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I don’t know much about the teams, if peters is that much more dominate then everyone else in their class, sure they should still win it. What I am saying - a kid moving all the way down to pihl after 1.5 years of actually playing and contributing in the nahl is going to dominate the ice when he is out there. I still would like to hear why this kid is all sudden going backwards this far. That would be like some u16 ppe top player going down to play u16 Pahl a minor.

Peters doesn’t have anyone near this kids pedigree or talent. This kid has played 1.5 seasons in the NAHL - Pihl varsity aaa is going to move so slow compared to what he’s been playing. There is an 02 that played half a season in the nahl (he’s in the acha now) he averaged something crazy like 4 points a game in PIHL before going into the nahl and producing nothing when he did get in the line up at 19 years old. Now imagine going backwards in a huge way. The NA kid going from the nahl, were has had some production, WAY down to pihl should have his way out there. it’s almost comical to think peters or anyone in pihl will have comparable players. it would be one thing if the kid was like some that Johnstown takes just for the money. gets in a game here and there or yuri gets them in for a look, but this kid last year at 17 years old played 50 games and produced some points on a 4th line in the second best junior league in the states that favors much older kids. Curious why this kid is coming to play for NA - did Johnstown cut him ? Burned out ? He’s still young by nahl standards. Seems odd to leave even though he’s not producing much on the score sheet this year. He’s only 18 years old. He’s got two more seasons there to develop. Would love to hear the story or reasoning behind this.

Chavez is out of the business, guy was really good at what he did.

As many that want to, just have to declare at the start of the season.

How big is he ? Does he have long legs ? Sometimes there is nothing you can do, the kid has to grow into his body. He’s 14, he will be hitting another growth spurt this spring - summer. There are many factors that have to do with skating strides. Not all of the are training. A lot of it is natural athletic ability, family genes etc. there is some guys in the nhl that have terrible strides for that level of play. For whatever scentific reason the smaller kids develop a good stride much earlier than the bigger kids. There is certain local kid in the ushl right now. Scouts knocked him and dismissed him until he was 17 because he didn’t have a “perfect stride”. Now at 19 he’s really smooth.growing into his body was his biggest problem. At 14 he was 6’ he grew pretty fast at a young age. he’s 6’4 now.

Do you need a DIRECT quote ? I said LEAUGE showcase aka the USHL, NAHL etc. I’m not taking about some bs youth tournement that gets a manufacturers name on it and they call it showcase.

Taking a quick look (I’ll save you all the tenders and drafts) - kids that “made it” to a real junior team - stuck and playing. Esmark U18 2021-22 - SIX 2020-21 - FIVE

ok we know your kid plays for shaha or whatever. Keep thinking tournaments get a player noticed, they don’t. Leauge showcases & camps are what does it along with your coaches having contacts watch - push a player, or you can higher an advisor to put your kid in some camps for a look. The only tournament a player not on someone’s radar will have a chance to get a look is the district tournement when scouts and teams are there to see their current recruits. U15 is when it starts to matter - U18 is a players last chance.

Look, I know a lot of Tenders and draft picks never work out. Some are complete bs BUT look how many kids got placed into real junior hockey from last years Esmark U18 team. Last years Vengance ZERO. predators ZERO. Icemen ZERO. So yes, being at esnark matters. Not as much as ppe but it still does. Could that change ? Maybe, but Yuri & Dave have many connections in real junior hockey, they do get their players in front of the right people.

It’s not really true. Look at esmark’s 16’s & 18’s over the last 5 years or so. Each team has 2, sometimes 3 max euro players out of 20. They don’t kick locals to the curb for these players, in my kids days they would take 16 skaters at tryouts not 18 knowing they had 2 coming over.

I’ll be the first admit esmark location is awful. Don’t go into the sheetz after dark. There is a reason they installed black lights in the bathroom years back. midget - PEE > Esmark > everyone else it doesn’t matter faux aaa to Pahl aa all the same.

You left out 18U - not to mention there are Pahl AA teams with their “weak” schedule ranked higher than a team like the preds. That’s embarrassing. These Pahl teams are on the heals of the vengeance. Gilmour is not once what it was, it’s glorified aa. SSA is no different than a Pahl AA program these days. Keep telling us about the extra icetime, coaching etc. it’s working out real well ffs!

As saucy stated - that’s everywhere, every sport. It’s not really what this thread is about but it’s definitely something that would sour (sorry to use this term) uneducated parents.

It’s still considered tier 2.5 for the most part. It hasn’t changed much. It’s decent hockey. The top line on just about every team is nahl capable. It starts to drop hard when you get to the 3rd & 4th lines along with bottom d pairing’s. The bottom half is pretty much tier 3 kids that have big money advisors.

I suppose that’s the goal ? A lot of these ncca3 teams - if you are willing to pay the high cost of the private school and your kid is half decent, he/she will make the team. Sports are used as a lure for these small d3 schools to get ppl to pay the bill. A lot of them are not good on the education side. If you want to pursue ncaa d3 or tier 3 juniors the EHL is the only way to go in the states. The usphl is u20 varsity hockey. speaking of tier 3 junior hockey - Wooster was just tossed out of the usphl. as crooked as that leauge is, what do you have to do to get tossed out ???!!!!???

Smh - keep playing your usphl bill. The EHL is the best of tier 3 in the states and it’s not that great. I have seen enough “ncaa” division 3 hockey to want to vomit. @Pa Hockey and I discussed this somehwere a few times on this board.

If we are talking about the same kid - he started out at PPE, got cut went to the predators, nobody noticed him then he went to esmark for U18, yuri got him some looks, made a nahl team, cut to the na3 then moved over to the ncdc. This kid has serious talent if we are talking about the same kid. His goal is to get back to the nahl. This kid was and is better than 80% of the players that played on that special 03 ppe BY. He should have never been cut. Pure politics at its best. His talent interfeared with the kids PPE wanted to advance from that BY. There is currently another western pa kid on this same ncdc team that played for the shaha bantam tier 2 national champs, went to the predators for U15, left for esmark at U16. Yuri has a relationship with this ncdc team. A good amount of esmark kids over the past 2-3 years have got solid looks, along with some games from this team.

@Saucey that’s a great reply. I myself was guilty of not saying no when my kids were much younger, not so much with sports but life in general. In life we all want the best for our kids, we want our kids to out live us, have even better lives. I understand your logic BUT year after year after year with these few teams it’s the same result. It’s maddening - parents are not doing what’s best for their kids imo. Tier 3 garbage junior hockey has somewhat gutted midget aaa over the past few years, a lot of the dream chasing parents gravitate towards it. So who is left to fill the roster of these basement dwelling “aaa” teams ? is it really just education - uneducated parents thinking they are opening a door for their kid ?

Ok, found the parents.

It’s not even much a money question -I am trying to understand WHY. these teams clearly can not compete at the tier 1 level, it’s not making their kids better. What’s the allure ? As I stated above, year after year it’s the same story. Season over as soon as it starts. PAHL teams ranked higher.

My niece playing still makes me follow some youth hockey - mainly midget. I took a look today at the rankings - its only the start of October, already the predators “AAA” & Vengance “AAA teams are eliminated from the district tournement. This is one of the main reasons you play tier 1 - to make the district tournement. This is like a never ending story. By October the faux western pa teams are already out! So I have to ask the parents with kids on these teams - WHY ? I don’t want to hear better competition, there are western pa PAHL teams ranked higher ffs. SSA isn’t a tier 1 program anymore. I don’t want to hear better coaching because the guy running the south hills midget teams is a terrible coach showing up for money. I hope it’s not the my kid plays “AAA” ego because that’s pretty embarrassing to see this many AA teams ranked higher. I am really trying to understand the thought process. Every year this song is on repeat. U18 midget over all district rankings U18 tier 1 district rankings below - culver hasn’t played enough games. Culver will take a top 3 spot. did the icemen go away ? 10 teams in the district once culver enters. A team will probably need close to a 94 rating to make top 6 and the tournament. Current 7, 8 & 9 are sunk and done for the year.

Air quality is an issue there, it’s almost criminal.

Pretty sure most here knew who the king was - thus the reason he requested all his posts taken down. I disliked the guy here but some times his posts were spot on.