VERMONT SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Photo Credit- UVM Athletic Comm

Burlington/ U of Vermont

Hockey (coach)

Inducted 2020

Jim Cross was the architect of the University of Vermont men’s hockey program. Integrity, loyalty and an untiring work ethic put Cross among college hockey’s elite coaches. 

His success with the Catamounts led to the development of hockey in Vermont in the 1960s and 1970s and the building of indoor hockey rinks in all four corners of the state. When he arrived at UVM, the state had only three or four indoor rinks, only a few high schools sponsored the sport, and there were only a handful of youth programs in Vermont. Rinks sprung up in the mid-to-late 70s and ice hockey quickly became a statewide sport.

Cross’ early success brought wildly enthusiastic crowds to Gutterson Fieldhouse as the Catamounts won three Division II titles, produced many All-Americans and garnered significant regional and national media attention. One of his goalies, Dave Reece (UVM ’71), became the first of a long line of Catamounts to skate in the NHL, tending goal for the Boston Bruins in 1975-76.

In a two-year span over 1972-73 as Vermont went 37-0-1 in Division II games and UVM went 53-11-0 overall with several wins over Division I teams including national powers Harvard, Boston University and St. Louis University. He was named the Division II national coach of the year for the 1973-74 season when the Catamounts set school and national records for victories in a season (28-5-0), reaching the finals of the NHIT, the only D-II program in the field. 

The next year Cross led Vermont’s transition to Division I, as the Catamounts finished third in ECAC and reached the league semifinals. UVM then defeated Cornell 7-2 in the consolation game at Boston Garden. UVM reached the Garden with a dramatic come-from-behind 7-5 quarterfinal win over Providence. UVM trailed 5-2 with fewer than 10 minutes remaining in regulation. 

In nine seasons in Division II, Vermont was 113-42-1, including a winning percentage of .863 (78-12-1) the last five years (1969-74). That Division II record was the best in ECAC history at the time of his announcement to leave UVM.  The last two seasons in the ECAC D-II his Catamounts were 37-1-0. Overall, Cross was 280-251-9 in 19 seasons at Vermont, retiring as men’s hockey coach in 1984.

Several members of his teams stayed in the state as high school and youth hockey coaches leading to the wide expansion of the sport in Vermont. 

After stepping down as hockey coach, Cross was presented the Schaeffer Pen Award by the New England Hockey Writers Association for his contributions to college hockey. On November 7, 1992, the Gutterson Fieldhouse renovation was officially dedicated and the revamped team room was officially named the Jim Cross Varsity Locker Room.

In 1975, Boston University honored Cross (BU ’60) with the Harry Cleverly Alumni Award, presented to the alumnus who has distinguished himself in the field of coaching.  He was inducted into the UVM Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996 and he received the 2001 John McInnes Award by the American Hockey Coaches Association that recognizes those who have shown a great concern for amateur and youth hockey. In 2019, he received the distinguished Legend of College Hockey Award by the Hobey Baker Foundation.

He joins two of his former players, Kirk McCaskill and Toby Ducolon, in the VSHOF, and coached at UVM along with Ralph Lapointe, another inductee. Sadly, he passed away in Georgia in 2020.