Pittsburgh Forge

Last updated

Pittsburgh Forge
PittsburghForge.png
City Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
League NAHL
ConferenceEastern
Founded2001
Operated2001–2003
Home arena Island Sports Center
ColorsRed, gold, black, white
    
Franchise history
2001–2003Pittsburgh Forge
2003–2005 Toledo IceDiggers
2005–2010 Alpena IceDiggers
2010–present Corpus Christi IceRays
Championships
Regular season titles2003
Division titles2003
Robertson Cups2003

The Pittsburgh Forge are a defunct Junior A Tier II ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which played in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The team was founded in 2001 by Kevin Constantine, a former coach of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They played at the Island Sports Center. The team compiled an 80-24-8 record in the first and only two seasons. The Forge were finalists in the Robertson Cup Tournament, the NAHL championship, during their inaugural season and were the first expansion team to do so. During their second season, the Forge set a national Junior A record with 43 wins and won the NAHL's regular season championship as well as the Robertson Cup Tournament. In two seasons, the Forge advanced 18 players onto scholarships with Division I college hockey programs. In 2003, the franchise was sold to investors in Toledo, Ohio and was relocated as the Toledo IceDiggers.

Contents

Players

The final roster of the 2002–03 NAHL national champion Forge – the last Forge team – and their scholarship schools: Randy Bauer, Sean Berkstresser (Robert Morris), Tom Biondich (Robert Morris), Andy Brandt (Wisconsin), Jace Buzek (Robert Morris), Ben Camper (Colgate), Josh Coyle (Union), John Dingle (Ohio State), Joe Federoff (Alabama Huntsville), Josef Fotjik, Jim Gehring (Mercyhurst), Mike Handza (Denver), Denis Kirstien (Mercyhurst), Chris Lawrence (Michigan State), Mike Mannina, Peter Mannino (Denver), Matt McBride, Dylan Reese (Harvard), Gabe Rehak, Daniel Shildorfer, Erix Trax (Robert Morris), Brandon Warner (Michigan State), Ryan Webb, Matt Zeman,

Season-by-season records

SeasonGPWLOTLPtsGFGAPIMFinishPlayoffs
2001–02 5637134781991471,1352nd of 6, East
3rd of 11, NAHL
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Cleveland Jr. Barons)
Won Robertson Cup Semifinal series, 2–1 (Texas Tornado)
Lost Robertson Cup Championship series, 0–2 (Detroit Compuware Ambassadors)
2002–03 564394902081111,2271st of 6, East
1st of 11, NAHL
Won Div. Semifinal series, 2–0 (Capital Centre Pride)
Won Robertson Cup Semifinal series, 2–0 (Danville Wings)
Won Robertson Cup Championship series, 3–1 (Texas Tornado)

[1]

References

  1. "Pittsburgh Forge Statistics and History". hockeydb.com.