Tommy Forgrave is enjoying his first season of junior hockey with the NA3HL’s Austin Ice Bats, a team located in Cedar Park, Tex.

Admittedly apprehensive at first playing for the Ice Bats, the Thornton native has found his groove and is one of the team’s more consistent players.

“I decided to sign with the Austin Ice Bats because my buddy signed with the Ice Bats and at first, I was very hesitant about joining because previous years they weren’t very successful,” said Forgrave. “However, I saw that they went through a rebrand and got a new coach, Westin Michaud (a former Colorado College player). After talking with Coach Michaud and my friend Noah Howden-Rich, I learned that the Ice Bats’ vision wasn’t just about having a successful team but a family where everyone pushes each other to become better, and that’s the type of environment I wanted to be a part of. I also felt that Coach Michaud had more of a personal style coaching, which appealed to me more because I could talk to him not only as my coach but someone I inspired to be like due to his prestigious background. Because of this, it was a no-brainer to come to Austin.

“The NA3HL offered me a unique opportunity to gain recognition by the NAHL. Unlike other leagues, it provides a pathway to call-ups and exposure in places that other leagues can’t reach. My ultimate goal is to play NCAA Division I hockey and make it to the NAHL. By participating in the NA3HL, I have the perfect chance to showcase my skills and increase my chances of achieving that dream.”

Last season with the Colorado Thunderbirds’ 18U AAA team was the perfect segue to junior hockey, according to Forgrave.

“We had an amazing coach who put a lot of time and effort into making us better, and we had a great group of guys with great attitudes, leadership, and work ethic, on and off the ice,” Forgrave said. “Unfortunately, we could not win the state championship but at the end of the day, I still feel like I developed a ton from the atmosphere I was in last year. I feel like last year helped me gain more confidence with the puck and helped me realize how important it is to be consistent in order to develop and get noticed by higher levels. One of my personal goals for this year is to be over a point per game player, which has pushed me to be more consistent.”

Looking back, Forgrave said his hockey journey began on wheels.

“The summer I turned seven in my hometown of Thornton, I started playing roller hockey where my parents had a lot of fun watching me,” said Forgrave. “One random day, my parents, sister and I went out to go eat sushi and my parents asked me if I would want to play ice hockey and of course I said yes, so my parents had the idea to go to the rink nearby which was the Promenade Ice Centre in Westminster, and they bought me all the gear and signed me up to play for the Hyland Hills Jaguars.

“The NHL also played a huge role in me playing hockey because my dad grew up in Michigan and was a big Red Wings fan and still is to this day and got me hooked to the Red Wings when I started playing hockey. Every day, I would play hockey in the garage and pretend I was Pavel Datsyuk, watch hockey with my family, or play NHL on the PlayStation.”

Forgrave played for the Jaguars from 8U to 12U and then the Thunderbirds from 13U to 15U and both years of 18U.

“Over the years, I feel like each one of my coaches in Colorado had a positive impact on my development as a player and person, on and off the ice,” Forgrave said. “From 12s to 14s, my coach was Adam Shaner, and he helped me create good habits on and off the ice such as eating the right foods, preparation, and making your bed, etcetera, and on the ice, he made sure we did the little details right, like shooting to score, stops and starts, and finishing your hits. My 15s year, my coach was Cam Clemenson and that was the year where I started to gain more confidence with the puck. He gave me a lot of freedom in the ‘O’ zone to make creative plays. Both of my 18s years, my coach was Phil Patenaude, and just like the other coaches, he pushed us to be better each and every day and just like my 15s year, he gave me a lot of freedom with the puck, which helped me gain even more confidence to make plays.

“The things I will remember the most from playing in Colorado is being around my team. I will forever be grateful for being able to create lifelong friendships. Also, I will always remember how hard my parents worked to give me the opportunity to be successful.”

Moving forward, Forgrave said his goals revolve around improving himself each day.

“My short-term goals in hockey are winning a championship with my team and playing in the NAHL this year or next year,” said Forgrave. “My short-term goals for life are just to get more confident in everything I do and try to get better every day.

“My long-term goals in hockey are playing in the NAHL and then getting recruited to play D-I college hockey. My long-term goals in life are either playing professional hockey or starting a business.”

Photo/darbys.athletic_eye

— Matt Mackinder

(January 29, 2025)