dazedandconfused

11 hours ago, lferg said:

As far as not using MHR, sorry, but you are not correct. The scores are submitted as of Aug 25, and include PAHL placement games. It is the most accurate publicly available source for determining team skill level. I can't speak for the entire site, but I am yet to find any discrepancy in reported games for Tier 2 12U PAHL group.

Yes, you can enter scores, however I believe that this year the initial rankings were released on Wednesday 9/18. It may have even been 9/25. Keep digging though, I'm sure you'll find something.

Prior history should be known by the association of every team. Most of them collect this data upon registration so even the club jumpers data is known to the new association. All associations are responsible for providing the PAHL with their idea of where each of their own teams should be placed. A solid association would involve the coach to some extent. Initial placements are released in mid August along with the two game placement match-ups. If a team believes they aren't placed correctly, there is plenty of time to play more than the two assigned games.

As far as MHR, it simply can't be used in any form or fashion because the initial rankings aren't released until mid-September and as others have mentioned, the manipulation is far more common than you would think.

The PAHL has its' share of warts, but team placement is definitely NOT one of them. As someone suggested previously Lferg, I'm sure the placement committee would welcome all of the time and data that you can provide.

You're right, they're lined up all the way to Middlesex Crossings.

1 hour ago, Ankletape said:

Surprised nobody has left yet 

December 31st is still roughly 40 days away.

1 hour ago, Jack Handey said:

He who owneth the ice maketh the rules.

100% agree, but if you (sort of) own the ice then what sense does it make to dismantle your main tenant and give up that guaranteed revenue?

2 hours ago, Saucey said:

I get your point, but if the parents wanted to pay less, they would have their kids playing PAHL. If not Icemen, they would go to another independent. I've had a parent tell me from the U15 team that PAHL is 'too slow'. Chasing the dream.

It's obvious that those are "highly educated" hockey parents. The only thing that is too slow is the processing part of their brain.

Icemen as a whole are a complete joke. The powers that be have taken a once thriving Butler Valley organization and dismantled it to the point of which it may never recover. And to what end? To have a group of teams be forced to pay 3-4x what they could be paying as BV teams:

U18 Tier 2 #14 - very good, but why not just be a BV team and save the families a couple thousand in travel costs?

U16 Tier 1 #122/150 Nationally and #10/10 in the MidAm District. They recently found it advantageous (financially) to add a skater from the BV 04 team to this team. At a ranking of 89.87, they would be a perfect fit in a strong PAHL U16 league.

U15 Tier 1 #113/123 Nationally and #12/12 in the MidAm District. They would be a solid fit in PAHL A Major Black.

05 Tier 2 #4 in Western PA and at 89.55 sitting exactly in the middle of 6 other Western PA teams led by the Viper Stars at 90.69 and book-ended by North Pittsburgh 88.52. Again, just another good Butler Valley team that wouldn't need to travel to play all of their games. If them and the VS were in the PAHL AA-Major division, that would be a great 7 team division with Allegheny and Predators being pushed down to A Major Black.

1 hour ago, AMR24 said:

So, here is a question: is there a specific rule that prevents a parent from the opposing team to approach a player under the age of 12?

I would say there are two things that SHOULD prevent it.

1. Common sense - good luck

2. The law - should curb this for most people but the lack of #1 is astonishing nowadays

66 is NOT the problem. He saved hockey in this city twice, at least. He can do whatever he wants to do.

1 hour ago, twoleftfeetd said:

It’s not the same at all!

100% Correct. It all changed when the city's worst hockey parent had to have it his way.

Ah, I had been using the link from the Vipers site. Thanks for shedding some light on this error.

There must be something happening there that they don't want to be known considering  they still have last season's rosters on their website for the 18, 16 and 15 teams.

16 hours ago, miked said:

more of a complaint about why i see PGH not being as big a hockey town as it could be

You are 100% correct and the biggest obstacle sits at the top of the local food chain. Squash any competition at any cost. Designate players as "Elite" at 7-8 years old. Is this for the good of the sport? Or to fill the coffers?

That's a great to example to set for the player and it's not "legal" to schedule a new game to erase a suspension. MidAm could/should step in but they struggle mightily to accomplish the normal tasks that they are supposed to handle.

http://www.calmac.com/icerink

I think they're going in the direction of something like this. It may not be this specific company, but it is some sort of temporary fix to get through this season.

It's a suspension from MidAm/USA Hockey. That would carry over to any other team and preclude him from Coaching.

Witnessed a game the other day where the puck was shot off of the cross-bar and into the netting above the glass. I wonder how many ref-bashers are certain where the face-off should take place? The parents on one team had no idea as they continued to scream at the ref that the puck hit the cross bar and he politely agreed with them and informed them that yes, it did and therefore the face-off stays deep in the zone. Many accepted that answer but a few did not and became more enraged and made sure to tell him to go home and learn the rules.

(c) When a stoppage of play occurs as the result of any action by the attacking team in the attacking zone, the ensuing face-off will take place at the nearest neutral zone face-off spot, unless the stoppage was a result of a shot going directly out of play off of the goal post or crossbar. 

12U? 5 and a game? Sounds like a kid well on his way getting plenty more of those.  With GM, he also is suspended for the next scheduled game.

Two words, Dave Fryer. Despite sitting there with a laptop, I guess he found it too much to ask for.

On 9/11/2019 at 10:55 AM, sarampage said:

Both rinks received LED lighting,

Many rinks received new lighting, even PIA which used to be the darkest rink rink in North America, courtesy of Constellation Energy.

So is there anyone who gets in the way of an NA/PR final? Team Mort possibly? Canon Mac?

Also, PR has won 4 of the last 5, how many of those finals have been against NA? The PIHL website only lists Champions.

4 minutes ago, Scooby Doo said:

@OrrWhat

The officiating was HORRIBLE.  The female ref skated over to the AHA parents and yelled a derogatory comment about the team, right to the parents from the ice - at the AHA home rink!  Never heard a ref do that.

That's what you receive when you turn your referee scheduling over to the for-profit entity known as PIHO. If it's who I assume it is, she's way out of her element in anything beyond 12U.

There are many things to complain about regarding the PAHL and it's antiquated thinking but placements is certainly not on that list.

So, I guess we know what the real "money grab" is and always has been. Only this one is paid in Rubles.

I've recently heard whispers about an investigation involving West Allegheny and there is also a USA hockey audit being performed on the Mid-Am referee in chief.

Does anyone have any insight as to what these two inquiries are about?