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There was a glitch in the reporting of the game scores this season for most of the year. You actually could click on the individual games and have access to the digital game sheets and summaries. Nobody complained about it. It was actually pretty nice to see something other than just the final score of each game. Once the league caught wind of their loophole of their statistical lockdown; they sewed it up for good. If there was any one person that complained about the score sheets being open to the public…well, it was the PAHL (obviously). Someone who monitors these boards and has the ability to remove the players’ individual competitiveness. The player statistics were obviously being tabulated and recorded. Why not be transparent about it? Hockey is a team game where keeping score is important. The Fair Play Points make a big difference down the stretch and sometimes it’s what makes teams more or less competitive depending on how aggressive they can be. The game sheets also show these penalties, minutes, and tabulations of the FPP. Without transparency, corruption has a haven.

Top 5? Armstrong is the gold standard for homerism, and hearing the Armstrong faithful parents attempt to say it isn’t so is comic relief.

The person/people in charge of PAHL’s social media presence are currently stuck in paralysis by analysis mode after re-reading this paragraph all day. I’d be surprised if those calling the shots in the PAHL even understand how vast the gulf exists between them and other leagues (i.e. AHF) when we compare their current platforms…then consider the enticement of anonymity to attract the best players in the region. What better way to generate local/regional buzz and draw high-end hockey, than to highlight their teams and players through a package deal with their nonexistent marketing and promotional teams. It’s almost like there’s quite a bit of shame going on over there. They’re actively trying to suppress any information from being leaked out to the public. Interesting philosophy to not want to routinely field the best teams with the best players that Western Pennsylvania has locally grown. If this is the way they are going…then maybe they should mandate the removal of nameplates from the back of the league’s team jerseys too? Id love not knowing who is who while watching games (I’m being facetious). It’d be like watching the Yankees, Red Sox, or Penn State football…only without a program that tells you who’s wearing what number.

I'm hoping this was a typo and you meant were not changed. I can't imagine having every game in an amateur league have stats challengeable what a nightmare.

Icemen charge about $4400 for the season. Does not include coach fee or team fees. Also does not include jerseys, socks, shell, jackets, etc. The AHF is a low level “AA” league at best and traveling 5+ hours to Philly and NJ? Not great value for the competition.

I watched both Armstrong games online as my son has a few friends who still play there. They have a very solid team top to bottom, but they were certainly pushed. They topped NP 3-1, but it was probably the closer game. NP had a lot of good chances, but Armstrong goalie is very big with good positioning. He makes alot of tough saves look easy. For the Armstrong/Predators game, it was one of the greatest showings from a goalie I've seen in a while. Armstrong outmatched them pretty heavily, but that goalie stood on his head and stopped all 45+ shots through 3 periods and 2 OTs. Regarding the Mt Lebanon coach. If it's true that he bailed after the second period that's a shame and the parents should be angry. I believe it's the club president and long standing family tied with the club right?

I saw that on live barn Preds coach called timeout with 38 seconds left in 3rd shorthanded with face off in their zone Drew up a perfect play to score then shortly after win it in overtime Here to find out Lebo coach left after 2nd period to watch his other kid play I heard Lebo parents were pissed The championship was a 0 to 0 tie after 2 overtime periods They should have went to 3 on 3 overtime to decide a winner Hate to see a championship go to a shoot out

That same "glitch" has appeared on and off on the PAHL site over the years. While I'm no longer involved with PAHL, when I was, I was partially responsible with submitting an organizations preferred placement prior to placement games. The first season I did this I questioned why when they asked for each team's roster they also requested what team and what level (B, A, AA, AAA) each player had played at the previous season (not sure if PAHL still requires this). The reply I received was that it was mainly for players that were coming in from an organization outside of PAHL, because "they already have stats on every player in PAHL". I then asked why PAHL doesn't post them anywhere and the response was "because they are afraid that other teams are going to start recruiting kids".

Armstrong would easily be in the top 5.

I agree with the points about Black Bear and AA hockey. I think it's just a matter of time before PAHL is B and their 6-8 levels of A (minor/major, white/gold/black, birthyear, whatever other way they want to divide it). I think the "independent" teams will probably migrate to the black bear leagues because they will let them play AA and there is already some travel built into the schedule, because driving farther means it's "better". In the end, a Pittsburgh division of AA teams is probably not a bad result, but the cost is certainly not going to go down.

It's why they play the games

guess that doesn't matter. anymore though since they lost to an 8 seed last night.

Imagine if you could see the actual scoresheets. It would substantiate the rinks where the visiting teams routinely and blatantly get homered.

Agree, this guy has no business running any league, save for beer league somewhere. He is part of the good old boy buddy buddy old guard from PIHO and WPHOA.

I was just going to say the same thing to @hockeyisgreat but you beat me to it. They get paid $$$ and try to skate by with the minimum amount of work possible. Strange how nothing has changed much since Darcee left.

Last year at MidAms, a parent emailed an official livebarn clips from a game. Not about missed penalties, but about assists that were not given and that their player would not be able to choose the prep school of their choice because of this.

Yeah I went to far with that one! Maybe charge a fee to have a stat changed. If a parent is crazy enough (I hope it's only a few) then they might be crazy enough to pay to have it reviewed. I just think stats with errors are better than no stats at all! Just my opinion.

This is the problem with having score sheets, the parents have to ruin it once again. Goalie parents are the WORST by far and most of them don't know what a REAL shit on goal is and want everything thrown near their kid listed as a shot. They yell at the coaches, refs and score keepers if their kids don't get their assist or shots right. I know parents that have actually called and Emailed the teams, leagues and companies running a tournament because they keep their own stats and even send video clips of their kids not getting a 2nd assist or a shot went off their kid and someone else got the goal. Parents ruin everything in youth sports.

PAHL wants to charge the money and do the least work possible. Basically they run an organized in-house league that travels to play. I can see it getting to where they're being challenged with a competitor now and will probably end up rolling over and giving up as they continue to lose players and teams. However, I'll add that the AHF/THF groups on Facebook have an awful lot of complaining about "my kid faced 60 shots but the scoresheet only said 58", "they totally missed my kid's secondary assists 3 time this weekend", or any different incarnations of that you can think of. So I can see where PAHL doesn't want hounded week in and week out with those kind of complaints.

My son played in the AHF. I'll say that the league does a much better job of managing their website. Live scoring, stats, players of the week, all-star teams are all pretty cool and certainly add to the experience. I'll also say that the level of competition in that league is absolutely not worth the 10-12 hours of driving you'd do for a weekend, even if you do get 4-6 games. If you're in PAHL already there's no point in adding that amount of driving and hotel stays to play teams that are equal to the competition out here (at best). If you're an independent team you can easily find equal or better competition within 2-3 hours (Ohio, Buffalo) and not take that long trip on the turnpike.

You have to remember that part of the cost of being in those leagues is that you have to travel E, to Philadelphia, Delaware, and New Jersey, in order to play league games. It's not just the cost of the league itself.

And who owns and operates AHF…. I’m sure it comes with a price tag