John Vanbiesbrouck named Lumberjacks’ GM; USHL approves team sale

July 15, 2013October 8, 2013 MiHockey Staff

ushl top prospects faceoff — John Vanbiesbrouck drops the puck to kick off the 2013 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at the LC Walker Arena in Muskegon. (Michael Caples/MiHockey)

By Michael Caples –

The Muskegon Lumberjacks and the United States Hockey League had a pair of announcements today regarding the team’s leadership core.

West Michigan’s USHL club has officially named former NHL goaltender and Detroit native John Vanbiesbrouck as their new general manager and director of hockey operations, and confirmed their new ownership group.

Vanbiesbrouck, 49, recorded more wins (374) than any other American-born goaltender during his 20-year NHL career. The Detroit native won the 1986 Vezina Trophy, and appeared in three All-Star Games during a career that saw him record a 2.98 goals-against average and 40 shutouts.

The Lumberjacks confirmed that they have been sold to Ronald and Joel Friedman, along with former NHL players Chris and Peter Ferraro.

From the team’s release:

Ronald is currently a partner in the law firm of SilvermanAcampora, LLP based out of Jericho, New York and is also the Managing Director of the Long Island Gulls, one the East Coast’s premier youth hockey organizations. Ronald is also joined by his brother, Joel Friedman, who is also a co-founder with him in Clearview Capital Management, an investment and advisory group based out of New York.

Chris and Peter also got the chance to represent their country in two IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in 1992 and 1993 along with one World Championship in 2003 and were members on the 1994 U.S. Olympic team. They also co-founded Ferraro Brothers Hockey in Jericho, New York, a multi-platform company dedicated to encouraging, supporting, and sustaining youth hockey awareness, safety, and education through training on and off the ice along with charity and community events.

“Our group is thrilled at the warm welcome that we have received from the USHL and are proud to be a part of this league,” said Ronald J. Friedman. “We look forward to many years of success at historic L.C. Walker Arena, a premier sports and entertainment facility in West Michigan, as we continue to build a team on and off the ice that the community of Muskegon can be proud to call their own.”