I cannot believe it. I really can’t.  Another hazing scandal surrounding the UVM Men’s Hockey Team? Really ?? You’ve got to be kidding me???

I thought that was ancient history. A sad chapter in the long history of a program I genuinely care about.  I went to UVM. I was there as a student/fan in the late 60’s and early 70’s when the program exploded to the top of the Vermont sports scene. I had the honor of broadcasting UVM hockey for 18 years … got to call games with John LeClair and Aaron Miller and Chris Soucy and Marty St. Louis and Eric Perrin and Tim Thomas.

I was a couple of seasons removed from UVM when the first hazing scandal hit … watching from afar I could not believe that the program that had been such an important part of my life and the lives of thousands and thousands of Vermont fans had fallen so low. And it was with some pride that I saw that program rise from the humiliation of that terrible time and retake it’s place among the most respected college hockey programs in the country.

But now there is this. Another STUPID example of “leaders” of the team deciding that the only way to indoctrinate new players into their secret society was to pump them full of beer and booze and force them to do humiliating stunts for the amusement of their older teammates.

Four captains have been suspended … five games each. Thankfully a police investigation determined that nothing “criminal” happened … morally reprehensible maybe, but not “criminal.”

The rest of the team will begin the regular season Friday night at Clarkson. Their first home game will be Saturday night against the Golden Knights at Gutterson. I will be at that game, as will some 4,000 Vermont fans. But it will not have the exciting opening night vibe it would have had. Not after this.

STUPID!!!