Hockey East athletic directors will discuss today (Tuesday) Vermont’s application to Hockey East.
It is unknown at this time whether a formal vote will be taken yet, though it isn’t likely. Recently, HEA commissioner Joe Bertagna said Vermont would be allowed a chance to give a formal presentation, which hasn’t yet occurred.
Last week, Vermont announced it had officially sent a letter of inquiry to Hockey East requesting acceptance into the league.
Vermont has been a member of the ECAC since upgrading the program to Division I almost 30 years ago.
If Vermont leaves, a number of schools are expected to request entry into ECAC, including Holy Cross and Sacred Heart, and perhaps Quinnipiac, Mercyhurst and Niagara.
The ECAC was 17 teams until five schools broke away to form Hockey East in 1983-84. Since then, Army left the ECAC and was replaced by Union. The makeup of the ECAC has not changed since 1991.
Vermont made back-to-back NCAA appearances in 1996 and 1997, making the Frozen Four in 1996. A hazing scandal cut short the program’s 1999-2000 season, and it is still trying to fully recover. This year, the Catamounts struggled at the outset under first-year head coach Kevin Sneddon, starting 0-11-2 record, before going 2-2-1 in its last five.
