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Everything posted by Lifelongbender
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It's hard to see what can be done to improve Rostraver. I have been thinking that maybe they'll build a new facility in that big parking lot and then tear the old one down. Need to stay open during construction to honor existing contracts after all. In theory they could fill in the existing rink and then build a new one at the level of the top of the existing boards. I have always assumed that the boards were built that way because they also act as retaining structures for fill under the stands, so removing and replacing them isn't much of an option. Even if that's not true, you'd still have a concrete slab at the back of the boards for the entire perimeter of the rink, except the Zamboni entrance and the two stairwells at the entrance end. I will say that I was there a couple days ago and it sure seemed like the dehumidifiers were not running. The glass was more or less completely opaque due to water condensation on it, and the players were complaining about the ice, too.
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I talked to someone I consider absolutely reliable tonight. Apparently Rostraver management met with Black Bear representatives last week out at Delmont and signed the papers. As far as I can tell this is a done deal at this point, quite literally.
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Alpha Ice livebarn
Lifelongbender replied to 2muchAAAinWPA's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
Well, that's entirely true. But the teams that play there can request that the LiveBarn cameras be shut off during their practices, and often do. Many high school varsity teams in the region have them shut off during their practices, as do several of the independent and "higher" teams. Honestly it's not uncommon at all to log into LiveBarn and find that Alpha, in particular, is still blacked out. Since the LiveBarn timeslots start more or less at the top of the hour, when game slots do not align with the top of the hour the same way, it's not uncommon to find that part of a game is blocked because the previous hour was a practice that had the cameras shut off. I know that I have seen that happen at Alpha, and then parents from the team asked Alpha to turn the cameras on for the game and they did turn them on. That may be the answer to @hockeyisgreat's question above, too. Either the slot is often used by one of these teams, or maybe it's used on off days and the rink just shut the slot off across the board, or possibly you happen to overlap with a practice that was shut off. -
Alpha Ice livebarn
Lifelongbender replied to 2muchAAAinWPA's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
Most high school teams are shutting LiveBarn off when they practice nowadays. This is no surprise at all. -
Yeah, that's still there, too. Smaller than a standard rink back then, wasn't it?
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Wheeling Park had chain link instead of glass until more recently than you'd think, but that's in WV.
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18U Registration still open.
Lifelongbender replied to NPGH Director of Hockey's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
And yell from the stands about playing certain lines over others. -
I've seen several and they've been good ones- close games and exciting.
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Rostraver for sale
Lifelongbender replied to Spear and Magic Helmet's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
I thought that Black Bear officially announced that they were going to put in that second sheet shortly after they bought the facility. Maybe I imagined that. -
Rostraver for sale
Lifelongbender replied to Spear and Magic Helmet's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
That's right - Cal played there for a decent time before the YMCA bought the building. I assume the single sheet of ice, combined with the number of teams SHAHA has been fielding, Cal playing there would be very unlikely. -
Rostraver for sale
Lifelongbender replied to Spear and Magic Helmet's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
This is correct. The boards are part of the retaining system for the soil below the stands. I'm pretty sure that the boards themselves are partly concrete. Anyone who bought that rink and wanted to modernize it would end up having to deal with that issue eventually. -
Man, every so often I get excited because of all the hockey talk on this site. And then the above happens. Nowadays, and for a long time, it's been a waste of time to click on 90% of new postings because they're all just arguments about who is and isn't a real hockey parent. Why don't you guys just meet in a parking lot somewhere and work it out so that we can all talk about hockey instead?
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Allegheny Badgers 2022-23
Lifelongbender replied to RegDunlop7's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
It's tragic how true this post is. -
Local teams playing in out of state leagues
Lifelongbender replied to forbin's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
It's probably both. Since almost no organizations in the Pittsburgh area take girls hockey seriously, and PAHL definitely doesn't, it's probably good for the girls teams in the city that do take it seriously. Hard to know how it will affect coed hockey, but honestly a little competition for PAHL seems positive. The only worry I have is the possibility that having competing leagues in the city will make both of them worse by diluting talent. -
USA Hockey Rate Increase
Lifelongbender replied to HereWithPopcorn's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
They'll probably claim it's based on actuary tables. Sigh. -
Shaler vs Latrobe
Lifelongbender replied to Hattrick Swayze's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
Well, it's my understanding that PIHL told member programs that additional security would be required at future games at the last meeting. Prices are going to go up. Also, maybe it's just the rinks that I go to for games, but the PIHL security around my neck of the woods is usually an armed PA State Constable. They are typically not rent-a-cops in my area. -
Shaler vs Latrobe
Lifelongbender replied to Hattrick Swayze's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
@Saucey is right on this one. You can do quite a bit on the ice in a game without criminal charges, typically - lots of things that would be subject to criminal charges off the ice are typical behavior on the ice. Once you enter the stands, though, it seems to me you don't enjoy that distinction any more. I'd think that everyone involved here on both sides should be giving their attorney a heads-up call about right now - players and parents from both sides. In the end you have a situation here where a (presumed) juvenile and an "adult" attacked another "adult", who probably is not innocent either. I don't get why people don't see this more clearly. Instead of denigrating this post, as at least one poster has, we should be thinking about it a bit more. These people might ALL be subject to some sort of legal action. They should certainly be quickly sanctioned by their respective organizations, at the very least as a symbolic move in separating the organization from their behavior. But we live in a region where there are a couple legendary coaches who are notorious for all sorts of bad behavior and are deeply respected and admired anyway. So there you go. Probably both organizations try to avoid taking any action against the nitwits involved, and the youth sports environment continues to spiral. As someone else has said here, ultimately and sadly this only hurts the kids. -
Shaler vs Latrobe
Lifelongbender replied to Hattrick Swayze's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
Unorganized? Sadly, it sounds typical. Varsity players are often treated differently from MS or even JV players. It's the way the world works. Terrible, but true. And, for the record, not good for the player to be treated specially, either. -
Tier 2 Rankings for PAHL Teams
Lifelongbender replied to Hattrick Swayze's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
100% yes. This is entirely correct. And this may the greatest example of coaches failing players. So many of these kids learn the wrong lessons when they're young because coaches encourage them to do this, because at that age (ie, before hitting) they're able to beat a couple D and score. And they just learn to do it because the teams win games and everyone tells them how great they are, when in fact they're not getting good fundamentals. Then you get to high school and the phenom tries to put the puck between the D's legs, only to find that at that level the D doesn't really care much about the puck. They simply play the body and the rush is broken. It drives me nuts to see that. But play a team from Detroit, or Boston. They don't do that. -
Tier 2 Rankings for PAHL Teams
Lifelongbender replied to Hattrick Swayze's topic in Western Pennsylvania Youth Hockey
I agree entirely. The varsity teams practice practically every day, and still their systems play tends to be weak, and basic positioning concepts are absent. It's really disappointing.