Pittsburgh Forge Statistics and History

The Pittsburgh Forge were a U.S. Junior A hockey team based in Pittsburgh, PA playing in the North American Hockey League for two seasons, from 2001 to 2003. The team played in the Island Sports Center on Neville Island in Pittsburgh.

The Forge were an expansion team for the 2001-02 season. They were founded by former Pittsburgh Penguin coach Kevin Constantine. The team was very successful on the ice, winning the NAHL championship in 2002-03, however they did not draw many fans, averaging under 1,000 per season, and were a money-losing operation.

In 2003, the NAHL signaled that they would bring the league to Tier I status, with a requirement that the teams play in buildings with a capacity of 2,500 seats, a requirement not met by the Island Sports Center which seated about 1,200. At the same time, nearby Robert Morris University initiated a purchase of the Island Sports Center in order to establish NCAA Division I program at the school. Due to these factors, the Pittsburgh Forge were sold to investors in Toledo for $75,000 and renamed the Toledo IceDiggers.