nemesis8679

30 minutes ago, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

It's been years since I've been around ACHA hockey, but my experience matches yours. In the 90s, you were happy to get kids who at least played on a high school team. Believe it or not, playing high school hockey was a much lower bar than it is now. By the early 2010s, those same kids were getting cut.

And around the same time (1990s), I do remember ECHL games were nothing but fights. Were they called the Wheeling Thunderbirds at first?? Now it's a legit AA option and even some of the single A leagues are sort of legit these days. I think it started when NHL teams needed a place to put their goalie prospects and it kind of ballooned from there. I'm not sure that the money is a whole lot better for the average ECHLer, but they do offer housing and some other amenities now.

ECHL average pay is somewhere in the 700/week range. Minimum is like 500-something and up to around 1000. 

Very few if any players around here would have the ability to make a team. It might be a "lower" league but when it comes down to it those guys are closer to nhl players than the best players around here are to the ECHL.

3 hours ago, Beer League Elite said:

2 hours ago, Beer League Elite said:

Oh boy. What age group is he involved with?

So I'm hearing the manager and assistant manager (coach and assistant coach?) were kicked off the team after threatening to go to the authorities over money laundering.

Anybody know the details?

7 hours ago, sadday4hockey said:

The remnants of La Cosa Nostra leave a lot to be desired.

I don't think this dude would last too long with that crowd. 

Just like the old Motown hit...

🎶Smiling faces sometimes
Pretend to be your friend
Smiling faces show no traces
Of the evil that lurks within (can you dig it?)
Smiling faces, smiling faces, sometimes
They don't tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces tell lies and I got proof
Oh, oh, yeah🎶

8 hours ago, Corsi said:

A coach can ask all kinds of questions, but that doesn't mean that he will always get a response or an explanation.  The game needs to be kept moving, so taking time to have a conversation every time a coach has a question or wants an explanation for a call is impossible to have.  The majority of questions coaches have are not of the "why did you make that call" sort of thing, they are of the "the other team just did the same thing a period and a half ago and didn't get called, so why are you calling us for it now" type of question.  That is a conversation where there's no good outcome for either the coach or the official.  No one is going to get an answer that they like in that situation.

I get what you mean. But the "why did you call it now when the same thing has been let go prior?" is also a legitimate question. 

Absolutely a coach has the right to question a call and the referee has an obligation to explain it. If the ref can't explain the call, then it shouldn't have been made. 

Some referees are great. They make fair calls, they communicate to players why they got a penalty or are about to get one, and they're great for the game.

Some referees are terrible and are excused because "people are mean" and nobody wants to do it. Ever work any job? Yeah, people can be a pain in the ass. Deal with it. Have I heard people yelling about calls? You bet. Have I heard people calling the refs names/swearing at them? Not really. Over over 8 years of many, many games I could count those times on one hand. And every one of them was thrown out. Except the time or two when they threw the wrong person out.

Maybe they should be paid more. I'm willing to share in the cost of that, if it means having competent refereeing. 

6 hours ago, Icebucket said:

I would have loved to see SCIR stand up to Alpha, but in the end they can't risk hurting the kids in the event they lost the fight.

What percentage of Alpha ice does SCIR purchase?  I'd have to think it's enough to have given them a case to stand their ground.

You would think so. But I think the location plays into it. If SCIR was able to get ice elsewhere, it would be difficult to get that much anywhere else. A lot of those kids would just as soon play with a Vipers jersey or whatever because of the location and famiarity with the rink. If SCIR decided not to merge, Vengeance could just use another organization or say OK SCIR you're out. Then announce they're adding all these Vengeance teams anyway. Enough people would probably have stayed rather than drive further for less ice, in the event SCIR could find any. With black bear taking over the number of rinks available to sell to an independent org arent very many. And rinks like frozen pond really don't have any to offer. 

I know black bear has been after alpha to sell, as as of yet they haven't obviously. But I wonder if this is a setup to sell in the future... Here, buy they rink and all the teams in it. Ice is all sold and accounted for. 

Unlike say PIA, where they're struggling to field their own black bear teams, this would be a situation where a full org is built right in. 

I can't see any other reason to do this.

So, does this Dr. own the Vengeance and the rink? Or how does he have leverage to make the top ice-buyer join Vengeance or not get ice at all?

On 2/12/2024 at 7:15 PM, Beer League Elite said:

2 hours ago, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

Heard a rumor that there may have been a shakeup with the coaches too. Some disagreement between the owner and the coach. Anyone else hear anything?

Maybe the coach has a problem with scamming and frauding people? Just a guess.

I can't imagine the players want to play for that guy.

1 hour ago, spilledbeans said:

He won't be owner too much longer

 

Says who? 

5 hours ago, Law said:

I have a friend who has a kid playing on that team. I can't speak for others, but his kid hasn't got paid. So there's that.

Yeah, they have to sell ads and sponsorships. This is supposedly where their "pay" comes from... not sure at what point they were supposedly going to start to see any money. But rest assured that however this all was presented and sold to the players, there was never any intent for anyone to see money other than the sleazeball "owner". 

Just taking advantage of the players, who could be doing the same thing by playing beer league. It would've been less work.

2 hours ago, ice is cold said:

I think every parent coach situation is different and the majority of parents realize a parent coach who is experienced and a good coach vs a parent. But let's all be honest... up until recently the "parent coaches" were just parents who could stand on skates and coach in PAHL... it's the last few years where PAHL orgs have stepped it up to have parent coaches who actually played hockey and had the aptitude to coach. Not everyone who can skate or played hockey can coach.  Just saying. Can't put them all in one bucket. Frankly some of them suck and were coaching for their player, family, friends benefit and it was obvious to what teams had that approach (cough, cough, NP to name one)

While there are great parent coaches, the kind you mentioned are still alive and well, in PAHL and beyond.

He's also been found guilty of fraud, while being an insurance agent. Before the whole lemon car thing. 

A real forthright dude. There's no way I wouldn't trust him to handle money.

4 hours ago, Pucks11 said:

They also have this guy in their organization

 

https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/owner-sharpsburg-car-dealership-accused-ripping-off-customers/WLK4JJI6IRCI3OFVKCLJN64ZDQ/

He's involved with Aviators? As a coach?!

Well, make that TWO coaches I wouldn't let near my kids. 

And that isn't all the guy did, he's been found guilty of insurance fraud also. When he was an agent. 

1 hour ago, Astheskateturns said:

Why do you think this? You should go on MHR and look at rating for the past several years.

They also have one particular coach I wouldn't let anywhere near my kid if he was in that age group. 

The answer why teams don't just split it up and put the best 15u players and best 16u players on one team is because then they might not be playing with their friends anymore. That goes for both teams. 

And that's why some teams will never win anything. 

7 hours ago, Oighir said:

Thank you hockeyisgreat. It's nice to see a forum about the area that doesn't seem to be riddled with anger and constant bickering. 

You are definitely new here😂

Too many parent coaches at AA in general. 

Not sure if AAA is going that way or not. 

But it affects the reasons of how teams are picked. 

54 minutes ago, thunderbay bombers said:

Viperstars are folding into the vengeance as well. So the NHAHA organization will cease to exist.Guessing that esmark will use the huskies usa hockey number. Believe Aviators were offered to combine with vengeance as well but said no thanks and moved to shadyside academy. 

May be some upset birthyear/ NB players. Unless they're going to have 2 teams at 16u and 18u. 

What exactly would be the benefit of buying up a non-profit youth hockey organization? Doesn't seem all that profitable, considering you still have to buy ice from a rink owned by somebody else. 

11 hours ago, Deke715 said:

This is the CJ Stellabotte effect at Esmark.  Promises all of these young families that he can turn their kids into "Stars".  Gets them into his lessons, places them on faux "AAA" teams.  I believe all 4 teams at Peewee or below have kids playing up birth years.  All done to appease these "delusional" parents that you speak of.  As someone stated before me, this should be criminal!

So he's no longer at Renegades?