📍 Burlington, Vermont
🏒 Home of Vermont Catamounts hockey

Affectionately called “The Gut”, the University of Vermont’s Gutterson Fieldhouse is one of the most iconic and recognized arenas in college sports. The barn, which opened in the fall of 1963, features a dramatically vaulted wood-paneled ceiling that not only creates great gameday acoustics, but also embodies the outdoorsy vibes that the Green Mountain State is so well known for.

The venue can hold more than 4,000 Catamount crazies and is named for Vermont’s first Olympic athlete, track and field star Albert Gutterson. The building is the largest arena in the state and, as such, has hosted many of Vermont’s most notable sports moments. The Gut was the site of the very first nationally televised women’s hockey game in 1997, and also hosted pre-season training camp for the Hartford Whalers and New York Rangers.

The narrow passageways and annals of the arena are connected to the rest of the UVM athletic complex, including the university’s natatorium and Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium, the school’s basketball arena. The gym is actually slated to be replaced in the next few years by a brand new event center directly adjacent to the Gut.

Several NHL stars have played for Vermont, such as Martin St. Louis – the only UVM alum to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame – Viktor Stålberg and John LeClair. In the Hall of Honor on the arena’s east end upper level concourse, the university celebrates all of its great players – men and women alike – including those who have gone pro and those who have even gone on and lifted Lord Stanley.

The ‘Mounts competed for years at the Division II level, where they won back-to-back championships before jumping up to DI in 1974. Playing in the ECAC until 2005, Vermont is now a member of Hockey East. In the years since their arrival in Division I hockey, the Catamounts have advanced to the NCAA Tournament six times, including two Frozen Four appearances in 1996 and 2009.

The Gut is truly a cozy barn that contains all of the variables for an amazing college hockey experience. From its gorgeous architecture to the stellar atmosphere that Catamount fans bring day in and day out, this beautiful venue is a true New England treasure. Even the concession stands here are uniquely Vermont, serving up Waffle Cabin waffles, hot coffee and other warm wintery treats. While there may be plenty to do when the snow is on the ground in Vermont, you can hit the slopes and see Christmas lights just about anywhere – but a night of hockey in Burlington is a experience that simply cannot be replicated.