Anomaly556

You really sound a bit too effusive to have “no dog in the fight”. Let’s not over romanticize a 2-1 game. The PPE played very well for their talent level. They hustled all over because that was their path to victory. But the V were hardly “out-muscled” or “shell shocked”. They just didn’t play well and didn’t match the intensity of the Pens The PPE head coach also scouted the V for two periods against the Sabres earlier in the day, taking copious notes. Clearly he developed a good plan and had his teams buy in. When your paycheck is dependent on results at PPE, I guess scouting 13 and 14 year olds is a must do. Congrats on the big wins all weekend. The wrath of losing to the “other guys” would’ve been substantial I’m sure. Funny thing……I’ve also seen this same PPE team, with their #1 goalie in the net, lose quite convincingly to teams ranked nowhere near the top 20. Where they couldn’t execute a 6 foot pass. So if they did indeed blow the doors off the V in this single game, and only had essentially a 2-1 win not counting the empty netter, they probably aren’t this super skilled juggernaut that you describe. Let’s not cream in our jeans over one game buddy.

I have definite and passionate thoughts about the entire PPE experience. The issue is, when you are inside that bubble, you assume that because you are very loosely affiliated with an NHL franchise, that the quality and breadth of hockey instruction will be elevated. After spending 3 years there, I can tell you that it is one of the largest mythologies that PPE perpetuates. The politics and favoritism is pretty well hidden but it certainly exists, especially at the younger age groups. That’s mainly because PPE doesn’t think “hockey matters” at ages 8 to 13 up there. They aren’t interested in actually developing young players. They merely need those age groups (8-13) to fund the machine. Every parent of a younger player thinks their kid is going to be drafted, so they are EXCITED to shell out a boatload of cash to pursue those dreams. The “doesn’t matter” is in quotation marks because they were a direct quote from the executive director to me during a meeting. I was also asked point blank if the excel program was on the table for my son, to which I chuckled because you truly need your head examined if you think spending 25-30K a year for a youth hockey prep school is going to get your kid any closer to playing hockey at substantially higher levels in college or the pros. Its 1 in 5000 to make it that far. Good luck with that. PPE is nothing but an annuity program that needs to pay the six figure salaries of the people in power. They want your 1000 dollar check (substantially more if you get hoodwinked into excel) monthly to fund their own lifestyle. It’s their job to sell the appearance of a wholesome and innovative hockey program with Sid plastered all over the facility. I’m sure the directors and skill coaches laugh nightly at how many naive and overly monied idiots are lined up to plunk tens of thousands of dollars down for their kids to be severely underdeveloped for the price you pay vis a vis other local options. The instruction level for my last two years was worse that almost every PAHL team out there. The coach could barely skate and wasted 10-20 minutes of every practice trying to figure out a drill that he himself couldn’t model or demonstrate. But no worries, we also had a medical sales rep as an assistant (dad coach) that was only there to ensure his kids spot on the team was secure for three straight years. Absolutely top of the line instruction, let me testify. After leaving that organization, I felt like an anchor was lifted off of my back. My son is having fun again playing the sport. And he’s getting superb instruction and more ice time than we can honestly handle. The biggest difference is that his coach and the directors of his new team actually care deeply about him. They interact with him on a totally different paradigm than what he received in this sterile and corporate PPE environment they have created. At the end of the day, if my son is happy and enjoying the sport again and becoming a better athlete, that is all that should matter to any hockey parent. If it isn’t, then you are truly lost.

Rico.... If you notice, Im not commenting on any specific aspect of any level of hockey. Not about any team, individual, or game. My issue is specifically with YOU acting like some pretentious, all knowing, hockey oracle, which is laughable. What, did your kid come out of the womb as a bantam??? Do you comprehend that every kids hockey experience starts somewhere, usually at the mite and squirt levels??? I guess I’ve just grown tired of seeing you dish out negative, arrogant, and somewhat misguided drivel on this board. I don’t know hockey better than anybody else. But I know people. And you really have a need to be significant and you like to tell people “how it is”. You even invoked the awesome “people who have played the game” narrative.....that’s like the drunk tough guy at the bar who claims he’s a navy SEAL. The people on here are mostly just parents who want to talk about hockey and you make them feel bad about that. Congrats. You’ve won a big victory. You’re right......no hockey matters at all until the kids all grow beards. Is that what you want people to say??? Every parent on here should be proud of their kids regardless of what level they are playing. And it’s ok to discuss squirt hockey. Trust me everybody, you don’t need “Rico’s” permission. As far as an apology, I am sorry that bitter people like you exist to make people feel inadequate. That says more about you than anything else. PS......the phrase is “pump the brakes”. I’m not sure you can “halt” brakes, Rico. Although with your genius level hockey insight, you may have invented the “Brake Halter” as well.

Thanks for proving my point “Rico”. You didn’t disappoint. Just as predicted. I guess that makes you my Huckleberry.

There seems to be a growing membership of the worst type of message board participant: the sniper. See, snipers don’t have any active insightful posts to contribute. They appear under a guise of “wisdom” and they lay in the weeds for any post about current hockey to be submitted. In this case, the target is squirt hockey. Then they snipe the people that post, basically calling them hockey blind idiots that have no clue what the reality is when these young players turn 14 and 15. Here’s a newsflash Saucey, Rico, and the two or three other miserable curs that are trying to act like youth hockey’s version of Nostradamus........you aren’t creative, novel, or prescient in your posts. You think because your kids have aged out of squirt, that it gives you free license to judge others and their unique experience in youth hockey?? It doesn’t. I haven’t seen or met a single squirt parent that truly thinks their little boy or girl is going to the show. I mean, the way you guys talk, you must conduct parental exit interviews at various and sundry squirt games. At the end of the day, I’d rather see a squirt aged player with big dreams being supported in a healthy way by involved parents than have a miserable dad like you guys tell the kid they better get a union card because they are never going to play at any level above rec league. One last thing. You guys think the market conditions, the demographics, the economics, and the culture of youth hockey are static and have been unchanged since your kids were squirts. Well, they aren’t static. Every year is a different. Which also renders your critiques invalid. So while I agree that very very few youth players will move on from here to play at truly high levels, I also think its embarrassing that you line up in droves to pour toxins all over anybody who simply wants to discuss a recent and proximate squirt game. Good luck being so bitter guys. Your highly anticipated response is the only evidence I need to prove my entire point.