BeaverFalls

On 5/24/2022 at 9:08 AM, Corsi said:

This is the best comment on this entire thread...  the term perspective was used and that is 100% on point.  Some stuff isn't for everyone, and the player should dictate where they are playing and at what level.  Then the ability for a family to allow that to happen comes into play.  Let the player "drive the bus" and then use that to help shape the decisions being made based off of an individual situation. 

My son has aged out, but but started at a smaller organization and was very often the best player on the ice even when skating with kids 2 years older than him, we then made the decision to decline an offer from PPE and play PAHL AA for a few seasons at a larger organization and then he ultimately did move on and play on a few different AAA teams before he aged out.  Had chances to play junior at different levels, but we were lucky that he was a good student and he decided to just focus on school after graduation.  Very happy with the path he took and the friends both him and our family made through the journey.  The cost, which was significant, was more than worth it when you consider the experiences, friends, and other connections all of us were lucky enough to make through hockey.

This is a good reminder to all that a player doesn’t have to be on a AAA team from day one to be able to play AAA etc. There’s a lot of FOMO that if someone isn’t there by 12u it’s going to be all over for them. Not the case. 

Adults are ruining youth sports. 

6 hours ago, RJUSHL said:

Along these same lines, can anyone think of a player not from Pens, Esmark, or Vengeance that was selected in the OHL, USHL, or WHL draft in recent years? Anyone from SHAHA AAA, Preds AAA, etc? Or even the NAHL draft for that matter.

According to elite prospects there hasn’t been any that’s gone on to play at those levels recently (not sure if any of them got drafted but didn’t sign etc). The Preds have had two go on to play professionally but are late 80s birth years. 

Congratulations to those who were selected but also an opportunity for people to see the chances of advancement out of this area is extremely slim.  Keep working but enjoy the ride because for most, all they’ll leave with the experience they had. 

55 minutes ago, hockeyisgreat said:

Did any 06's from anywhere else PPE, Vengenance, SHAHA, get drafted?

There was PPE at 196 and 238 were the only others I saw from the “area”.  
 

https://ontariohockeyleague.com/draft/2022

4 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

I think Foxes and North Pittsburgh are still having tryouts.  After they are done there may be a few kids looking for teams.  Maybe they should have a clearing house of sorts where players without a team could put there names in to be contacted. Or a regional tryout that any organization that still needs players could go to and draft or make offers to players,  Or maybe some teams should combine and flip a coin as to what organization they play with.  Just trying to think outside of the box!

I think that’s a good idea - definitely has potential imho. 

8 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

So what is the best route?  Just play PAHL closest to home at whatever level you are placed?  Take some lessons from a reputable source and have fun!

I’m sure people won’t agree with me, but I’ve seen more development come from quality camps, lessons and training than arbitrarily playing on the next higher A team. Obviously there’s a point where you don’t want to be playing way below one’s skill level, but saving that extra 2-10k per year and investing it into the aforementioned will get the best bang for the Buck. 

5 hours ago, Danner27 said:

I don’t see someone like cal being able to get regular ice at bethel or sp. between Pahl programs and varsity hockey there is no ice to sell. I could be wrong but I feel the reason the second sheet was taken out of sp was due to a foundation issue. Both of these places are probably not a desirable drive for college kids from that campus. 
 

more than likely they will have to play out of that dump the ice mine if it’s still around. 

That’s a blast from the past. I believe when WJ had a team, that’s where they played out of. 

8 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

So what?  Do I just start calling Tier3 Junior teams till I find one with an opening or that is willing to take my player?  Did I see on here somewhere, somebody said most Tier 3 teams don't have full rosters.  Should I call those teams first?

Yes

This seems to be the going norm now. Advertised tryouts seconds after they’re eligible and endless rounds of supplemental tryouts throughout the summer. 

On 4/24/2022 at 6:42 PM, Carl Racki said:

How it should be but they take the forth liners to pay the bills and people are dumb enough to do it thinking their player will develop better riding the pine and practicing with that team.  

This brings up a good point that a majority of parents in WPA just aren’t knowledgeable. Mostly not their fault, but makes them extremely vulnerable and fomo and some ego are often to blame.  Caveat Emptor. 

You definitely do not need “exposure” or to play AAA to play t3 juniors. 

There was a period of time Cal played out of BP Bladerunners I believe.  I’m assuming it would be a less than desirable move back given that it’s down to one sheet now and a further trek - but potentially necessary. 

I 

8 hours ago, Jack Handey said:

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.

 

I have a feeling teams would have tryouts in December-January if they could. 

8 hours ago, Jack Handey said:

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?

They seem do a pretty good job at marketing their tier II program and bringing kids in. A lot of those kids are coming from all other areas in WPA.  I remember about 6 years ago when their 18u team went to nationals they had kids from Moon, Gibsonia, Butler, Delmont etc. 

On 4/27/2022 at 11:47 AM, Anons said:

Arrows were strong at 18U last year, but will lose many of their players who are aging out or off the college, correct?

I’d expect them to be competitive at least, based on history. Idk the exact specifics as to who is remaining or not. The 16u was capable in the district so if some of them are retained and move up, I don’t see them completely falling off. 

4 hours ago, Corsi said:

My understanding is that Appalachian Elite is/was a team that was created in that area as a response to the Mid-State Mustangs.  From what I heard in past, it was a group of parents from that rink that weren't fans of Mustangs and started that team/program as a direct competitor.  I'm pretty sure at one point both played split seasons between Mustangs or App Elite and their PAHL teams (Jets, Trackers, Icers, Warriors, etc).  I think that at one point App Elite and the Johnstown Jets rosters were almost identical.  

Other than midstate I’ve yet to see a AA team from that area. That’s pretty sad considering the Cambria team has been around a long time. 

Yes. I’ve never heard of that other team. 

5 hours ago, Jack Handey said:

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

15% of their income?

1 hour ago, nemesis8679 said:

What is that? 

Program out in Ebensburg looks to be in process of folding.  Seeing only two teams advertised for tryouts and not enough showed up for that. I for one was never fond of the drive to play in that mini-rink but one less pahl organization. 

There’s talks that a church (who I believe uses it part time) are in process of making it their permanent facility. 

6 hours ago, RJUSHL said:

AHF "full season clubs" for squirt, peewee, bantam, and midget play a 40 game schedule. 28 home/away plus 12 showcase games. That's a lot of division games.

AHF "half season clubs" play a 16 game schedule. 8 home/away plus 8 showcase games.

Looks like "half season" clubs can remain in their normal league. Could be an interesting supplemental league while still letting PAHL teams remain. I like that option for AA teams that wan't extra games against other AA teams.

Mid season all star games are also kind of interesting. Also the periods are longer compared to PAHL at just about every age level. No ties either. They are defiantly thinking outside the box a little.

But they do advertise "full ice AAA mites" ?

https://atlantichockeyfederation.com/ahf-2022-2023/

 

This is basically a rebrand of the ejehl which was pretty low quality hockey. 

They should eliminate offsides. 

7 hours ago, Corsi said:

The games are usually competitive, but some schools will have AAA level players playing with B level players, so things have been known to get out of hand from a score point of view depending on the depth of the teams from time to time.  Probably no different than PIHL.

Lmao. No way these games are competitive. Scores in the twenties to 0?

3 hours ago, Corsi said:

The games are usually competitive, but some schools will have AAA level players playing with B level players, so things have been known to get out of hand from a score point of view depending on the depth of the teams from time to time.  Probably no different than PIHL.

Extremely different than PIHL. Bishop McCort plays with 6-8 f1 visa players a year and the dregs of the league barely have 1-2 kids who play travel hockey at any level. It’s a garage league. A lot of really dirty play and the league rules aren’t enforced.  EG Westmont brought in a kid who played 0 games for the team to play for them in playoffs. 
 

Teams like Central Cambria (in Ebensburg) have players from as far away as Armstrong and Butler Counties.  That’s not school based/scholastic hockey.