AIC mourns passing of Hall of Famer Dave Forbes '71
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – The American International College Department of Athletics mourns the loss of AIC Athletics Hall of Famer Dave Forbes '71, who passed away on March 25, 2024 at the age of 75.
Born in Lachine, Quebec, Forbes came to American International College in 1967 and made an instant impact on the hockey team, scoring 23 points in his rookie campaign. As a sophomore, he joined Yves DeRome and Mike Egoroff on the team's top line, scoring 32 goals and 27 assists for 59 points, and was named ECAC Tournament MVP as the Yellow Jackets captured their first ever conference crown in 1969.
Forbes continued to impress in his junior and senior campaigns, and with 30 goals and 52 points in 1970-71, he earned College Division All-American status from the American Hockey Coaches Association; his tenure at AIC ended with a team-record 89 goals and second in points at 151, as well as with a degree in business management.
Having graduated, Forbes embarked on a pro career, and in 1973 became the first Yellow Jacket to reach the NHL. He earned his first NHL goal and first assist against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 21, 1973 in an 8-2 rout at the Boston Garden and ultimately played 63 games with the Bruins that season, scoring 26 points.
Ultimately, Forbes spent six seasons in the NHL from 1973-1979, playing for Boston and then the Washington Capitals, totaling 363 games with 64 goals and 64 assists for 128 points, all still by far the most for any AIC alumnus. He played in the Stanley Cup Final twice with Boston, in 1974 and 1977.
Forbes was inducted into the AIC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005, in the first year of the Hall. He will be inducted a second time as part of the 1969 ECAC Hockey Champions on September 20, as part of the AIC Hall of Fame Class of 2024.