MUSKEGON – Joey Larson took the long route to the United States Hockey League, and is much older than many players are in their first full season.
That’s just fine with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. They’ve been looking for some scoring punch from their forwards, and if Larson’s three-goal performance on Friday was any indication, his time has finally arrived.
Most players in the league enter as draft picks when they are 16 or 17. It requires them to leave home, live with billet parents and finish high school by alternative means as they develop their hockey skills and earn college scholarships.
But Larson, 20, was pretty small throughout his teens, so he decided to stay home and play varsity hockey at Hartland High School. His potential was clear even at that lower level, and scouts took notice. He had 25 goals and 20 assists in his senior season, then signed with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League in Canada after he graduated in 2019.
Larson was very good in the BC league in 2019-20, accumulating 14 goals and 18 assists. He made the jump to the USHL last season with the Lincoln Stars, but only lasted 10 games before he was granted his release and joined the New Mexico Ice Wolves of the North American Hockey League, one step below the USHL.
[1]Again he stood out, totaling 19 goals and 15 assists.
Larson’s talent and performance in the lower leagues convinced the Lumberjacks to snag him in the second round of the USHL’s Phase 2 draft last spring, and he made the team in training camp this fall.
Now he leads the team with four goals following his hat trick game on Friday.
Larson said he loved his experiences out west in British Columbia and New Mexico, but was disappointed with his short stint in Lincoln, and chose to leave on his own.
“I asked for a trade and nothing ended up happening, so I left to go to New Mexico,” he said. “I wasn’t playing that much and just felt like it was time to get out of there.”
Larson is committed to play college hockey at Northern Michigan University and said he could have started there this season, but opted to come to Muskegon after he was drafted by the Jacks. One attraction was Muskegon’s proximity to his hometown of Westland, which is a suburb of Detroit.
After two years of playing way out west, he’s finally in a place where his parents can watch him play on a regular basis.
“I was pretty excited (about being drafted),” he said. “I didn’t know if I was going to school this year or not, but I ended up choosing not to, and I’m glad I’m here. I love Muskegon. We have a great coaching staff, and I have great teammates.
[2]“I’ve been so far away for so long, so it’s nice to be home. My parents came out one or two times in BC, but never got to come to New Mexico or Lincoln. But they’ve been here every game so far.”
During Friday’s home opener, Lumberjacks fans got a chance to see why the team drafted Larson.
He popped in a goal in the first period, tying the game at 1-1, then scored twice more in the third period to tie the game at 5-5. The Jacks ended up winning 6-5 in overtime to claim their first victory of the season.
“That was a good game,” Larson said. “I felt like our line was doing really well. We were all buzzing around out there. We were just eager to get a win. I think we just played good hockey all the way around, making smart plays and finding the back of the net. It was really fun, and the crowd was great.”
Larson said he has a lot of teammates with offensive talent, and expects the goals to start coming for the team at a more rapid rate.
“We had a slow start, but I think we will pick it up and be one of the top teams by the end of the year,” he said.
[3]