The Pittsburgh Vengeance are 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.
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.[1]
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.
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 A | Lost in 1st round to Quinte Hawks | |
| 1998–99 | 28 | 19 | 9 | 0 | — | 38 | 156 | 112 | 3rd EmJHL | 3rd in Championship round-robin | |
| 1999–00 | 28 | 19 | 7 | 2 | — | 40 | 140 | 83 | 3rd EmJHL | 3rd in Championship round-robin | |
| 2000–01 | 30 | 21 | 8 | 1 | — | 43 | 193 | 98 | 2nd EmJHL | 1st in Championship round-robin Lost Final game, 1–2 vs. Mass Maple Leafs | |
| 2001–02 | 36 | 20 | 14 | 2 | — | 42 | 204 | 126 | 6th EmJHL | Lost Second Round game vs. Binghamton Tornadoes | |
| 2002–03 | 32 | 20 | 9 | 3 | — | 43 | 195 | 101 | 2nd of 8, West 4th of 12, EmJHL | 4th in Championship round-robin | |
| 2003–04 | 38 | 30 | 6 | 2 | — | 62 | 204 | 107 | 2nd of 8, West 2nd of 12, EmJHL | Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Connecticut Lazers | |
| 2004–05 | 44 | 29 | 12 | 3 | — | 61 | 211 | 129 | 3rd of 8, West 5th of 16, EmJHL | Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–2 vs. Rochester Jr. Americans | |
| 2005–06 | 42 | 22 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 48 | 159 | 132 | 2nd of 4, West 8th of 19, EmJHL | Won Div. Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Rochester Jr. Americans Lost Div. Finals, 0–2 vs. Syracuse Jr. Stars | |
| 2006–07 | 38 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 195 | 86 | 1st of 5, West 4th of 21, EmJHL | Won Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Tri-State Selects Won Div. Finals, 2-1 vs. Syracuse Jr. Stars 4th in Championship round-robin | |
| 2007–08 | 44 | 32 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 67 | 194 | 110 | 2nd of 4, West 4th of 19 EmJHL | Won Conf. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Jersey Wildcats 4th in Championship round-robin | |
| 2008–09 | 44 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 73 | 190 | 89 | 1st of 5, West 2nd of 21, EmJHL | Lost in Final Four | |
| 2009–10 | 48 | 34 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 70 | 235 | 109 | 3rd of 13, CSHL | Won Round 1, 2–0 vs. Toledo Cherokee 3rd in Hurster Cup round-robin | |
| 2010–11 | 45 | 29 | 16 | — | 0 | 58 | 237 | 152 | 5th of 12, NA3HL | Lost Round 1, 0–2 vs. Chicago Hitmen | |
| 2011–12 | 48 | 26 | 19 | — | 3 | 55 | 188 | 165 | 4th of 4, East 8th of 16, NA3HL | Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Flint Jr. Generals | |
| 2012–13 | 48 | 28 | 18 | — | 2 | 58 | 178 | 162 | 2nd of 6, East 6th of 17, NA3HL | Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–3 vs. Flint Jr. Generals | |
| 2013–14 | 48 | 25 | 15 | — | 8 | 58 | 156 | 130 | 3rd of 6, East 10th of 21, NA3HL | Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks | |
| 2014–15 | 47 | 30 | 11 | — | 6 | 66 | 169 | 117 | 2nd of 6, East 8th of 31, NA3HL | Won Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Toledo Cherokee Lost Div. Finals, 1–2 vs. Metro Jets | |
| 2015–16 | 47 | 19 | 25 | — | 3 | 41 | 132 | 157 | 5th of 6, East 23rd of 34, NA3HL | Did not qualify | |
| 2016–17 | 47 | 28 | 16 | — | 3 | 59 | 159 | 120 | 2nd of 6, East 14th of 48, NA3HL | Won Div. Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Toledo Cherokee Lost Div. Finals, 1–2 vs. Metro Jets | |
| 2017–18 | 47 | 34 | 12 | — | 1 | 69 | 172 | 108 | 2nd of 6, East 9th of 42, NA3HL | Won Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Lansing Wolves Lost Div. Finals, 0–2 vs. Metro Jets | |
| 2018–19 | 44 | 26 | 12 | — | 6 | 58 | 158 | 109 | 2nd of 6, Great Lakes 16th of 52, USPHL Premier | Won Div. Nationals qualifiers, 2–0 vs. Metro Jets Development Program 1–2–0 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 Lakes 6th of 52, USPHL Premier | Won Div. Nationals qualifiers, 2–0 vs. Toledo Cherokee 1–0–0 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 Lakes 12th of 62, USPHL Premier | Won First Round, 2–0 vs. Wooster Oilers Lost Div. Nationals qualifiers, 0–2 vs. Toledo Cherokee | |
| 2021–22 | 44 | 21 | 20 | — | 3 | 45 | 168 | 175 | 4th of 7, Great Lakes 37th of 64, USPHL Premier | Won Div. Semifinal, 2–0 vs. Cincinnati Jr Cyclones Lost Div. Final qualifier, 0–2 vs. Metro Jets |