Jack Handey

USHL draft done. 
2 Barons, 3 PPE taken.  Also within district, 2 Culver.  

Lots from Shattuck, Mission, Little Caesars, Honeybaked, and many others.


 

USHL draft underway.  One of the Barons kids just taken there too in 3rd round by Youngstown Phantoms.

Well there it is.  Icemen announced a team 2 at 2007.  Where did they find all the 2007s if it is a shallow birth year?  Who is coaching team #2?

Well I didn't win the powerball, but when I do, I promise to build you all a new rink to celebrate.

What part of town is in the most need for a new rink?  Or what part of the state needs a new rink?  I'm location agnostic.

Is the South Hills saturated? 

North and East seem pretty well served maybe.  How about west?  Seems open to this kind of opportunity.

Any smaller towns with a hockey affinity but no rink?

On 4/26/2022 at 8:51 PM, nemesis8679 said:

What is that? 

I thought it was in their by-laws but don't see it any more.  Their by-laws have a very explicit: THERE ARE 10 PROGRAMS THAT CAN RUN AAA.  I thought they used to have a rule that up to 15% of their players could be rostered for tier 1.  I don't see that any more.

Jets have been competitive at A major and A minor.  Again, sad to hear that they might fold.

On 4/28/2022 at 12:40 PM, BeaverFalls said:

I’d expect them to be competitive at least, based on history.

It's impressive how they usually acquire talent at 16u and 18u.  Beat them all through squirt peewee and bantam and all of a sudden they are national bound and bringing it at midget.  How does that happen?

Would be a shame to lose an ice surface and a location with that much history and character.  I don't get there often but was there a few months ago.  Did NOT notice the typical diesel fuel smell of years past, so ventilation must have improved with the renovations.  The place could use a broom, mop, and dusting though.

Some are still going on.  There are lots of supplementals going on too.  Way more than normal.  I guess this is what happens when everyone tries to be first and run at the same time.

50 minutes ago, Pa Hockey said:

Many players play a dual 2nd 16 U or 18 U Tier 2  to get a crack at Districts an get additional ice time

depending on the team, the 16u/18u coach will often see it the other way around.  HS is the opportunity to "get additional ice time", but the priority is their team, especially if national bound.  Again - you fix all of this with a split season.  

Who wants to pay to be on two teams and then have to decide which way they are going on the weekend?  Hard pass.  People who 'clear their schedule' wind up hamstringing their youth team in the process.  Seen it time and time again.  Ask any of the Central kids and parents who were on Foxes last year.  Bad for local hockey.  

Until there is split season in Pittsburgh, it's really a bad idea to promote and hold high school weekend tournaments.  Weekends are for youth teams around these parts.   Let the kids and parents enjoy their AAA, independent, and PAHL teams.  Stay in your swim lane.

Michigan has the 15% rule for tier 1.  I think Mid-Am has tried to copy that metric.

The incoming birth year is 05 - which is well documented as low numbers.  Should probably expect that a few 18u teams will drop off.  A few more than normal anyway.

11 hours ago, Danner27 said:

Western pa is not Canada, Sweden, Finland or even Michigan. 

True.  I've seen Canadian house teams wipe the floor with PAHL's upper crust.  

10 hours ago, mrfreeze said:

I award you AAA.

Dilly Dilly

11 hours ago, mrfreeze said:

We could all play inhouse for $800-$1000 at our home rink and not have to travel all over

I think you know this, but for those who don't: 85% of PAHL, including AA at 12u and 10u, is classified as house/rec.  PAHL is basically a big ass house league.

3 hours ago, ice is cold said:

What do you care where they play?

Because there is community value in PAHL and good economies too.  When my AA team buys in to PAHL but your AA(A) team doesn't, what happens?  Hockey gets more expensive for everyone.  In PAHL we might both pay $2k for our kids to play.  But to be independent/AAA, you pay $5k-$6k for your additional A.  Next year, because there aren't enough PAHL teams, now I have to shop for that additional A too.  So where we were once paying a combined $4k, now we pay a combined $10k.  Aaaand since we are too proud to play each other, both teams need to go out of town to play when they could just as easily have played here.  More $$$ flushed away.  Bad for us as community because we live in the same town, hold common interests, yet unable to share them.  Bad for us financially because we pay a premium on something that could have been had for 50% the price.

1 hour ago, PowerPlay said:

Do all western PA High School teams have tryouts and determine their varsity teams in the spring? 

Most are spring.  Some are summer/early fall.

1 hour ago, PowerPlay said:

Wondered if that was ever presented to PIHL / Rinks and why it obviously wasn't considered.

Oh that was a long long time ago - several years ago and pre-dating this instance of the message board. 

It was presented to PAHL for sure, not sure about PIHL.  Most everyone likes the idea.  Unfortunately, the rink ownership group saw that it meant less revenue to them, so they shut it down.  The current model, regardless of how inconvenient to consumers, makes the rinks more money.

3 minutes ago, hockeyisgreat said:

Or they just take them

or already took them - most orgs have the team picked already.

Jim Black - is there anything in hockey he hasn't won?

On 4/5/2022 at 12:33 PM, JOFAFAN said:

The 07 Badger team would be 16U next season which no longer has a Minor division.  They would need to play with Pure 06 teams as well as 06/07 mixed year teams. 

Yes.  This. This. This.

I'd like to extend a hearty and personal congratulations to @27adams on his (I mean the) team's run at nationals, even though he continues to promote and defend his (the?) team on this board.  It was exciting to keep tabs on them over the weekend, Mr 27adams.  So, with all sincerity, I do congratulate you.  Or them.  However you would have it I guess.  I sincerely believe though that the kids will develop just fine in PAHL 16u AA next year.  A 20 game schedule against Pittsburgh's top 06s seems like a very viable path forward for a top 07 team.  

Yeah, there may have been a NAHL play there before, but I also heard that this NCDC expansion  is just this year's USPHL Premier team that had a good year this year.  Guess they did a great job of rebuilding.

Irwin to Valley Forge $64 one way.  Get that EZ Pass yet Badger 07s?

Keep digging your hole. 

Funny how no one has asked why do you need bodies for your 07 team. 

Did your parents finally wise up and realize they don't need to go all the way to New Jersey to develop at the AA level?