Founded in 2001, the University of Vermont men's ice hockey club competes at the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II level. Each season, UVM plays 20-25 regular season games against fellow college and university club teams from up and down the East Coast, competing for a spot in the ACHA D2 Northeast Regional Tournament, and ultimately, the ACHA D2 National Tournament. In addition to the ACHA, UVM is also a full member of the Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association (NECHA), a regional league comprised of Hockey East and other northeast region universities. UVM plays at the highest level of the NECHA, in the Patriot-West Division, with divisional opponents including UMass Amherst, UConn, Holy Cross, Norwich, and Keene State.
Despite its club status, UVM Club Hockey is a serious commitment at the university. Student-athletes are expected to maintain strong academic standing while attending nearly all practices, games, and other team events (barring illness, academics, and/or other exceptions). Led by Head Coach Leon Lifschutz, UVM employs two professional coaches for the club hockey team. Away games are reached by coach bus; game attire is formal; maturity and performance are paramount. The majority of UVM club players, and NECHA players as a whole, were highly-competitive varsity high school and prep school hockey players, with many boasting AAA, Junior A, and even NCAA collegiate experience on their hockey resumes. Former UVM club players, such as Mitch Ferguson '18, have gone on to compete at professional and semi-professional levels.
