From the Pittsburgh Forge web site, in part,  at ...

      http://www.pittsburghforge.com/

 Becanic Named Head Coach
 8/15/02

NEVILLE ISLAND (August 15, 2002) --The Pittsburgh Forge Junior-A hockey
club has announced that John Becanic has been promoted to head coach
replacing Chris Imes, who resigned today in order to accept a
professional coaching job in Europe. Imes has been named head coach of
the Olimpija Green Dragons of the International Hockey League, a team
located in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The announcement was made by Bruce
Crocker, the President and CEO of the Island Sports Center.

Becanic served as assistant coach of the Forge under Imes during the
team’s inaugural 2001-2002 season. Becanic -- a native of Sault Ste.
Marie, Ontario -- spent the previous five years as head coach and
director of hockey operations for the Bismarck Bobcats of the Junior-A
America West Hockey League, and compiled a 121-93-22 record. His resume
also includes a two-year stint with the Soo Greyhounds of the Major
Junior Ontario Hockey League, a team that won the Memorial Cup
Championship in 1993.

Imes, a former defenseman who played professionally in Slovenia for
four years, guided the Forge to a 37-15-4 record and a second-place
finish in the NAHL’s Eastern Division last season. Under his direction,
Pittsburgh also advanced to the NAHL Championship Series, and later
became the first expansion team ever reach the final game at the USA
Hockey Junior-A National Championships.

“Obviously Chris Imes played a major role in the success the Forge
enjoyed during its first season, and we wish him well in his new
endeavor,” Crocker said. “While we’re sorry to lose Chris, we’re very
fortunate to have someone of John Becanic’s caliber to step in and
replace him. John has a wealth of coaching experience on the Junior-A
level, and we’re certain the program will remain in good hands. We had
seven players from last year’s squad move on to play college hockey,
and now our head coach has advanced into the professional ranks. That’s
what Junior-A hockey is all about.”
...

Congratulations, Chris!   cheers, wayne


Wayne Smith -- [log in to unmask] -- Old Town Landing, ME