{shortcode-543daeee5ac317ef92b50f4c69deb17ba6ca7b1e}

Harvard Athletics has tapped Laura Bellamy ’13 as head coach of the Harvard women’s ice hockey team, the department announced Thursday.

Bellamy will be tasked with leading a program that has faced more than six months of turmoil, culminating in former head coach Katey Stone’s retirement in June after 29 years at Harvard. Stone, who coached Bellamy, was accused by former players of creating an environment of fear and emotional abuse that spanned decades.

As the team came under scrutiny, Harvard Athletics conducted an independent investigation of the women’s ice hockey program, though its findings were never made public. A Harvard spokesperson wrote that releasing the report would threaten the anonymity that participants were promised in the review process.

This position marks Bellamy’s first stint in a head coaching role. She comes to Harvard following eight seasons as an associate head coach with the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she guided the Bulldogs to four NCAA tournament berths and two Frozen Four appearances. The team was the national runner-up in 2022.

{shortcode-7641310bc30e8bd2fc4527074d11cb7e51524913}

Bellamy was also a two-time captain and standout goaltender for Harvard, maintaining the program record for lowest goals against average, at 0.92 in the 2012-13 season. She also achieved 19 career shutouts — the second most in the program’s history. Bellamy received First-Team All-Ivy recognition in 2012-13.

After graduating, Bellamy spent three years leading the team’s video and scouting efforts. She called her return to Harvard — the place where her coaching career began — a “ fantastic opportunity to work with an impressive group of student-athletes at a place I know and love.”

“It is a great honor to return to the program, institution, and community that had such a transformative impact on me during my college years and is filled with people who encouraged and supported me on the ice and off,” she said.

Bellamy has coached 10 Olympians and seven All-Americans, and she was named the American Hockey Coaches Association National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2022.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Bellamy back to lead Harvard Women’s Ice Hockey,” Harvard Athletic Director Erin McDermott said in the press release.

“Laura brings a deep commitment to coaching and mentoring student-athletes excelling on the ice, in the classroom, and engaged in the community,” she added. “We look forward to watching her coach in the rink that meant so much to her as a player.”

—Staff writer Paton D. Roberts can be reached at paton.roberts@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter at @paton_dr.

—Staff writer Sophia C. Scott can be reached at sophia.scott@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ScottSophia_.