The Pittsburgh Vengeance were a non-sanctioned junior ice hockey team and are members of the Great Lakes Conference in the United States Premier Hockey League's Premier Division. The team plays at the Alpha Ice Complex in Harmar Township, Pennsylvania, a township outside of Pittsburgh. In addition to the junior team, the organization also fields teams at the former Tier III Junior B/C levels and various youth levels of play. From 1997 until 2012, the team was known as the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins. Some people find it odd that although the team is not located in Pittsburgh. They use the city’s name.
History The Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins entered the Metro Junior A Hockey League in 1997. After a good inaugural season including a playoff run, under head coach John Vivian, the league merged with the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. The Penguins opted not to join and entered the more local Empire Junior B Hockey League (EmJHL). In 2006, the Penguins fielded a second Junior B team in the Continental Hockey Association's Premier Junior B Division. In 2007, the Penguins created a third and fourth entry for the CHA's Major and Minor Junior C leagues. In 2009 the organization added a Tier III Junior A team that began play in Fall 2009 in the Central States Hockey League (CSHL). In 2010, the CSHL became the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) after the Tier II North American Hockey League took control of the CSHL. In 2012, the team was rebranded the Three Rivers Vengeance for one season before it changed to the Pittsburgh Vengeance in 2013. The Vengeance left the NA3HL in 2018 for the Premier Division of the United States Premier Hockey League.
The Jr. Penguins fielded Junior B teams in CHA Premier (later called Eastern States Hockey League and the Empire Junior B Hockey League, and a Junior C team in the CHA Selects. In 2006, USA Hockey dropped the Junior C designation and those teams became Tier III Junior B. In 2011, USA Hockey dropped both the Junior A and B designations and called all the leagues as just Tier III, but since many organizations still fielded teams in the former lower leagues most were still referred to as their former designation.
Season-by-season records Flagship team's statistics. Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA Regular season finish Playoffs 1997–98 50 21 26 3 — 45 168 240 9th Metro ALost in 1st round to Quinte Hawks 1998–99 28 19 9 0 — 38 156 112 3rd EmJHL3rd in Championship round-robin 1999–00 28 19 7 2 — 40 140 83 3rd EmJHL3rd in Championship round-robin 2000–01 30 21 8 1 — 43 193 98 2nd EmJHL1st in Championship round-robinLost Final game, 1–2 vs. Mass Maple Leafs 2001–02 36 20 14 2 — 42 204 126 6th EmJHLLost Second Round game vs. Binghamton Tornadoes 2002–03 32 20 9 3 — 43 195 101 2nd of 8, West4th of 12, EmJHL4th in Championship round-robin 2003–04 38 30 6 2 — 62 204 107 2nd of 8, West2nd of 12, EmJHLLost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Connecticut Lazers 2004–05 44 29 12 3 — 61 211 129 3rd of 8, West5th of 16, EmJHLLost Div. Semifinals, 1–2 vs. Rochester Jr. Americans 2005–06 42 22 16 3 1 48 159 132 2nd of 4, West8th of 19, EmJHLWon Div. Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Rochester Jr. AmericansLost Div. Finals, 0–2 vs. Syracuse Jr. Stars 2006–07 38 32 6 0 0 64 195 86 1st of 5, West4th of 21, EmJHLWon Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Tri-State SelectsWon Div. Finals, 2-1 vs. Syracuse Jr. Stars4th in Championship round-robin 2007–08 44 32 9 3 0 67 194 110 2nd of 4, West4th of 19 EmJHLWon Conf. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Jersey Wildcats4th in Championship round-robin 2008–09 44 35 6 1 2 73 190 89 1st of 5, West2nd of 21, EmJHLLost in Final Four 2009–10 48 34 12 2 0 70 235 109 3rd of 13, CSHLWon Round 1, 2–0 vs. Toledo Cherokee3rd in Hurster Cup round-robin 2010–11 45 29 16 — 0 58 237 152 5th of 12, NA3HLLost Round 1, 0–2 vs. Chicago Hitmen 2011–12 48 26 19 — 3 55 188 165 4th of 4, East8th of 16, NA3HLLost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Flint Jr. Generals 2012–13 48 28 18 — 2 58 178 162 2nd of 6, East6th of 17, NA3HLLost Div. Semifinals, 0–3 vs. Flint Jr. Generals 2013–14 48 25 15 — 8 58 156 130 3rd of 6, East10th of 21, NA3HLLost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks 2014–15 47 30 11 — 6 66 169 117 2nd of 6, East8th of 31, NA3HLWon Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Toledo CherokeeLost Div. Finals, 1–2 vs. Metro Jets 2015–16 47 19 25 — 3 41 132 157 5th of 6, East23rd of 34, NA3HLDid not qualify 2016–17 47 28 16 — 3 59 159 120 2nd of 6, East14th of 48, NA3HLWon Div. Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Toledo CherokeeLost Div. Finals, 1–2 vs. Metro Jets 2017–18 47 34 12 — 1 69 172 108 2nd of 6, East9th of 42, NA3HLWon Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Lansing WolvesLost Div. Finals, 0–2 vs. Metro Jets 2018–19 44 26 12 — 6 58 158 109 2nd of 6, Great Lakes16th of 52, USPHL PremierWon Div. Nationals qualifiers, 2–0 vs. Metro Jets Development Program1–2–0 USPHL-Premier Nationals round-robin Pool B(W, 4–2 vs. ; L, 1–5 vs. ; L, 1–2 vs. ) 2019–20 44 33 7 — 3 69 199 84 2nd of 6, Great Lakes6th of 52, USPHL PremierWon Div. Nationals qualifiers, 2–0 vs. Toledo Cherokee1–0–0 USPHL-Premier Nationals round-robin Pool B(W, 5–1 vs. Pics; vs. ; vs. )Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21 43 30 11 — 2 62 155 100 3rd of 7, Great Lakes12th of 62, USPHL PremierWon First Round, 2–0 vs. Wooster OilersLost Div. Nationals qualifiers, 0–2 vs. Toledo Cherokee 2021–22 44 21 20 — 3 45 168 175 4th of 7, Great Lakes37th of 64, USPHL PremierWon Div. Semifinal, 2–0 vs. Cincinnati Jr CyclonesLost Div. Final qualifier, 0–2 vs. Metro Jets
References
External links Pittsburgh Vengeance (Official website)