Lumberjacks Choose Third-Year Veteran Owen Mehlenbacher as Team Captain
October 6, 2022 – United States Hockey League (USHL) – Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
The Muskegon Lumberjacks have a captain, and it’s the same guy who was wearing the “C” on his jersey last weekend on a temporary basis.
Veteran forward Owen Mehlenbacher, a third-year Lumberjack, is now the official captain following a vote of the players earlier this week.
Forward David Hymovitch and defenseman Tyler Dunbar were elected as assistant captains.
Mehlenbacher, 18, broke in with the Lumberjacks in 2020-21, totaling 8 goals and 4 assists in 46 games. He had a breakout year last season, with 17 goals and 25 assists in 56 games. He has one goal so far this season in three games.
He was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the seventh round of the National Hockey League draft last summer and will begin his collegiate hockey career at the University of Wisconsin next season.
Mehlenbacher was a favorite to inherit the captain’s role from Jack Williams, last year’s team leader, but the coaches decided to wait until a few weeks into the regular season to let the players determine for themselves who was taking a leadership role.
The players clearly respect Mehlenbacher and wanted him to keep the “C” on his jersey, according to Lumberjacks head coach Mike Hamilton.
“Our captains are usually chosen by the team, and this was the team speaking,” Hamilton said. “This is the guy they want to take orders from, someone they feel will do things the right way, on and off the ice. It’s a huge tip of the cap from the team to be selected.
“This is Owen’s third year with us and he’s been through it all. He’s played under a couple of different captains and saw their styles, and he’s grown as a person. He went from being a young guy who was in and out of the lineup to an NHL draft pick, and he has a lot to offer. It’s going to be exciting to see what he brings to the job.”
Mehlenbacher, who has never been a team captain before, is excited about the new challenge.
“It feels great,” he said. “The last two seasons have taught me a lot. They gave me a good base to start and helped me grow as a leader.”
Mehlenbacher said he watched and learned a lot from the two previous captains, Williams and Dylan Wendt (2020-21).
“I will be trying to follow up on what they did and how they served as role models for the younger guys,” he said.
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