Saginaw Spirit Defenseman Commits To His Home State NCAA University Of Vermont

As we welcomed the new year and bid farewell to 2024, overage OHL players made official announcements regarding their commitments to play in the NCAA for the upcoming season.

One of the latest players to announce their commitment to a D1 NCAA school was Saginaw Spirit defenseman P.J. Forgione. And this commitment is quite special for the American-born blueliner.

Forgione, 20, announced his commitment to play for the University of Vermont starting in the 2025-26 season.

He joins Kingston Frontenacs forward Cedrick Guindon as a pair of overage OHL players who have committed to play for the Catamounts following the conclusion of their OHL careers.

The Catamounts play their home games at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vermont. That just so happens to be Forgione's home state. Committing to his home state's D1 University must have been an amazing moment for him and his family and an amazing way to ring in the new year.

Forgione turned himself from a 2021 sixth-round draft pick — passed up on his first OHL draft year in 2020 — into a steady, reliable, physical shutdown defenseman in the OHL. At 17 years old, he quickly acclimated to the league, playing 67 games and recording six goals, 18 assists, 24 points, and 75 penalty minutes — all career highs.

Related: Will Gerrior Commits To NCAA School

Forgione didn't suit up for Saginaw in their 2024 Memorial Cup victory, but he got the opportunity to bring the championship trophy to Vermont over the summer.

The rugged 6-foot-2, 215-pound left-shot defenseman leads all Spirit defensemen in plus/minus this season with a +15 and is three games away from playing in his 200th OHL regular season game.

Over 197 games, he has accumulated 20 goals, 65 points, and 215 penalty minutes. P.J. was a -28 through his first two seasons in the league — on a couple of struggling Saginaw teams — but is a +34 over his last 77 games.

Related: Niagara IceDogs Defenseman Commits To Sacred Heart University

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