the league lead in goal-scoring, pumping in 389 goals (tied with Kalamazoo). Dave Michayluk led the team with 51 goals and 102 points. Two players had 40+ goals (Scott Gruhl and Perry Ganchar) and three others had at least 25.      The Lumberjacks allowe...

1985-86 Season--Opponent Unknown      By the mid-1980s, pro hockey in Muskegon had nearly collapsed. The Mohawks franchise had bottomed out, drawing few fans and losing hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past decade. After a miserable 19-55-8 season in 1983-84, the franchise was purchased by Larry Gordon for $1."I put a $1.00 bill on the table and they refused the offer. I told them I'd be at the Holiday Inn...a short time later, I received a call and they accepted the offer," Gordon recalled years later.      Gordon's cheap purchase was a godsend for Muskegon hockey. The team was renamed "Musekgon Lumberjacks" and the roster was overhauled, as only three Mohawks remained. Gordon also hired Rick Ley as Head Coach/President of Hockey Operations. The new Lumberjacks did a 180-degree turnaround in 1984-85, going 50-29-3 and reaching the Turner Cup Finals.      The Lumberjacks were a secondary affiliate of the Quebec Nordiq...