MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS HOCKEY

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The Muskegon Lumberjacks didn't take long to fill their vacancy on defense. Two days after trading Geoff Patton to Bloomington, the Jacks announced they signed hulking defenseman Alex Lamontagne, a 6-5, 230-pound rookie.

He played 22 games with Gatineau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

"He's a giant defenseman who brings all the attributes a coach wants," said Lumberjack coach Bruce Ramsay. "He has offensive skills, he's big, he's tough and he's not afraid to drop the gloves. I'm excited about our new defenseman and I'm sure all the fans will be as well."

Lamontagne, a native of Crabtree, Quebec, is expected to make his Lumberjack debut tonight in Flint.

Maxime Lincourt

It's safe to say Maxime Lincourt's confidence level is at an all-time high.

The rookie centerman for the Muskegon Lumberjacks is getting ample ice time, he's tied for second on the team in scoring with 12 points and he's been named the International Hockey League's rookie of the week the last two weeks.

Not bad for a late addition to the Lumberjacks training camp roster. Lincourt signed two days prior to the start of camp back in October.

"It's going better than I expected," said the 21-year-old native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. "I had a rough year last year because I wasn't playing a lot."

For those wondering how much Muskegon missed the presence of Todd Robinson, take a look at what he's done the first eight games for the Lumberjacks.

Robinson scored two goals and assisted on the other three Saturday night in the Lumberjacks' 5-2 victory over the Flint Generals in a game that drew 2,254 spectators to L.C. Walker Arena.

It would be a bit premature to call the seventh game of the regular season a key game in the International Hockey League season.

But on Friday night, the Muskegon Lumberjacks' 6-4 victory over the Fort Wayne Komets did give them some kind of idea where they stand against the defending Turner Cup champions.

I had a nice chat with Muskegon Lumberjack coach Bruce Ramsay on Monday morning after practice. Actually, it wasn't that nice of a chat since most of what we talked about was injuries and lackluster play, especially on Saturday night in Kalamazoo.

His team is in need of some help and he's looking near and far to improve his hockey club.

Muskegon Lumberjack coach Bruce Ramsay said he wouldn't stand pat when it came to improving his roster.

Today, the Lumberjacks added two players, a forward and a defenseman.

You can find statistics on just about anything you want nowadays.

Through three games, the Muskegon Lumberjacks have won two, both at home, and lost one on the road.

PORT HURON -- The Muskegon Lumberjacks fought back from a 5-0 first-period deficit on Saturday before falling 6-4 in Port Huron.

The host Icehawks scored five first-period goals -- including two by Jeremy Tucker -- to take a 5-0 lead after one period.