The University of Vermont Hall of Fame will officially welcome eight new members this fall when the class of 2019 is inducted.
This year’s inductees include former coach Mike Gilligan and former players Dean Strong and Torrey Mitchell.
Mitchell had his induction deferred from 2017 to 2019.
All eight individuals will be formally inducted at the 51st annual UVM Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner at the Davis Center on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m.
Gilligan served as the head coach for 19 seasons and ranked second on the program’s all-time wins list with 279 career victories. Upon retirement in 2003, he sat sixth on the NCAA’s list of all-time winningest coaches. He coached the Catamounts to four NCAA tournament berths, including UVM’s first ever trip to the Frozen Four in 1996. The 1995-96 team set the school’s single-season record for wins (27) and won the ECAC regular season crown.
He produced six All-Americans and had 10 former players reach the NHL. After Vermont, he became an assistant for the U.S. Women’s National Team for two years, helping the team win gold at the 2005 IIHF Women’s World Championship and bronze at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Strong was team captain during his junior and senior seasons, including Vermont’s run to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2008-09. The 2008-09 Catamounts tallied the school record for most Hockey East wins (15). He led the team in points (28) and assists (20) as a junior and produced the most goals (13) on the team as a sophomore.
Strong finished his UVM career with the most games played (155) and climbed into the top-40 all-time in scoring. He was a finalist for the 2009 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, given annually to the college hockey student-athlete that displays numerous accomplishments across four pillars: classroom, community, character and competition. After UVM, he played five seasons professionally, most notably in the ECHL and AHL.
Mitchell, a two-time Hockey East Honorable Mention All-Star selection, totaled 105 points in 115 career games with the Catamounts. He earned ECAC All-Rookie honors in 2005 after finishing third on the team with 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists). He led the team in scoring as both a sophomore and junior. As a junior, he was voted as the team’s John C. Cunningham Most Valuable Player. Mitchell is one of seven players in program history to reach 100 career points in just three seasons as a letter-winner.
The Quebec native was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round of the 2004 NHL Draft and played professionally for 13 years.
