April 15, 2025 - In a press release on Monday, Mercyhurst announced that Tom Peffall will succeed Rick Gotkin as the men's ice hockey head coach following Gotkin's retirement. Last month, Gotkin announced that he will retire following the 2025-26 season. Peffall will be just the third head coach in the program's history.

Peffall has been an assistant on Gotkin's staff at Mercyhurst since 2022. He began his coaching career in 2015 as an assistant at Neumann University, where he also pursued his graduate degree. After time with the Philadelphia Rebels of the NAHL, Peffall returned to college hockey as an assistant coach at Stevenson University from 2018-2022.

As a player, Peffall played professionally as a right winger in the ECHL, SPHL, and FHL.

The 2025-26 season will be Gotkin's 38th and final season behind the bench at Mercyhurst, with Peffall taking over for the 2026-27 season.

For more information, check out the full Mercyhurst release HERE.

About Atlantic Hockey America
Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) embarks on its first season in 2024-25 after the merger between the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields 11 men’s teams (American International College, Bentley University, Canisius University, The College of Holy Cross, Mercyhurst University, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, Sacred Heart University, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Military Academy), and six women’s teams (Lindenwood University, Mercyhurst University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Robert Morris University, and Syracuse University). In 2025-26, Delaware University will join the women’s league. For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com.