MUSKEGON – It obviously wasn’t by design, but Michael Callow kind of became the face of the new-look Muskegon Lumberjacks last Friday.

The Jacks were playing their first game since a series of midweek trades that sent three standout veterans – Jake Richard, Owen Mehlenbacher and Tyler Dunbar – to other teams in the USHL.

Head coach Parker Burgess said the Jacks had a lot of talented younger players who needed more ice time, and the trades would give them the necessary space to compete and grow.

Enter Callow, a rookie forward who definitely got more playing time on Friday against Youngstown and took full advantage.

He led off the scoring with a goal just 35 seconds into game, then scored the first goal of the second period at the 8:58 mark. Callow helped the Jacks jump out to a 4-0 lead then hang on for an exciting 5-4 victory over the Phantoms.

Suddenly Jacks fans were looking at Callow as one of the guys who will lead the team forward in the push to make the USHL Eastern Conference playoffs.

Callow and the Lumberjacks will continue that push this weekend with two road games in Madison against the Capitols on Friday and Saturday night.

“It was good to get a win, especially after all the chaos,” Callow said. “I think a lot of the guys are excited to have their roles increase and show everyone what we can be after the trades.

“You are definitely going to see some different players step up. Every day in practice we see some great things, and as we get closer to crunch time I think we will be playing good hockey. I think we have a real good shot to make the playoffs.”

Callow said it was hard for the remaining players to bid farewell to their three veteran teammates, but also said everyone is excited to show what the team can do without them.

“It’s tough saying goodbye, but they have to do what they have to do,” he said. “It’s part of the business. For the rest of us, with more ice time and more touches, we will just keep getting better.”

Callow spent the last few seasons playing hockey at St. Sebastian’s School near his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. He displayed his offensive abilities in his final season at that level, collecting 26 goals and 15 assists in the 2021-22 season.

He’s off to a good start with the Lumberjacks in his USHL rookie season, with 10 goals and 10 assists so far, but the coaches think he can be even better.

Over the years Callow has relied a lot on his strong shot to score goals from various points on the ice, but the coaches think, with his 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame, that he could do great things parking in front of the opposing net and scoring from close range.

“He’s a very intelligent hockey player with a long reach and big body,” Burgess said. “We’re continuing to work with him on getting in front of the net, where he’s going to find more offense. We’re excited about seeing him take more steps and grow as he gets more ice time and responsibility.”

Playing in front of the net means being more physical while battling large opponents who want you move out of the way, but Callow thinks he’s up to the challenge.

“In prep school hockey I had a great linemate who would feed me the puck on the outside,” he said. “I think I have a pretty decent shot and I like to take it when I can.

“But I know I have to become more of a power forward, net-front type of player. It’s a challenge, but I think I can do better down the road.”

Callow’s experience in Muskegon has been his first trip away from home and his parents, and he will be headed right back home when his time here is done.

He has already accepted a hockey scholarship to prestigious Harvard University, which of course is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.

“I have been in Boston pretty much my whole life, so this has been a unique experience,” said Callow, 19, who said he’s had a lot of first-time experiences in Muskegon, like doing his own laundry. “I have enjoyed it here. It’s been lovely in Muskegon.”