Muskegon Lumberjacks sign Honeybaked defenseman Mitch Eliot to USHL tender

By Michael Caples –

At the 2014 MiHockey Banquet of Champions event last night, Muskegon Lumberjacks coach Todd Krygier announced that they had signed one of the players in attendance to a USHL tender.

The club has signed Honeybaked Midget Minor defenseman Mitch Eliot, who will join the Lumberjacks for the 2014-15 season. Eliot, a native of Grosse Pointe, will be required to play in a minimum of 50 percent of the Lumberjacks’ games next season.

Muskegon forfeits their first-round pick in the USHL Phase One Draft with the tender, as well.

Eliot, son of Fox Sports Detroit analyst and former NHL goaltender Darren Eliot, is a Michigan State verbal commitment. He has spent the last three seasons with the Honeybaked hockey program.

“I would like to personally thank the Muskegon Lumberjacks organization for having the faith in my hockey abilities to eventually offer me a tender and giving me the opportunity to play in the USHL as it has always been a dream of mine to play in the league,” Eliot said.  “I felt that Muskegon was the best opportunity for my development given the NHL experience of both Mr. (John) Vanbiesbrouck and Coach (Todd) Krygier.  It’s also a bonus to continue my junior hockey career in my home state, and I knew that playing for the Lumberjacks was the right fit for me in the end.”