Statement of Former University of Maine Men’s Hockey Coach Tim Whitehead

"It has been an honor to serve as the Head Coach of the Men's Hockey Team at the University of Maine for the past 12 years. My family and I feel blessed to have been part of the Maine Hockey family, and we will always cherish the relationships we have built, both at the University and in the Bangor Community.

I have been fortunate to be surrounded with great players, coaches, and staff during my time at Maine. We have fought through a lot of adversity together, but we have always embraced those challenges head on. The mutual respect of our players, coaches, and staff is what matters most to me, and I am proud of what we have accomplished together, both on and off the ice.

Competing in 7 NCAA Tournaments, 4 Frozen Fours, and 2 National Championship games were certainly highlights for us, along with our 2004 Hockey East Championship and our 2012 Frozen Fenway victory.

Off the ice, we worked hard to establish a culture of academic excellence and social responsibility that we can all be proud of. In addition, we completed the fundraising and construction of the $3.75 million Shawn Walsh Hockey Center in 2005 and the $4.84 million Alfond Arena Renovation Project in 2012.

The Maine hockey fans are the best in the country, and they have a lot to look forward to for the next season and beyond. I love our returning core of players and our incoming recruits. I'm confident this team will build on our strong 2nd half this season, and that they will compete among the top programs in the nation next year."