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Catamounts men’s hockey continues to add new voices to coaching staff
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Catamounts men’s hockey continues to add new voices to coaching staff

BURLINGTON, Vt. (BVM) — Back in April, the University of Vermont (UVM) had to take its hockey program in a different direction. With head coach Kevin Sneddon retiring at the end of last season, the Catamounts decided to roll with former NHL coach Todd Woodcroft.

The Canadian-born Woodcroft has spent most of his life in the game of hockey. After graduating from McGill University in 1995, Woodcroft would get his first opportunity, joining the Minnesota Wild staff as a video coach in 2000. 

Over the next two decades, Woodcroft would work his way through many coaching roles, splitting time between the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). For the last five seasons, Woodcroft has worked as an assistant coach for the Winnipeg Jets.

Woodcroft is taking over for the recently-retired Kevin Sneddon, who helped lead the Catamounts to a Frozen Four along with two other NCAA tournament appearances in his 17-year tenure as the head hockey coach. 

The change may come at a good time for the Catamounts as the team has seen a dip in its overall record going 66-136-37 over the past decade. In the team’s 2019 season, the Catamounts underachieved with a 5-23-6 record placing them last in the Hockey East conference. 

As Woodcroft continues to add to his staff, one notable name has come to the forefront. For the 2020 season, the Catamounts will add former NHL coach, Mike Babcock as a volunteer advisor. Babcock most recently headed the Toronto Maple Leafs and won the Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings. Babcock has coached over 1,300 games in the NHL with Anaheim, Detroit and Toronto.

Todd Woodcroft talked about his connection with the former Stanley Cup winning coach.

“Mike and I have been connected for over 15 years and our network goes back even further to our McGill University experience,” Woodcroft said in a press release. “He is a premier coach across any athletic platform and as a coaching staff we are very fortunate to be able to draw from his experiences. Mike’s knowledge, his network and above all else, the modern lens he uses to look at the game of hockey will help accelerate the progression of our entire program.”

Assistant coach Jeff Hill will also stay on the team’s coaching staff for his sixth season at the University of Vermont.

“I have only known Jeff for a few months but I feel like I have worked alongside him for years,” Woodcroft said. “His passion for UVM Athletic success is tangible and his desire to make the men’s ice hockey team nationally relevant is admirable.  He is diligent, demanding and harmonious. Our players are fortunate to have a person like Jeff who cares with every fiber of his being about their successes, both on and off the ice.”