PowerPlay

How many teams make it in AAA?

What is the tiebreaker when you're tied in points?

2 hours ago, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

#3, the PIHL season is way too long to accommodate split season teams. Tryouts in the spring, on ice starting in July or August, games starting in October and going through March or early April - none of this works for a "split" season. PIHL would have to be November to February, just like other winter sports. They just aren't interested in doing that.

This is probably the easiest fix.  Agree High School should only be 4 months long.  amateur teams would just have to lose a few practice slots along the way in those months.  You could bounce mid-school to spring.  still buy same amount of ice, and amateur teams could have more ice for early season prep, and more practice and prep for playoffs/nationals.

Do all western PA High School teams have tryouts and determine their varsity teams in the spring?   I seem to remember this being done in the fall (August) prior to the season.  I understand Amateur teams trying to secure players (customers' $$) for the following season, but why do High schools?  If you don't make your high school, it's not like you can go somewhere else??

Also, several years ago, someone posted a presentation about making PIHL/amateur split seasons like MN and Western NY and I can't find the post.  Wondered if that was ever presented to PIHL / Rinks and why it obviously wasn't considered.

I think the E in PPE stands for "Excel" instead of "Elite" around 15U.

If a Rink is not allowing fans.... Why give them any money???  PIHL should not allow it.

PIHL stop spending your member club's money without consulting your members!

Ridiculous.  I'm sure the parents (Paying Customers) would rather play road games or at an alternative rink and be able to watch as opposed to watching on live barn from your car.  just so the kids can play at their "HOME" Rink.  If you put pressure on the rink to allow fans or not sell the ice, then the rinks will have to adjust their policies or lose money.

Schools (Actually Club Teams) keep handing money over to PIHL.  PIHL keeps buying Ice.  Can't let that go to waste... here play summer league hockey....  Not one person agrees that this is a safer alternative.  Yet we all follow .

every PIHL lost their voice or opinion as soon as you hand over the cash.   PIHL is forcing MS and JV to play.  

1 hour ago, aaaahockey said:

Here is another question - if we start the season with some weird format is everyone ok if we were to be able to switch halfway through to a different format?  Could make for some interesting arguments. 

There is nothing in the USA hockey rulebook about 4 on 4 play.  I can't imagine they will sanction BS 4 on 4 games.  If someone gets injured in a 4 on 4 game,  why would USAH cover that ?  If I'm registered with them and have USA roster, my kid gets hurt playing real hockey, they won't cover that?  Seems silly.   

This is a big ploy to keep rinks open..  I love our rink owners and don't want to see any of them close, but we should either play real hockey or shut it down until we're "Allowed to" play.

On 8/26/2020 at 9:37 AM, Ynot02 said:

It’s great that there is a legislative push for changes. However, I’d like to see school gyms, fields, and of course rinks be put in the same category as “indoor recreation and health wellness facilities”, instead of “indoor gatherings”. If this happens, nearly all of the issues go away.

• Indoor Recreation and Health and Wellness Facilities (such as gyms and spas) Open at 50% Occupancy with Appointments Strongly Encouraged; Fitness Facilities Are Directed to Prioritize Outdoor Fitness Activities

@Ynot02      Where'd you get this info from? 

This is where the PAHL is missing the boat..  Ice Rinks are definitely Indoor Recreation facilities.  It is all a matter of interpretation.  Ice Castle and Alpha are interpreting it as 50 % capacity...   I think PAHL needs to point to this as a reason TO play, not a reason to play summer league sloppy play.

HECK,,,,  BETHEL IS A YMCA  !!!   RMU, UPMC, ICE CAstle, New Ken all have gyms inside of them!

We may just need to pressure our PAHL reps to interpret the literature to our benefit of playing full Hockey.

I don't know what this means....  But it looks like the bill passed today.   

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/RCC/Public/listVoteSummaryH.cfm?sYear=2019&sInd=0&cteeCde=44&theDate=09/01/2020&RollCallId=2396

Vote Summary

1 hour ago, BeaverFalls said:

Delayed. Can kicked down the road. 

The way I read it..... Is that he is just extending the emergency Declaration indefinitely...   "Amendment to proclamation shall remain in full force and in effect until either rescinded by Wolf or terminated by law. "   

Maybe he is adjusting this so that the vote on 2787 can pass and this can be lifted or adjusted to accommodate the increase the minimum of people in indoor facilities.   

Timing is interesting here......  There are some magic dates?   

Today is 8/26...

• 8/31/2020   ---  All Player and Coaching 2019-20 USAH memberships expire.  ( I have been asked multiple times from the multiple orgs I am in, to update my USAH # in the last week)  I assume these registrars are being pressured by USAH.  My thinking is that they want everyone to pay their USAH fees so USAH can continue to operate at current profit / revenue levels.
• 9/1    ---  PIHL wants response from all teams 9/1.   No time for teams to have board/parent meetings.   Then they need rosters by 9/15.  
• 9/1    ---  Pennsylvania House Bill 2787 is scheduled to be voted on September 1, 2020.  This Bill has the potential to alleviate the 25 person restriction for indoor sports by putting the power of determination within the school districts (“School Entity”).  In addition – with the current bipartisan support – it has the potential to pass with a 2/3rds vote that would invalidate a Veto by the Governor.  As it stands right now with current sponsors of the Bill, there would only need to be another eighteen (18) members of the House needed to reach the 2/3rds majority needed (136 out of 203).  The PA Senate will need 34 out of 50 to vote for it to be VETO PROOF.
• 11/3    --- Presidential Election  (regardless of result.... new term doesn't start until mid - January 2021
• 1/1/2021   --- This is when most restrictions and guidelines are set to expire  ???  Does the Virus go away??  

Basically, I don't envy the position of the PIHL or PAHL or the decisions they make, but they are making these decisions for the betterment of their leagues' board members?  not their members (Teams & SChools).  We will all continue to pay our players' tuition and continue to pay rinks to practice for games that may never happen and games that aren't real hockey.  The PIHL and PAHL are supposed to work for its members, the orgs, not the rinks....   PIHL /  PAHL are just trying to protect themselves from litigation.

IF all varsity is suspended until Jan.  All PIHL teams should immediately stop practicing and buying ice until Dec.   Rink owners would be forced to close or ask for govt assistance and may have a better voice in allowing restrictions to be lifted.  If we all keep paying,,,, they can keep dictating what we do.

Most of us will because we know there is a kid on a lower team or underclassman that will take our kids' spot in heartbeat and we will then be forced to tell our kids that they can't play because Mom and Dad took a stand.

My High School had a 1 day tryout.  They are now making sure they get everyone's money,  ( I mean commitment) .  There is zero plan in place if School sports are shut down.  They are setting up payment plans, etc.  no refund or contingency plan in place.   

Also business as usual at 2 different amateur tryouts.    Sign this waiver here so you can't sue us for COVID, but nothing in the paperwork about what happens to commitment fee or paid tuition if there isn't a season.  Congrats you made the team, click here and set up your auto pay for the season.

I realize most Amateur orgs are Non-profit, but each pays their rink differently, if a rink goes belly up or doesn't re-open, it may be out of their hands and you get in line with all other debtors in a bankruptcy.

On 4/13/2020 at 8:17 PM, aaaahockey said:

In general, many AAA families especially at younger ages, are out of touch with reality. I'd be shocked if they didn't travel unless there are specific regulations about it. 

NO matter what age... the local AAA teams have a tough enough time getting teams to come in and play them when there isn't a pandemic.   I think the AAA teams locally should punt this year and offer practice and light game schedule only and allow their players to play for their local PAHL Affiliate's AA team this season or high school middle schools.. and of course reduce the rate.   I know that wouldn't happen, but I can't see paying 5000 + for my son to play 15-20 games and to play against other teams that are willing to travel to pa and probably aren't AAA competitive.

If Tryouts would get announced, it'd be interesting to see how each org prefaces what their schedule will be without travel to Canada/Mi/WNY  .  It'll be hard to get a 50+ game schedule in for the Tier 2 AAs and Tier 2 AAAs or independents....  Almost impossible for the AAA teams to get any games unless they paly the other local teams, but at most age groups there are 2 or 3 that might be competitive.

Maybe this will finally allow tryouts and team formations to permanently take place in the fall. 

Amateur plays In fall and high school plays in winter?

Silver lining ?  One can dream.

Don't get rid of checking, get rid of FPP.

Yup,,,,,, When you play smaller organizations. some teams may only have 1 Bantam team, but it's nice to know who their stud(s) are,  TEam may only have 1 team, but they have players that are first year skaters to AAA.  It's a crap shoot.  

On 9/6/2018 at 6:04 PM, Saucey said:

The Vengeance program didn't develop the Squirts, those players were recruited from other organizations. And...they are Squirts. If they are still good at 14 and still playing at that program, then boast.

They have talent on the teams. But their coaches double shift players and play systems, which USA Hockey says is a no no for long term development. The program seems to be focused on wins over long term development of all players. And playing as Vengeance for tournaments and under the Renegade banner for PAHL was confusing. What was the point of that?

Jury is still out. Not going to bring my kids there or recommend a program because they have good Squirts who came from someone else's mite program.

Don't all AAA Squirt teams draw from other organization's Mite programs?  I think The Rengades Thing is PAHL requirement.  If I remember correctly, The Pens stripped the Then Amateur Pens of the name and left the AAA club with the SCIR when The PPE were created.  Not sure if they (PPE) took over the Hornets AAA or how that all works. SCIR used the Vengeance name to differentiate their AAA from their house teams.  I can remeber the amatuer pens field 3 or 4 teams in PAHL playing low A or even B.  It was just the local PAHL org for that rink.  Good for them (SCIR /Vengeance) for only using the AAA monacer when they have a team or birth year that is capable of playing AAA.   Some of the posts in here seem to be pointed toward one birth year team that probably goes back several years, As an organization, I think The Vengeance have a viable option going for AAA Pittsburgh hockey.