Parents of players with the Mercyhurst men’s hockey team spent Monday searching for further explanation after the university cut the men’s hockey program Friday.
Bryan Muir, the parent of sophomore defenseman Kaden Muir, drove to Mercyhurst on Monday from Toronto, Ontario, hoping to meet with university officials regarding their decision. He spoke with Mercyhurst Director of Athletics Joe Spano Monday afternoon and said he left the meeting with plenty of unanswered questions.
“Came into this with some hope of being able to have a discussion and maybe get some information regarding the decision, and I have simply been stonewalled,” said Muir.
Kaden Muir said the players received a text Friday morning asking them to meet in the team locker room at 8:30 a.m. He said coaches found out just five minutes before the players.
“They came in and basically told us. We asked them a couple of questions,” said Kaden Muir. “They told us they made the decision based on a metric system, so we asked what metrics they used. They named maybe two or three out of the ten they said they had.”
Bryan Muir said the frustration for parents is that while the news was shared Friday, there has been little clarity about the process and timing behind the decision.
“It’s been remarkably upsetting for me as a parent, for the parent group, and for all of the kids,” said Bryan Muir. “The way they have handled this—the timing and the lack of information provided to parents and players—I don’t know what more to say other than this is remarkable. It’s hard to believe an academic institution of Mercyhurst’s stature could act like this.”
The Muirs, along with other players and families, contend the timing of the announcement is especially hurtful for players looking to enter the transfer portal, as there may not be many opportunities available when it opens.
Spano said their intention was to give student-athletes the best opportunity to enter the portal ahead of its opening next week.
“We had academic counseling, compliance counseling, and any other type of support they would need to get through this—obviously, this is a very hard time for them,” said Spano. “We met with the team. Vice President Laura Zirkle was part of that meeting. We met with the coaches. We have done everything we could to make this as transparent and communicative a process as possible.”
Bryan Muir said following his meeting that he planned to speak with other members of the parent group. They intended to discuss next steps, which he said could include potential legal action.
Since the announcement Friday, a petition created by players and alumni has garnered more than 2,200 signatures. The petition asks Mercyhurst officials to pause, rather than eliminate, the program to allow time to build a path forward.