Novos51

We played AA from Bantam on. It was appropriate for his dedication level. He had talent to potentially play higher but not the passion. That’s fine with me. He had a blast. Made great friends. Played two other sports. Went to proms and homecomings etc. Hes going to play either D1 or 2 ACHA depending on his dedication level. I’m fine with either one. AA tended to cost us around 3K in fees. A couple years we played independent and PAHL so more travel was needed but everyone understood that. Some years we did 3-4 tourneys with 1 or 2 in town. Some years we did 6-8 mostly out of town. 
From Bantam to midget we lost about half our kids. Some to whatever AAA. Some to school full time. A few just had enough and focused on other sports. 
Had my son worked harder and wanted some level of AAA I would have supported it. To me hockey was red about an expectation of NHL glory. It was about the time we spent together. That was worth every dollar. He played travel baseball for a while and my daughter played travel softball. I spent a lot of money. The same I would have spent on a nice vacation every year. 
Adults make decisions. I’m glad we do have some intelligent discussions that newer parents can get info from. I often wonder why the bulk of this board is slamming PPE or “faux” AAA but to each their own. 

The fun part is my grandson played his first year of mites this year. I have the experience now. I also laugh at the ridiculous mite parents although my wife reminds me that was us 12 years ago. 
if your kid is playing now then cherish the time and understand they probably aren’t going to play in the NHL. Understand that there are great camps and skills development but also understand that their are people out there who will tell you anything for dollars.  Sit back and get your joy from the joy your kid has. Isn’t that what it means to be a parent? If you are constantly pissed off about coaches/playing time etc. really talk to your kid. Are they really pissed off too? 
Ultimately listen to your kids. Understand what they really want. Fill that need if you can. 
If your kids aren’t playing anymore than relax and offer sage advise. Don’t just say xyz sucks. Tell them why and don’t say it if it sucked for you because of whatever. Give them a little more perspective. 

Good luck to these boys. It’s a long road!

2 hours ago, Saucey said:

I find it unfortunate that a post meant to celebrate an accomplishment devolved into a large discussion regarding a complaint. Standard for here. It's ok to want to discuss it. But it's really a tangent to the OP that could be its own post.

I understand the complaint, very talented hockey players don't get as much attention in high school because of where they go to school, something they do not have control over. However, it is true that it is more of an accomplishment to do what the six celebrated here did both because of their talent AND because of the level of hockey they played. It's a reason I completely approve of not basing hockey divisions over size of the school district alone. PIHL's current system generates and encourages the development of good hockey. I would submit that there are opportunities in PIHL to allow kids to get looks from juniors, etc, while not playing AAA. Rare, but the players celebrated here are also rare. It's a celebration of elite talent.

The All Star game is how all the talent at every division is celebrated. Why, exactly, is that not enough? 

Sorry, there isn't much of a comparison between the level of hockey played at  D2 and the stars of AAA. The hockey is almost an entirely different game. The speed, the difference in shot totals, etc. It's just not comparable.

I'm guilty of straying from the OP's topic, obviously, since I just did it.  ?

I’m a D2 dad and I don’t disagree. D2 teams mostly dont have the depth as the higher levels. In our case the closest AA program is an hour away. I’d like to think my sons team would have been able to compete in A. I dont know about AA but definitely not AAA. Our team had a handful of AA/AAA kids with a majority playing high A. The bigger schools may have many AA/AAA

Congrats to these boys. I’d assume most of them loved playing school hockey. It’s cool to have students and fans at the games. No other travel hockey has that. 

18 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

What about Ian Norkivicus?  Top scorer in D-2?   Top point getter in any division should be considered!  Maybe they should have a top 10 at least.  Wouldn't diminish the achievment.

The struggle with the B division is two fold. First they don’t get the attention the pure schools have and I don’t expect that will change. In most sports AAAA gets more press than A. The other is the belief (and it’s somewhat fair) that the top scorers see lower level goaltending. The ceiling in B is pretty darn good but the basement can be pretty darn low. 
 

On 3/29/2022 at 1:56 PM, sarampage said:

I've asked the same.  I think you just have to be registered as a National Bound team, apply to MidAm and be approved.  The teams at HS Nationals vary greatly in strength.  One score was 22-0.  Looking at the teams this year, I think the top PIHL AAA/AA teams could do very well.

I think PIHL teams never enter because it always conflicts with the Penguins/PA Cup.

I think there is a co-op style division. Idk the selection. I know it happens early in the season. 

6 hours ago, Lifelongbender said:

The new locker rooms up there are great. HUGE. No doubt.

I may be wrong but I think the neutral zone is short there - I don't think it's a regulation sized rink.

Yes it’s short and minimal bleachers. As much as we did extending the building to extend the ice and add more bleachers was not financially feasible. There is a wishlist item to build a second sheet but further growth would have to happen for that to occur

1 hour ago, Danner27 said:

Read my above post about ringold playing in the Greensburg-Salem tournament this year. Sure some of those teams could hold their own against some A teams but they couldn’t compete in AA or AAA. there is massive jump in team speed, skill from d2 to the AA & AAA class. Having 2-3 decent players, or in the case of your team, a good goalie - doesn’t cut it up there. 
 

congrats on winning the “d2 championship” - they don’t even call it that penguins cup for that classification.  

You can bite me. We won what was in front of us. No one said we could compete AA/AAA like in any other sport. Makes you wonder if you want hockey to grow outside of other areas. We took a garbage dump rink that you couldn’t even play Bantam or above because the boards were bad and invested 3 million dollars into it. Added six or so pahl age group teams andtwo varsity/JV/middle school programs. Both of those school teams at least played in the semis in the last few years and Neshannock won back to back. 
You may now return to peering down your nose at us non-Penguin cup teams that hustle our asses off to have programs. 
 

43 minutes ago, Danner27 said:

We get it, your kid plays for neshannock. It’s that a real division ? 

Ahhh…there it is. Coop hockey sucks guy. Shame we don’t live around a large urban area with lots of hockey. 
Just an FYI. We beat Cathederal prep in non section games twice and McDowell about a month ago. 
Want to grow hockey? Quit treating the areas that have to work hard to field teams like second class. 
I guarantee Canevin, Ringgold, Wilmington and Neshannock would have held their own in Single A. 
 

Bishop Canevin vs Neshannock for D2 title. Neshannock Ringgold game was intense. Neshannock looking to go back to back. Two best goalies in D2

The biggest confusion to me on the AAA is losing a shot at MidAms.  If you have a good AA team you have as good a shot as anyone to win them.  You jump on that AAA bandwagon not only do you struggle to find opponents but you chances to even get to MidAms plummets.  The kids I know who didn't jump to that lower AAA stayed for two reasons.  1. The travel and commitment with little chance to get seen 2. MidAms

1 hour ago, Pa Hockey said:

2022 Penguins Cup Playoff Previews - Keith Barnes - Outstanding Job and Great Read - Post Gazette 

 

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/hsother/2022/03/03/PIHL-Penguins-Cup-playoff-preview/stories/202203020032

Yet again D2 is invisible

On 3/1/2022 at 1:01 PM, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

Pretty amazing to me that McDowell isn't just dominant in single A. They were a good AAA team for years and have an enrollment over 2000. Now I know the size of the school is really not that closely related to how good the team is, but this is definitely a surprise to me. 

They played D2 with us and were bottom of the league. We played them non league this year as a D2 and beat them by five 

On 2/22/2022 at 8:25 AM, hockeydad29 said:

Anyone know anything about this Keystone Wild 18U team?

 

Out of state college. Played a bunch of games in the second half of the season to qualify. They appear seeded correctly 

Thank you for all this. I’m amazed how many families travel this route with no real understanding as to the ceiling and cost. 

On 2/11/2022 at 4:44 PM, hockeyisgreat said:

Neshannock is playing great at the right time for sure.  4 teams fighting for 3 spots in the playoffs in the North. Neshannock, Burrell, Avonworth & Wilmington.  One very good team is going to be left out.  Too close to call. I think they all have 2 games left and have beaten each other.

It’s definitely going to be settled on the ice as it should be. Good luck to all the teams. 

If I could (full disclosure I’m a neshannock parent)

Canevin is the clear number one  Lancers have moved back into playoff hunt controlling their destiny to be 2 seed in the north  

They beat  Carrick head to head twice. Lost to Ringgold in OT.  They play Avonworth and Burrell to end the season

Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things lol. 

10 hours ago, Saucey said:

What am I complaining about? 

On this thread to be fair nothing. 

2 hours ago, Saucey said:

I am not cloud yelling. I didn't denegrate the tournament. But it is the internet and an anonymous board. People are not nice on a big, anonymous level, so am I poking at people whining because they came here and people weren't nice? Yes I am.

If you want positive support, don't come here. Go to your Facebook page. To be perfectly honest, yes, I don't care that anyone wins Silver Sticks or any other weekend tournament. Should it be that way? I don't know. You are right, it would be nice to go back to the days where if you had nothing nice to say, you kept it to yourself. Our politics and the pandemic have made even in person interactions terrible right now.

Maybe the bigger issue here is that youth sports are such big business now that doing these things really is not special at all. When every team does multiple tournaments every year regardless of levell ..they aren't that special to win. It is on a micro level...to those kids, that team, that organization....but on a macro level, yeah don't expect people to be impressed. Or nice. 

I am old. You too will get old. But even when I was just starting out with my travel squirt, I didn't expect random strangers on the internet to be impressed with my kids weekend wins.

I’m done with your hockey by the way so I am the old man now. If you offer nothing but complaints why are you here? Do you know how many young parents come to this board looking for info and advice. Thats clearly what they don’t get. Got to your Facebook page is new speak for get off my lawn

1 hour ago, Saucey said:

No one comes on here bragging about winning any tournament. If you want pats on the back for Silver Sticks, try your Facebook wall. IGlad you and the kids had a good time.

Example A is above. My kid don’t go to silver sticks. No one came looking for pats. Someone posted to recognize local success. It was recognized. It was belittled. 

Resume cloud yelling

52 minutes ago, Saucey said:

It's all noise. This board has actually been fairly civilized.

I didn’t say uncivilized I said old men yelling at clouds about how everything about youth hockey sucks. This all while hyper focusing on like 10 teams while calling 8 of them trash 

The responses on this thread really encapsulates one of the big issues with local hockey. Someone posts a congratulatory post and immediately the “that’s not good enough” posts come flying. The amount of negativity on this board is insane. PIHL sucks. Pahl sucks. Fake AAA. AA not good enough. Complete disregard of the vast majority of kids playing at levels below AA. 
Don’t get me wrong this is a whole lot to discuss but this has turned into a bitch fest about everything. My son has won B, A major, and AA tournaments and had a blast in all of them. He loves hockey. He’s not always happy how things have gone but who is. 
Maybe just congratulate those teams on here and move on. Bitching about tournaments that less than 10% of teams in PAHL will go to. The CCM is even less. You bitch about AAA but a lot of those teams are chasing higher tournaments because they are being told what they are doing just isn’t good enough. 
Stop it. Support what’s out there. Offer positive advice and measured criticism. None of the negativity encourages any change. It rings way too much of old men screaming at clouds. 

I wanted what steps will be taken when these teams play again. The players will be angry about their goalie. I hope the players don’t take it out on Armstrong players. 

25 minutes ago, brokenstix said:

you are correct about Chowder Cup. Unfortunately many of the "better" players do not play HS hockey.... if I am not mistaken, KSG participation is for Scholastic/HS players.

I would dispute this on a couple of levels. Most of the teams had college kids at the 18u level and the Philly team was mostly AAA. With the exception of PPE most other programs allow their kids to play HS

I appreciate all this discussion. I think this tournament could be really awesome if people see the opportunity 

2 hours ago, Ihearthockey said:

 

This work?

Thanks!