Hockey team that endured tragic Pawtucket shooting may be breaking up

Jacob Rousseau, Providence JournalTue, May 5, 2026 at 6:43 PM UTC

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Blackstone Valley Schools Hockey might be undergoing change.

The North Smithfield portion of the St. Raphael, Providence Country Day, North Providence and North Smithfield co-op is trying to join the Burrillville/Ponaganset team for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

The potential split comes despite claims from North Smithfield students, parents and head coach Chris Librizzi that it would be detrimental to the returning players that experienced the shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena on Feb. 16. An email and voicemail left for North Smithfield Athletic Director Robert McAnulty were not immediately returned. The next North Smithfield School Committee meeting is scheduled for May 19, according to the town website.

"What I’ve witnessed over the last two weeks since the unfortunate tragedy has been nothing less than amazing,” said BVS coach Chris Librizzi after his team won the Division II championship.

“Here we are in the state of trying to heal these kids and move them forward in the healing process so that they can recover together,” Librizzi said in a phone call on Tuesday. “Sticks together, stronger forever has been our motto and now this is going to set them back.

“The freshmen should ride out the next three years with the same team and the same coach to heal.”

Blackstone Valley became inseparable after the shooting. They returned to the ice 18 days after the shooting and rallied in a quarterfinal win against the Rogers, Middletown, Tiverton, Mt. Hope, East Providence co-op. It sparked an unforgettable playoff run that saw Colin Dorgan score the winning goal in double-overtime in the Frozen Four. And then he scored again in the closing seconds of regulation in the championship.

Blackstone captivated the nation with its quadruple overtime victory in the championship as Jaxon Boyes provided the winning goal against Lincoln.

Head coach Chris Librizzi shares an emotional moment with Colin Dorgan at center ice of The AMP after the Division II title game in March.

“These kids are struggling,” Librizzi said. “I can tell you I'm receiving messages from parents. I'm talking to kids on our team and now that we're not together every day like we have been, they're struggling and they're crying. They're reliving the events and I'm trying to stay with them together as much as we can.”

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There were 14 North Smithfield players on this past season's team. Librizzi said that six are graduating, which leaves a handful of returning players to the co-op. If all of them leave the team, it would also hurt Blackstone Valley’s ability to field a program next winter.

“It'll devastate the program,” Librizzi said. “The kids will have to go to another coach. All of the kids will have to go to another coach and to another team to continue their hockey careers, the BVS co-op will completely fold.”

Librizzi was going to retire after this past season, but he pushed off the date for at least another year after the shooting. He said he is willing to coach until the rising sophomores graduate.

“I cannot let these kids go without riding the freshmen out until they graduate,” Librizzi said. “So I spoke with my wife, and she said, ‘the Lord placed you in this situation for a reason, and you need to do what you feel is right.’ And so that's why I made the decision to come back and ride the freshman out until they graduate.”

The parents, and players, have been in lockstep with Librizzi since the shooting. Deborah Gosselin, who’s son is a North Smithfield player, wrote to North Smithfield educators showing her support of the team staying together with Librizzi.

Chris Librizzi, BVS Hockey head coach, is fighting a proposal by North Smithfield to leave the Blackstone Valley co-op.

“Coming out of the incident, [Librizzi] did not let a day, or sometimes even a few hours, go by without reaching out to the boys and the parents,” Gosselin said in the email, which was obtained by The Providence Journal. “He made sure the boys went to speak to counselors. He sat in the [North Smithfield High School] library and monitored the crowd to be sure that every individual player spoke to a counselor over multiple days. He organized team dinners, family dinners, and family outings for weeks. He made sure the boys got back on the ice together, with parents there in full support. This team, with his leadership, is the reason these boys, with families behind them, got back on the ice. Perseverance, patience and leadership is what allowed these boys to bring home the championship after battling an incredible path forward.”

Librizzi also wrote two separate emails to North Smithfield educators including Supt. Michael St. Jean and the school committee expressing his concern over the split.

“All of the kids have expressed that they do not want to go to Burrillville,” Librizzi said. “All of the kids have expressed that they would love to skate at [Route 146] at least twice a week if possible. However, if it was to return to Lynch Arena to keep the co-op together, that they would do that. So, all the kids are in favor of absolutely staying together, and they do not want to escape with Burrillville whatsoever.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI hockey team that endured fatal Pawtucket shooting may break up

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