In his first season playing for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Club Hockey Team, super senior goalie Jeremy Forman had a memory-filled 2024-25 season, including a shocking upset road win over defending NCAA National Champion, the University of Denver, followed three months later by a victory over defending ACHA Division I National Champion Adrian College, as the Skating Rebels claimed their first-ever national championship.
Forman was in goal for the “W” over Denver, a 7-6 shootout victory as he stopped 58 of the 64 shots he faced for UNLV’s first-ever win over a NCAA Division I program, though the game was considered an exhibition because the Rebels aren’t an official NCAA D1 team.
The Pioneers were ranked No. 5 nationally at the time, with 12 players who were NHL draft picks, including goaltender Matt Davis, who played in the NCAA Frozen Four in 2024.
The Skatin' Rebels defeated Adrian College, 7-3, on March 18 in St. Louis to win the program's first-ever American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) National Championship.
Forman was named tournament MVP, making 36 saves on 39 shots in the title tilt.
“I didn’t know too much of what to expect (joining the UNLV Club Hockey Team),” he said. “(I) just wanted to live in Vegas and win some hockey games.
“We had a good year. We won a lot of games which is always fun. Beating Denver was the highlight, and winning a national championship was a cherry on top.
“(This) probably (was) the best season a club hockey team has ever had. When I was at the University of New Hampshire, I really didn’t see or hear club hockey news. This year, it seemed like everyone – from ACHA teams to NCAA teams to NHL teams – was talking about us. We got shoutouts on Spitting Chicklets and Pardon My Take, and other news (outlets). For a club hockey team, that’s incredible. Nothing like this season will probably happen again.”
Forman, 25, a Northbrook native in UNLV uniform No. 31, played four seasons at UNH. After graduating last spring, he moved west to be the Rebels netminder.
Beating Denver was his season highlight. “It’s not every day can you give up six goals and still have a save percentage over .900,” he said.
Forman tagged the win over Denver as, “the greatest upset in sports,” especially considering he never envisioned the upset of the Pioneers was even possible. His goal was simply, “to keep it respectable,” he said. The Denver battle was “the hardest game I have ever played from a physical standpoint.” After all, the Pioneers had the puck in UNLV’s defensive zone for about 90 percent of the game.
“I just tried to stay focused and took the game one segment at a time,” he said.
“I felt comfortable with the pace (of play against Denver) from being at UNH for four years. Still, if I made a small mistake, I got scored on, so, I had to stay focused and did what I could to get in shooting lanes. I didn’t want to get scored on with a shot. I wanted them to move the puck and make plays to score. Overall, it worked because we won.”
Forman said the Denver victory delivered a mix of joy and relief when the game was over. Physically, he was drained. Emotionally, he was “pretty excited,” he said.
“I showed that I was good enough to compete at that level. I wasn’t really given an opportunity to prove myself at UNH, but I think I proved a lot of people wrong with that game. To beat a top five NCAA program with a club team in front of me,” he said.
Forman turned away three Denver players in the shootout. “I was confident going into the shootout that, if we scored one, we would win,” he said. “I was feeling good about my game in the moment. I didn’t even know until after the game that the guys I stopped were NHL draft picks and leading the NCAA in scoring.”
Forman was flooded with support via texts, phone calls and DMs after the game.
Ironically, it was a DM from the UNLV coaches that pushed Forman to UNLV. He was, randomly, golfing with a scout for the program. “I was with two of the coaches that I work with at Midwest Goalie Academy and the scout was our fourth,” he said. “The three of them convinced me that it would be a good experience.”
Sure enough, Forman was handed the MVP Award after the Rebels silenced Adrian College in a rematch of the 2024 final, where the Bulldogs shut out UNLV, 3-0.
The Rebels entered the 2025 tournament as the No. 2 seed, posting a 27-5-3 record in the regular season. UNLV opened a 4-0 lead over Adrian before the Bulldogs broke Forman, making it 4-2.
That’s as close as Adrian got.
“I wanted to give my team a chance to win every game that I played. I knew the scoring support would come, so I just gave them a chance and (knew) we could win,” Forman said of his pre-tournament approach. “I was confident going into (the championship game). Same idea, I knew if I gave my team a chance, then the scoring would come, and we would win. I was happy for the guys in the (locker) room who I had been around all year.
“The Denver win will be more memorable for me because it was more difficult. We were the best club team, and when you expect to win, it isn’t as exciting. However, it was cool to win for the guys in the (locker) room and to help the program.”
Forman said it was “cool” to claim the MVP award and added that “the guys played great in front of me and there were a bunch of guys who could have been (named) MVP,” he said.
After the national championship, Forman and his teammates were heroes in the spotlight-filled city of Las Vegas. They went on many local news outlets, including high-profile hockey-focused podcasts. They were honored at a Vegas Knights game and a Silver Knights game. They took the Murdoch Cup to the famed Encore Beach Club and other places on The Strip. They received the Key to the City, and more.
Forman and his teammates were introduced at a live, internationally-broadcast TNA Wrestling show at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, where the pro wrestling company honored the Rebels.
Forman is now ready for the real world. He’s looking for a financial analyst job but hasn’t forgotten his hockey past that started in Illinois. His career included time in net for the Northbrook Bluehawks, Chicago Mission, Team Illinois and CYA. Plus, he played for the Buffalo Junior Sabres (OJHL) and the Corpus Christi Ice Rays (NAHL).
He also won an NIHL Championship while playing for the Ice Dogs.
“Being in a strong hockey market (like Illinois), I was able to practice with some really good players which helped me develop my game,” he said.
Forman praised many past coaches from Illinois, including Eric Levine, Tom Schual and Kelly Gee, plus Gino Cavallini and Mike Greenberg, among others.
Forman is a solid, technically strong netminder who is competitive and stable; he doesn’t get too high when winning or too low when losing.
He just likes winning, as he did at UNLV and with the Ice Dogs “when we got a huge trophy,” he said.
Stopping Slapshots With … UNLV Goalie Jeremy Forman
Giving Thanks: To his parents, Edward and Holly, “who taught me to earn all my opportunities, that nothing in life is given. Also, their overall support of my hockey career from the very start.”
Fellow Illinois Native at UNLV: Kyle Quinn, a Willowbrook native who played for the Chicago Hawks and CYA, among other teams. Quinn and Forman were CYA U18 teammates.
Off The Ice: He is an MBA student who enjoys golfing and watching sports.
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Marc-Andre Fleury
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Happy Gilmore
Favorite TV Show: The Office
Favorite Pre-game Meal: Chicken and pasta
Favorite app: Instagram
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Marc-Andre Fleury
Family Ties: Jeremy Forman is the nephew of AHAI writer Ross Forman, who won a high school hockey state championship in Illinois as a player, is now an IHOA official and the author of this profile.