MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Catamounts open the 2021-22 campaign as they host Mercyhurst at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night on UVM Alumni Weekend. The exhibition tilt will be broadcast live for free on CollegeSportsLive. The new voice of the Catamounts, Adam LaFleur, will broadcast the action live on WVMT (FM 96.3 / AM 620).
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets
CatamounTV Weekly Press Conference: Coach Woodcroft | Carter Long
Video: Woodcroft Hockey East Media Day
Live Stats | Live Video
DRAFT CAPITAL
The Catamounts enter the new season with five NHL Draft picks on the roster. It is the first time in the 2000s UVM has had more than three players drafted on the roster at one time.
Robbie Stucker (Columbus, 2017 7th Rd.),
Andrei Buyalsky (Colorado, 2021 3rd Rd.),
Luca Münzenberger (Edmonton, 2021 3rd Rd.),
Isak Walther (Nashville, 2019 6th Rd.) and
Timofei Spitserov (San Jose, 2020 7th Rd.) are sure to bring NHL attention to the program this season.
NEW FACES AT THE GUT
Second year Head Coach
Todd Woodcroft will field a significantly different team this year in Catamount Country. 14 Catamounts are eligible to make their debut for Vermont tomorrow night. UVM's newcomers include 10 first years, two juniors, one senior and a grad transfer.
GUT HOCKEY GOES INTERNATIONAL
The Vermont roster is comprised of student-athletes from nine different countries. There is at least one player from Finland, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Germany, Kazakhstan, Canada and the United States. UVM features five players from Ontario the most of any province or state.
VETERAN LEADERSHIP AMONGST CATAMOUNT CAPTAINS
Junior defenseman
Andrew Lucas will continue as the 62nd captain in program history this season. Senior
Carter Long and juniors
Jacques Bouquot and
William Lemay will serve as alternate captains.
SCOUTING THE LAKERS
The Lakers played 21 games last season finishing 8-12-1 overall. Seven of their wins came in Atlantic Hockey play. Mercyhurst returns its top 14 scorers from a year ago including their leading scorer Carson Briere. Briere, a sophomore forward, had five goals and 14 assists during the 2020-21 campaign.
The Lakers were chosen sixth in the Atlantic Hockey preseason poll. Junior defensemen Joseph Maziarz was selected to the All-Atlantic Hockey preseason team. He recorded one goal and added 12 assists last season finishing the year 24th in the nation in defensive scoring.
Sophomore Mercyhurst forward
Mickey Burns played at UVM last season. Burns had five shots on goal in five games for Vermont last year.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday night will be the first time Vermont and Mercyhurst have squared off in program history. UVM will also face Alaska Fairbanks for the first time in program history in January (1/28-1/29).
BACK TO NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
Tomorrow will be the first time in 609 days that Vermont will face a non-conference opponent. Vermont's last 22 games since playing at RPI on February 1, 2020 have all been in Hockey East.
WOODCROFT HEADED TO 2022 OLYMPICS WITH SWEDEN
Vermont Head Coach
Todd Woodcroft has been named an assistant coach with the Swedish national men's team for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. The men's ice hockey competition at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is slated for February 9-20, 2022. Games will be played at the National Indoor Stadium and the Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing.
This past season he served as an assistant coach remotely with the 2021 Sweden national junior team at the IIHF World Junior Championships hosted in Edmonton, Alberta.
WINTER 2021 FAN AND VISITOR POLICY
The University of Vermont is now requiring anyone in a campus building to wear a face covering - regardless of vaccination status. The policy went into effect on August 5 to aid in protecting our community from the spread of COVID-19. In order to ensure the safety of students, staff and the community, UVM is now also expecting that all vaccine eligible visitors to campus, including fans attending athletic events, will be fully vaccinated.
Due to the ongoing health and safety protocols, concessions will be closed for the time being. No outside food will be permitted but fans are allowed to bring a reusable water bottle (maximum size 2 liters). Our policy will be reevaluated as circumstances evolve.
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2021-22 men's hockey season
