May 1, 2008

Detroit, Mich. -

Complete Release in PDF Format

College Hockey America (CHA) Commissioner Bob Peters will retire at the end of June. And that means another duty, albeit interim, for Mercyhurst Director of Athletics, Craig Barnett. Barnett will take over as interim commissioner for the CHA Women's Conference in 2008-09 while Niagara AD, Ed McLaughlin, will assume a similar role for the men.

Peters seerved as CHA Commissioner for the past seven years. He entered the college hockey head coaching ranks in 1964 as bench boss at the University of North Dakota. During his initial campaign, Peters, the eventual Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year, led the Fighting Sioux to a WCHA title and a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He coached in Grand Forks for two seasons, leading the Sioux to a 42-20-1 mark before making a career decision that would change the face of collegiate hockey.

Peters left the Division I powerhouse in 1966 and took over at Bemidji State University. Within two seasons Peters led BSU to its first national championship and set the foundation for what would become one of the most dominant programs in college hockey.

Thirty-five years later, Peters retired from coaching with one of the most impressive lists of achievements in the history of collegiate sports.

Mercyhurst hockey fans should remember Peters as Bemidji State and Mercyhurst played for the then NCAA Division II national title in both 1993 and 1995. The Lakers traveled to Minnesota for the first encounter and then hosted the national championship two years later.

Barnett's relationship with Peters spans neary 25 years. "As a player, coach and now administrator, my relationship with Coach Peters goes back to 1985, He has accomplished so much for the game of hockey that his retirement is an emotional issue for me. His number one priority has always been for the student-athletes. I feel honored to have him and his wife Lou as friends."

Regarding his new role in CHA, the Mercyhurst AD said this: "I look forward to the challenge of representing the commissioner's role during this transition, I am excited about how competitive the women's league is now and the momentum we have with the addition of Syracuse University. As we proactively map out our future, I am confident that the women's league will continue to flourish."

The 2009 CHA women's tournament will be held at Mercyhurst the weekend of March 5-8 with all five member schools participating.