The Tank

RMU 3 on 3 league is a good outlet! Bob A does a great job with the little hockey pucks! Enjoy the summer, August comes around quick and they will be back on the ice!

OK, they didn't win in the finals but made a great showing for the tournament in which they participated and sanctioned by USA Hockey. Can we not just be happy for the youth of the community when they participate and have success on a national level? Western PA is developing and competing at all levels.. that could not be said 15 years ago.. Sit back and enjoy the sunshine!!

Congratulations to the Pens boy and girls & Burrell on their big wins!! Congratulations as well to all the other local organizations that competed in the USA Hockey National Championships! Way to represent!!

Stars lost several as well... again, it is an individuals call as to what they do with their time and money.. kids develop differently and juniors guarantees you nothing... look at the ACHA teams, loaded with 2-3 year junior players that wanted to see it through and very good hockey... believe it or not, some want to play as long as they can and again, their decision.. maybe you all should be financial players or guidance counselors since you all seem to have the answers to what everyone else should do and with what organizations they should play for!!! Just absolutely ridiculous! Fair value isn't determined by anyone but those kids!! Try to take away the feeling of winning the Districts Banner and representing their organization and more importantly the Pittsburgh Region, because you don't like this organization or that organization!! Life is short!!! These kids are making friends and relationships that will last a very long time!!

Not for nothing... both teams had 7 or 8 2000s.... they are all good kids that made the decision to play into their 2nd year of 18s.. Adults making their own decisions... And keep in mind, some of these kids are seniors in high school..

Not the 1st nor last time I will be wrong. Heard from a couple of different people that it would be a play-in... Unfortunately for the Preds the line has to be drawn somewhere. Strength of schedule seems to be the factor.. Being in the Tier 1 League has its benefits...

When they took 8 there were many blowout games and very few (if any) upsets... 18s are 100ths of a point difference... I personally like taking the 6.

There is going to be a play-in game Barons vs Preds

There are kids (families) that send their kids to "specialty" schools in varieties of different sports/dance/arts etc... Many kids go to Shattuck or private/prep schools known for their hockey despite not playing on the top prep teams.. Education and athletics tied together not a new concept!!! Again, it is a family/child decision but I bet there are not many Gold Pens kids playing school hockey. If they are, why is it of concern... they are enrolled not specifically to play for NC but if they do why is it any different than kids that participate in amateur hockey as well as HS? Believe it or not, kids will still take pride in their school and being a part of extracurricular activities to wear the crest or colors of the school.

Do all Excel Academy kids play for the Pens Elite program? Or are there participants that go there to be able to get the additional ice time as education/athletics are set up in these programs to enhance the balanced development?

Everyone needs to tone down the rhetoric... watch most of these kids off the ice. They are friends and actually hang out together, inmost cases have played together, or go to school together. Parents, coaches, and refs need to control and contain situations. 14 year old brawls... that starts off the ice with parents.. It's a game, these kids can learn many lessons for later in life regardless of what level of hockey they play.. commitment, team work, time management, and collectively need to be taught how to deal with difficult or emotional situations.

Would like to see more in the AAA ranks.. Latrobe, Mars, Upper St Clair give two divisions of 6 teams... there is enough talent in the area that the AAA class should only be 9 teams.

5A & 6A school districts should not be playing any lower than AAA hockey.

Where did everyone go?? Things are so quiet?

This is a good bracket to do this as you have a large size and maturity discrepancy here as well as checking being "officially" introduced. IMO