Harvard making changes to women's ice hockey program after accusations of player abuse, hazing

Former head coach Katey Stone retired in June after 27 seasons on the job

Harvard is trying to improve the culture of its women's hockey program following the retirement of long-time head coach Katey Stone. Harvard athletic director Erin McDermott said the school will try to improve the program months after reports that there was a culture of hazing and abuse under Stone's leadership.

Former players accused Stone of verbal abuse, being tolerant of hazing rituals, and pressuring them to return from injury before they were ready. Stone never directly addressed the allegations, but she retired in June after 27 seasons on the job.

In a statement, McDermott said the women's team never "fostered a culture of hazing," but the school would take steps to make sure instances of mistreatment are no longer a problem in the future.

"Our current women's ice hockey team has not fostered a culture of hazing," McDermott said in a statement. "However, it is clear that some traditions in recent years were experienced differently by different people and not all were comfortable with those activities or with expressing concerns relating to the program. We now have an opportunity to end team traditions that are harmful to team culture and inconsistent with our community norms."

Among the reports of player abuse under Stone were hazing rituals like the "Naked Skate" and "Initiation Week." Following those accusations and more, Harvard hired an independent law firm to conduct an investigation, but those results have not been released publicly.

Stone took over the women's ice hockey team in 1994 and led the Crimson to an overall record of 523-284-58. Under Stone's watch, Harvard won seven ECAC titles and one national championship in 1999.

Despite the program's historic success under Stone, Harvard did not record an NCAA Tournament win in her final seven seasons on the job.