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Participating in the Olympics

Paid coaches, skills/goalie training, dryland, 12-15 summer practices, 2-3 weekly practices in season, 50-55 game schedule, 4-6 showcases, HUDL video, nicer locker room for Frozen Pond, THF schedule, feeling of superiority over Tier 2 Icemen and Yetis.

Thanks! Probably a blessing in disguise as we've had some pretty good offers come in that may serve him better than PE ever would. Excited to continue the journey 🙂

I'm finding it wild that this thread has more traction than the tryout threads this year. Everyone must be getting old and we aren't recruiting enough mite parents.

Preds 09 AAA tryouts finished last night and they've already sent selections to their core. Deferring the rest to the 08 AAA tryouts tomorrow. Supposedly some additional players will make the 09 AAA team and a few that don't make that team will be placed on the 08 AAA team. And then as players get moved down each rung they'll be asked to stay and play for their mixed 16U team. Makes perfect sense, right?

What I would like to know is why is it so important to pay North Catholic? Whats in it for the Pens org to do that? Do they get a kickback? Also, I know theoretically why they want you to do excel, you get a lot of ice time and they get a lot of money. But does it ever dawn on any parents that even NHL'ERS aren't on the ice that much? That there's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to too much ice time/gym time? If everybody would use their heads and refuse to do this, then it wouldn't be a thing. But the allure of that gear bag and window sticker is enough to let it perpetuate, I guess.

It's extortion. But the fact that everyone knows it and then act blind-sided by it is........... well, amazing.

What does it say when an organization has to hold a supplemental tryout to fill open spots for a AAA Tier 1 team? It’s gonna be a long, long season.

Anybody see anything on Supplementals? Seems like a very quiet year for tryouts. Will be interesting to see how it all shakes out!

Exactly what I said earlier. Nobody was traveling to Pittsburgh or bringing a good squad. Closest game we won by 5 goals at home. Why should we travel and put on a good show for them if nobody wanted to travel to us.

Sounds about right for the actual talent pool.

You don’t think? All they see are dollar signs.

Ice time was paid. Yes we are all aware it was late a time or two but honestly what organization hasn’t been late. But it was paid for. Not dying on the sword pal, just explaining to everyone the story. I already had told everyone in this thread that nobody trusted our owner. We all saw the news. We all have phones. People talk. I’m just stating the story of the season. It was more so the league then the Owner.

That makes no sense.

They are over-trained on the ice and under-educated in the classroom. And what I mean by that is they do not spend near enough time in the classroom on a daily/weekly basis at NC.

That is why a lot of the 2006 group left and 2007 group left.

If your PAHL??? Simple. Numbers. You don’t have the numbers to field a competitive division. PAHL is ecstatic if they get 4 girls teams in a division that are somewhat competitive. 16u was decent this year, right? Oh wait they folded the entire age group. So let’s block out anyone who wants to play PAHL 16u girls but maybe wants to get a few extra games in. So if you’re a decent minor birth year 16u girl, what do you do? You don’t restrict eligibility if you’re trying to grow a demographic of a sport. You expand it. PAHL can’t see it because none of the board members have girls that play, right? I think I’m right but I may be off. If they do, they don’t understand it at the older levels (past 12u). If you’re a decent player after 12u??? Simple- PAHL has such a huge disparity of girls on each team. Some can barely skate. It’s like forcing all the boys to play local in house. You’re severely restricting the ability to play with parity due to small numbers. You almost need to change on the horn with line parity. It sucks. if you’re Steel City??? Well you’re providing an alternative now. Here’s an organization that understands girls hockey. For the record I have no affiliation there. But mid to high level PAHL girls that don’t want to be part of a league that can’t put together a decent league season and has clearly shown they have no interest in understanding or expanding girls hockey- here ya go. Now big question is how would this team schedule a competitive season- but I can’t blame the families for looking elsewhere. If PAHL isn’t going to look to grow girls hockey, freaking kudos for another origination to at least superficially look like they want to do it.

Dude. You guys got played like a fiddle. Don’t come on here trying to pretend you had such noble gestures to die on your swords. Ice time couldn’t even get paid for.

Sounds like a great way to waste money!

Like I said already. We all only paid $350 in total to play for the season. 20 games and full jerseys and equipment I’ll take that any day.

No truth to that rumor. *From what I heard…they had a legitimate number of players and definitely goalies cut down from Saturday to Sunday. I want to say that I think I heard that there were 11 or 12 goalies that were there each of the first 2 days. I am not sure about total number of skaters. But, I guess it’s easier to pick out and count the goalies rather than the skaters. The goalies are a little different too (in a variety of ways). I don’t know if that tryout number ramped up quickly or what, (and I know how the numbers and talent can reduce at the 18U level) but I’d say that the recent reduction of 06 AAA squads in PGH caused a funneling effect amongst the teams available. When Pittsburgh goes from 6 AAA 2006 birth year-based teams to 3 in about one year…either there is an increase in the number of regional call ups to juniors and/or the incoming 2007 numbers can’t replenish and sustain the competitive levels that are needed. Probably a little of both.

Stole money

uLooks like 5th. Lost in quarterfinals at playoffs 2-4

15 years later and these money grabs are still going on smh

Money grab, those birth years don't even get looked at for another 2-3yrs.

Ok, I can understand that. At least you're being honest about it.

Serious question, what is going on with all of these 09 teams folding or not having enough kids? It's not a deep birth year as it is but reading everything on here it's anywhere from 2-4 full teams folding. There is no way that many parents are okay with their superstars playing on a mixed team.

I'll be interested to see who they're able to get. I've heard of 5 of their better players that made Predators. Some others I know were at Esmark tryouts and I assume made it. It looks like they switched up coaches. The guy from last year that came in from Michigan isn't listed anymore, instead it's the father/son duo that coached their younger ages.

so are you saying the euros will get most of the playing time?

Would rather drive the hour for the Nailers (who have decent food/drink options)than to drive 5 minutes to watch men's league.

They also have Euros coming……….stay tuned player depth may not be an issue coupled with their coaching staff

From what I heard the coach was getting backlash from players who thought they were superstars and thought they should have been out there everywhere shift which you guys might have had 2 lines that could actually do that. Who cares if the coach brought in other players. I also know other players who wouldn't play since he got let go. One guy was a huge ringer. So because a few players were grumpy over ice time they fired a coach who had a winning record and a successful running at the rink and crowd. If you noticed the crowd got smaller and smaller since he got canned. But hey I'm just friends with the coach and his wife. We got their story and know some of the players personally and they said something completely different than what you're saying. I'm not here to start drama. I was really rooting for a team in our county as there is really nothing to do on a Saturday night here. It was refreshing walking into a game seeing 400-500 people in the stands. And the fact the the coach got zookys to sponsor and have beer sales at the rink and the owner took credit from the league saying he got it. We will definitely miss going down to watch the games. It was seriously a fun environment. Best of luck to you and your teammates for whatever you guys do in the future.

Not sure how any goalies made it for shaha since tonight was their final night of tryouts from 8-9 but I can take your word for it. Unless the coach called those who made it and preds had a tryout within 20 minutes I don't know how that would happen.

I admire you guys for giving it a go. Too many people here were just waiting for it to fail! This forum seems to be for everyone to complain about something so don't take anything personally!

I think that tuition is $39,000 / yr for a commuter. So, staying on campus with room and board goes up to $62,000. Then include hockey fees, that price goes up fast.

This is incorrect. (Sorry my nephew played for them) - they lost one forward who made preds and one is trying out for 08 team. Everyone else is coming back to my knowledge and they are picking up a couple other kids. I would assume if/when the one kid gets cut from 08 tryouts he is back and then the team is basically intact. They had plenty of kids try out though so it's more of a matter of what level they end up being in the long run.

That AA coach has a really good track record

There is a reason why so many hockey players develop hip issues later in life

The level of play at a good u16AA tournament is certainly better than that of a u15AA tournament. If USA jumped on board and held u15 tier 2 nationals it might change the landscape, but until then play on the best team you can and take two legitimate cracks at nationals

Let me guess. At the players' expense?

It's not a great school either compared to where many of these kids are coming from.

It is. Stupidly we thought it was just a rumor and surely they valued him enough as a solid goaltender to keep him. He'll be in 9th grade in the fall and i guess our reprieve was over. Nobody ever said anything to us the last 2 yrs but this year when the NC application wasnt conpleted it was over for him. The way the Coach this year and the new Coach for the upcoming season handled the situation was most disappointing. It became glaringly obvious that the organization only cares about bringing in money and not developing players. The amount of BS that gets spun up there is mind blowing 🤯

Supposedly the Huskies have plenty of opportunity (and ice time) at PIA for 09’s😉

Wow. So sorry that happened to your family. That’s terrible. Best of luck moving forward

This is 100% on PAHL. This gained traction when they tried to push through the anti-girls hockey rules. Soured some families and now they are looking for any alternative they can find. Ironically, even under those proposed rules these girls could have played both Selects and PAHL. I know a few of the families that expressed this sentiment.

It's not about killing dreams but rather having realistic expectations. And why are so many parents so willing to part with their kids during such an important part of their overall societal development?

Not discounting what you are saying, and I say this half-jokingly: Walt Disney didn't blindly play the lottery to build his empire -- he had a well thought out plan -- and Wayne Gretzky said that he didn't mean for us to take shots from our own defensive end. "Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the present." -- Qui-Gon Jinn 😉

A quick view of minimal activity on here shows exactly what this poster is all about. And how foolish they are as well. The older BY's are the ones that matter genius. And if you actually believe that your happy little group of 11's and/or 13's will stay that happy little group through the older age groups, well then I've got some bad news for you.

Pucks11 is correct. Not every good player plays or even wants to play at Pens. Between not being in the club, wanting to keep playing with friends, not wanting to deal with NC or excel, not wanting/able to pay that much money, being overlooked, there's lots of reasons that not every kid plays there. And reasons maybe they aren't at whatever other orgs, too. Is what it is. People sure do know how to take this all too seriously and suck the fun out of the game.

They went 1-2 and were out scored 17-9 and that impressed you?