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Yes I did not want to name names on a public forum. he’s a talented skills coach that knows the path’s beyond youth hockey. He battled PPE and won in the end. I have a lot of respect for that guy. I’ve had few fun conversations with him back in the PPE days, he always stuck around to watch the older kids. He was always willing to help out any kid that needed it regardless of their age. He ran a lot of skills sessions out of warrendale on his own dime. He was the first parent to publicly question PPE while everyone else kept their mouth shut due to fear of getting cut or pushed out. We are pulling for his son! If anyone can give the vengeance credibility & possibly turn that program around, it’s him!

One of my boys just pointed out to me “dad you know the parent he’s talking about” I do ? after a small conversion I do! I guess he’s not calling games anymore ? Looks like things haven’t changed much, this is his second run with vengeance. My son just told me in the past three years one of his kids went vengeance-Lebo-predators now back to the vengeance.

I remember a few years ago, the vengeance tried a U18 AAA team. They literally finished just a few spots above dead last in the rankings. Losing games consistently by double digits. I was under the impression that a very good skills guy is coaching one of the real young teams now, maybe he can turn the place around.

12 year old “powerhouse teams” ? ? teams ranked below 50 in tier 1 are basically very good AA teams. When you get into that 75 and further range, they turn into mediocre AA teams that the majority of top 30 AA teams will beat. I just noticed (U18) team Ohio tier 2 AA beat the vengeance tier 1 “AAA” team. It’s all about the extra “A” for parents, it’s not so much the kids.

Maybe what happened with RMU broke their spirit ? Those guys called games along with covering both programs on the road.

I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve seen big / tall kids have a nice clean hit but get called for roughing, boarding etc (Pahl, varsity & tier 1). All the while smaller kids get away with flying elbows. I don’t think this is any sort of league or level of play issue, it’s the refs & usa hockey. my niece is playing Pahl, her father just explained the fpp system to me, that wasn’t around when my kids were in Pahl. I understand what they are trying to do with it but execution is awful. I was also informed that if a player gets four minor penalties in a game they get suspended a game. This rule is even worse than the fpp point IMO. What does this serve ? We are talking about minor penalties - tripping, hooking etc there already is an advantage given for these non violent and non contact penalties called the POWER PLAY.

It really depends on the other teams that won their districts, that’s how they calculate the at large bids. If things haven’t change and my memory is correct, there are 4 at large bids. One would goto the host team. The other 3 to the top ranked teams (in order) that didn’t make it. Let’s say the barons team you are speaking of was ranked number 16. For arguments sake, teams ranked 3,9,12, 14,16 & 21 did not win their district. Again for arguments sake let’s say Columbus is hosting nationals and they are ranked 45th. The at large bids would goto 3,9,12 & 45. unless something has change over the past few years, that’s how it’s determined.

PPE 18’s lost to Columbus in districts last year. PPE still got the at large bid. The 4 at large bids are based on hockey rankings. Esmark got into Narionals last season due to their ranking, along with a few districts not sending anyone. There was more than usual at large spots this past season due to covid.

Wow! Thank the lord my kids are done!

Have to root for this kid, his father went against the evil empire (PPE-Morehouse) called them out on things we all discuss here. Will he make the big show ? Likely not but he’s closer than most and way ahead of a few kids from that same birth year that got all the PPE marketing & special treatment.

Last season. U16 AA if I recall correctly. my kids had friends from U18 waiting lto play after. It’s was during the tier 2 district tournament at delmont. My boys got sent some snap chat videos of the parents fighting. There was a predator mom who got tossed yelling at armstrong kids leaving the ice during the ice cut. She was completely out of control and had a crew with her fighting with everyone. I believe they attacked a one legged armstrong parent or something. Maybe handicapped, can’t recall. On the ice the kids were out of control getting beat, high five’n each other for running armstrong players. yes one kid did punch a ref. U18 AA having a line fight against someone last season. I think the huskies ? U16 “AAA” 2 years ago - the goalies dad came here and posted under his real name to clear the air about the stuff going on with that team. The owner coached the team that season, kids quit because he wouldn’t kick a kid off the team who bought weed in Canada along with another player and parents. A few trouble maker players, team imploded. Goalie quit and a few other kids if I recall correctly. I am not fan, but not so much due to the above reasons even though they add to my feeling on this club. They could have a good program and possibly make the faux AAA more competitive if they would get the main coach out of there. He’s in it solely for the money. Puts kids on “AAA” teams that can’t make pahl AA teams elsewhere because these kids take lessons form this coach, a coach that coaches multiple birth year faux AAA teams over there. Currently that place is a money making shit show. The “AAA” is a complete joke. It’s laughable how bad it is. Out of district play off contention every year in the first month of the season.

It’s been a few years, last time I saw there was only 1,600 ncaa d1 hockey players. Only 60% of these players were on full scholarships. My kids personally know a player at rmu who is not getting any athletic money. (Before all the fallout)

It’s always 99.9% PPE kids that get pushed through to the final camp from western pa. some are deserving, others not so much. a few years back, culver went nuts on mid am & USA hockey. Culver had a big stud defenseman that didn’t get out of the sylvannia camp. I believe this kid is in the ushl right now. His name escapes me at the moment. Anyway, PPE pushed a enormous amount of kids though that year. Needles to say I don’t think one PPE kid that year made it to the all star weekend, they were all cut after the first two days. Even the guy running PPE kid got cut that first day. Some say it was USA hockey making a point that mid am let PPE control the camp, the best kids from the Sylvania camp didn’t get out of it.

Admittedly we don’t know as many 2003 players and families as we do 1998-2002. 2004 is even further away for us. BUT my boys just told me the icemen goalie has been there for 3 years now, so it doesn’t sound like the team will fair any better. Like the predators, they tell me the 04s filling out the team wouldn’t make U18 AA. It’s going to be a real short season for those teams. Out of districts by October. The boys did tell me today the vengeance start up is coached by a 2004 dad as mentioned above. The story was almost verbatim to what was posted here but the boys think the vengeance will be a little better than the other 3 faux AAA U18 teams (still at the bottom of the district - out by October like the others). It sounds like esmark is virtually all returning and mainly older HS graduated 2003’s. I haven’t heard much about PPE yet.

Sounds about right. I was told many 2003’s declined the faux AAA team to play on the AA team. Many astatic 2004 parents! Hearing the 2004’s they put on the team wouldn’t make U18 AA, most of them played on the predators U16 AA team this past season that finished in the middle of the Pahl standings. It could be they just filed the team with those 04’s for the money and they won’t play much. who finishes dead last in the district - icemen or predators ? I’m told the icemen have a decent goalie, that might help flip them from dead last. https://myhockeyrankings.com/rank.php?d=MM&y=2020&v=118 both teams at the bottom. 9th & 10th. This upcoming season the vengeance and Mt Lebanon have U18 AAA, correct ? It’s a race to the bottom, all four teams more than likely will be out of the district tournament by October. What’s the point ? You play tier 1 to make the district tournament.

I concur. Watching my two boys play hockey for almost twenty years, I can’t even keep track how many times I’ve seen a bigger kid called for clean hits, gaining body position etc. if your kid pushes into that 6’2 & above range - forget it! Those kids can’t even rub anyone with out some sort of call. Now add this new rule, those bigger kids will be at a severe disadvantage the way refs currently call the game. I once saw a kid that was around 5’5 jump up to cross check a big kid in the head, the big kid turned around and cross checked the runt in the chest and sent him flying. The big kid got a roughing call, the runt nothing even though he made head contact. It’s how the refs treated Mario during his paying days. Just add a non checking - no contact division for players & parents that don’t want contact. USA Hockey can continue to collect their fees! This stuff is getting absurd!

Cool someone running a Pahl org is posting. What happened to the U18 & U16 landscape in Pahl ? Particularly this rumor of 3-4 18U AA teams. It’s mentioned here NORTH PGH won’t have a team. In years past your org was always one of the biggest in regards to tier 2. I see you mentioned the faux icemen hurt.

Yikes! That’s lining up with what I heard about 3-4 AA teams.

What does the 18’s look like ? (I’m far out of the loop these days). I was told the rats have no U18 team and armstrong didn’t have enough kids at tryouts.

Speaking of PAHL, I was told a few weeks ago PAHL is only expecting 4 or so U16 AA teams. possibly only 3 AA teams at U18. Is/if true, the blame was placed on the faux AAA teams along with an independent predators AA U18 team. To me, 3-4 AA Teams at midget seems really low, but if the talk is true about all the faux AAA teams in western pa at the midget levels I guess I’m not surprised.

I’ve never followed it much, seems if it was played in the middle of state (at the very least) it would help draw kids from the west side.

BBS buying PIA isn’t a bad thing, that place needs work. The only problem I suppose - it can’t be relocated.

For the sake of the parents and players, you could only hope.

15 minute periods at 16 & 18 ?? Guessing no ice cut on top of that ? ?

https://dkpittsburghsports.com/2021/05/31/robert-morris-hockey-eliminated-steelers-kevin-colbert-resigned-board-jp-dk