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"Just"? Yes. PAHL.

Look at the rosters of some of the Ohio usphl teams - full of Ohio HS hockey players, kids that probably wouldn’t make a Pahl AA team in western pa. They will pretty much take anyone. There is a local 2005 playing (more than likely sitting in the stands) for one of the Ohio usphl teams. This kid couldn’t make any of the faux aaa 16u teams - but now he’s playing “junior hockey” ( edit - talked to a buddy in Michigan tonight, Wooster only had 14 skaters at tryouts - everyone made the team so he will play. Two years ago they couldn’t field a team, last year they almost folded it. They lost their opener tonight 12–1. Looking at the roster half the team would have never made Pahl AA. Sorry for the assumption the kid would sit in the stands, that’s normally the case for under 18’s these teams normally carry up to 30 paying customers) They carry up to 30 kids on those teams because it’s “Junior hockey” The mid west usphl teams are much cheaper than the north east. Last I can recall the vengeance were around 10k a season. The east and north east teams run around 15-20k a season. They dangle the ncdc carrot at the parents & players (not really tier 2 juniors more like tier 2.5). The na3 also does the same trick with the nahl. go play acha if you are going to continue your education. It’s much cheaper, it’s where 99% of the kids ultimately end up in the end if they continue playing. chances are if it’s a good acha d1 program your kid will be playing with good players & against good players. There are a lot of NAHL & NCDC kids in the acha. I know the kid being talked about that’s playing in the usphl (elite not premier) - dad knows he’s not going anywhere. I forget what his dads screen name was here but he use to post a lot. He’s an 02, he played with my youngest one season. He’s a very bright kid, graduated HS early. there’s a decent amount of 2002-03 from western pa in the usphl right now. Like I said, it’s the new extra A for twice the price! I decided to take a look at the local acha teams from the bigger schools around western pa. Here is a great example. 21 year old freshman, probably wasted 40k playing in the usphl. Most kids would be in their Junior if not senior year of college at this point. https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/471676/cam-grant