Players, coaches, and fans react to Mercyhurst's abrupt hockey shutdown, revealing a controversial timeline and a desperate fight for the program's future.
Mercyhurst officially announced its decision to discontinue its division one men’s hockey program on March 27th. Since then, there has been a rebuttal.
More information has been found within the University as well. Even players have spoken out on social media as well, such as a two-year defenseman for the Lakers, Kaden Muir.
Muir responded in a thread with our own THN writer, Frank Zawrazky, that players and coaches were notified about the discontinuation of the program the same morning the public was.
There are now 22 Mercyhurst players actively in the transfer portal.
Former Mercyhurst players have also voiced their disgust as well.
Mike Gurtler played at Mercyhurst back when it was “Mercyhurst College” from 2007-11, playing seven games in the ECHL immediately after his college season before becoming a staple in the SPHL, where he won the league in his final year before retiring in 2022.
Even the head coach, Rick Gotkin, who has been with the program for decades, was notified that no one would be filling his seat next year.
The worst part of it all? The Mercyhurst hockey program was taking donations for the men’s hockey team just two days prior.
There is even a specific site here about preserving Mercyhurst hockey.
Some of the quotes are touching.
"D1 Men’s Hockey put Mercyhurst on the map,” said an anonymous source. “They haven’t invested in the program in years. It feels like they’re the sacrificial lamb in the move to the REST of the sports being D1."
That, of course, is referring to the university’s move of bringing all their other varsity levels to NCAA Division one, after previously being a primarily Division two school, like Minnesota Duluth and many others that have successful Division one hockey programs.
The last main takeaway is the willing support of many fans and good Samaritans who are willing to get the program afloat once again.
36 hours after a petition went live, it brought in 3,200 signatures, with 40% of signatures claiming they would be willing to donate to Mercyhurst.
Now it is just a survey, and talk is cheap, but the support is clearly present within Erie, Pennsylvania, and the entire country.
The only worry is that it might be too late for the Lakers to perform CPR, with all the players in the portal and now the assistant coaching staff seeking new homes in a late window.