Muskegon unveils first 16 players under new USHL SPDA system

Muskegon moved fast to define its 2026-27 future, unveiling the first 16 players under the USHL’s new Standard Player Development Agreement system. The opening group is led by Rudolfs Berzkalns, the Edmonton Oilers’ 58th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and it gives the Lumberjacks an early read on the core they intend to build around well before next season begins.

The SPDA, introduced by the USHL on April 7, formalizes each player’s development path inside the league and is aimed at athletes chasing NCAA Division I hockey and NHL opportunities. For Muskegon, that means a cleaner roster picture than the old affiliate-player model, which could carry as many as 18 affiliates in a season. Coaches get firmer answers on usage and depth, players get a defined lane in the program, and families get a clearer sense of where a prospect stands in the chain of development.

That matters for a club that has already shown it can move quickly and stay ahead of the curve. Muskegon entered the second half of the 2025-26 season at 20-7-0-0, one of the hottest starts in franchise history, and went on to reach a second straight Clark Cup Final after back-to-back Eastern Conference titles. Berzkalns was central to that run, and the Lumberjacks’ first 16 signings signal that the organization wants the next step to be built with the same urgency.

The group also includes returnees with clear roles. Louis Jonerheim, a 6-foot-4 power forward from Trail in the BCHL, joined on Jan. 25 with 22 points in 31 games and brought speed, size and forechecking pressure. Will Schlechtweg arrived on Dec. 24 after producing 72 points in 36 games between Yale Jr. Bulldogs 18U AAA and Kent School. Teddy Lechner, selected 152nd overall by the Colorado Avalanche, is back on the blue line after joining midway through the season from the Academy of Holy Angels, while Peyton Schneider and Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz are moving from affiliate-player status into full-time roster spots.

Muskegon’s incoming mix also reaches beyond its own bench. Felix Färhammer, a 2025 Rangers draft pick and Muskegon’s No. 9 selection in the 2026 USHL Phase II Draft, joins as an offensive-minded defenseman from Sweden. Oscar Westman is making the jump from Lund to North America. Zaac Charbonneau arrives on a tender signed Dec. 30 for 2026-27, bringing a 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame and eye-catching numbers from Mount St. Charles Academy, including 85 goals and 83 assists in 58 games at the 14U level and 35 goals and 23 assists in 27 games at 15U.

Muskegon still has more names to announce, but the first wave already shows how the SPDA era can reward clubs that act early. The Lumberjacks have tied NHL draft talent, proven veterans and younger prospects into one clearer 2026-27 structure, and that kind of certainty is now part of the competitive edge.