The Mt. Ararat High School boys hockey team, which has been embroiled in a hazing investigation, has had the rest of its season canceled following an incident at a game Saturday night that also prompted the team’s head coach to resign. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

The Mt. Ararat High School boys hockey team, which has been embroiled in a hazing investigation, had the rest of its season canceled Sunday night, just hours after the team’s head coach announced his resignation.

Heidi O’Leary, the superintendent of School Administrative District 75, announced Sunday that the Eagles would not continue their hockey season following an incident that involved what she described as “unsportsmanlike conduct” from “adults and players” during Mt. Ararat’s game against Cheverus/Yarmouth on Saturday.

Mt. Ararat boys hockey coach A.J. Kavanaugh, seen here in a file photo from March 2022, has resigned his position. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Earlier Sunday, A.J. Kavanaugh, who had coached Mt. Ararat’s varsity team since 2015, publicly announced his resignation on Facebook.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart, that after coaching a program that I always loved being a part of for the better part of two decades, I announce my resignation as the head coach of Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse boys hockey,” his post reads in part.

Kavanaugh and fellow coach Todd Ridlon were replaced by an interim coaching team in January amid an ongoing investigation into possible hazing by team members. O’Leary has repeatedly said the decision to bring on interim coaches was not meant to imply that the existing coaches had done anything wrong.

“As time passes without clear answers, I recognize that gaps are often filled with misinformation and false accusations,” O’Leary said Sunday in a message to parents that was obtained by the Press Herald. “While I wish I could provide more details, I can only share that the investigation remains ongoing and will conclude soon.”

‘TAUNTING AND UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT’

What exactly happened at Saturday night’s game between Mt. Ararat — which also includes players from Morse and Lisbon high schools — and Cheverus/Yarmouth remained largely unclear Sunday.

In an earlier message to parents after Saturday night’s game, O’Leary described “multiple reports of taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct.” At that time, she canceled the team’s Monday practice and said the remainder of the season was in question.

“I am extremely disappointed and deeply concerned by the behavior exhibited by both adults and players at tonight’s varsity game,” O’Leary wrote. “I have received multiple reports of taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct, which is completely unacceptable and goes against the values of respect, integrity, and sportsmanship that we expect from everyone involved in our athletic programs.”

A day later, O’Leary announced the cancellation of the remainder of the season for both the varsity and JV teams.

“This was not a decision made lightly, as our primary goal has always been to keep our student-athletes on the ice, playing the game they love,” she wrote Sunday. “However, the environment has become increasingly volatile, and we have reached a point where we can no longer ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved.”

“Please know that we are committed to taking the steps between this year and next to rebuild strained relationships, restore a sense of team in our program, and to ensure a rich and meaningful experience for all members of the program,” O’Leary continued.

In his post on Facebook, Kavanaugh alluded to Saturday’s incident and the ongoing hazing investigation, calling recent events “one of my biggest disappointments as a hockey coach.”

“Until last night, I thought our program specifically was getting through internal turmoil,” he wrote. “Unfortunately my coaching staff and I weren’t given the opportunity to bring our team, and our community, back together. That will certainly be one of my biggest disappointments as a hockey coach.

“I feel strongly that if we were ever made aware of it initially, we could have addressed these issues directly with our student-athletes and families, and resolved it before it became such a regrettable situation.”

The Maine Principals’ Association, which governs high school athletics, stipulates that any varsity team that fails to complete its season will face a two-year ban from competition. Schools can appeal to the MPA’s Interclass Management Committee for reinstatement, which may be granted “in extenuating circumstances.”

The Eagles had one remaining regular season game, which was scheduled for Thursday. The team is 7-9-1 and was in line to make the playoffs in Class B South.

HAZING ALLEGATIONS EMERGE

The hazing allegations involving members of the cooperative team first surfaced in January, prompting school officials to ask the Lewiston law firm Brann & Isaacson to conduct an investigation.

At the time, practices were canceled and one game was postponed, but the team returned to the ice with interim coaches — one of whom is O’Leary’s brother — after less than a week.

“When we chose to continue the season, it was with the intention of providing a positive experience for our players,” O’Leary wrote in her message to parents Sunday. “Unfortunately, recent events have shown that this is not possible. Recent behaviors have created an unsafe environment that does not align with our core values of sportsmanship, teamwork, respect, and integrity.”

Although school officials have not provided any details about the hazing allegations, an audio recording of an interview with one player that was provided to the Press Herald suggested the situation involved two senior players holding down a freshman player in a locker room. The older players allegedly assaulted the younger player with pickles and tried to remove his pants as he screamed in protest, according to the witness.

Earlier this month, members of the booster organization that supports the team asked the school board to reinstate the team’s coaching staff.

Andrea Cram, treasurer of the Friends of Eagles Hockey Board, also asked for a special meeting to address the request, which she made in a Feb. 4 letter to the elected leaders of SAD 75.

“Out of respect for the investigative process, we have remained silent until now. Today marks 29 days and 8 games since our coaches were asked to step aside to allow for a ‘fair and thorough investigation,’” wrote Cram, whose son is a member of the team.

“With no resolution in sight, we feel it is time to advocate for the immediate reinstatement of these individuals who have dedicated so much to our student-athletes and this hockey program.”

Neither Kavanaugh nor O’Leary could be reached for further comment Sunday.