Chinstrap

2 hours ago, Lifelongbender said:

This is an entirely reasonable response. I have to say that typically the federal government - and government in general, at least in our system - is supposed to make most decisions based on cost/benefit analysis. By that measure it is hard to see how the shutdowns were justified, They are only justified by the argument that saving a relatively small number of lives is worth the cost to the economy. This is a discussion more suited to a political forum than to this one.

It is obvious that the death rate has decreased. It's even obvious that they know a bit more about treatment now - for instance, the stuff they learned about ventilators - but it is by no means obvious that any advance in medical science is behind the downward trend in infection rates, because they haven't made any changes in their recommendations for what the average citizen should do, and in fact citizens are doing less of it as well.

I know - you'll point to charts showing that trends are locally upwards. I have seen them. But our current rates are nothing like the rates in the spring, right?

Regarding masks, my own doctor told me at my last physical that he isn't sure that they are effective, and he made a point of saying that the science is intensely debated, but that on balance he couldn't see how they hurt, so he recommended wearing one in public places like restaurants, stores, and the like. That made sense to me, and in any case it's required by law and specifically was not ruled unconstitutional, so I do so willingly if a bit unhappily. As I have said, if the cost for our kids to play the great game of hockey is us wearing masks to the arenas, that is a very small cost.

My only real concern with your post is in the second sentence. There are going to be situations where others feel an infringement upon your rights is justified for their own reasons, and you do not. If we start giving the government the latitude to infringe upon rights wholesale, they are no longer rights in any real sense of that word. I am concerned about the reasoning that leads to a statement like "in these extreme times it makes sense to bend the rules".

Having said all of that, I have to start setting up lines and game plans for full roster games. Let's go play some hockey!

Very well stated. 

Perhaps I am missing some of the more salient points of the entire discussion specific to Hockey.

As I understand it so far, none of the current legislation helps the cause of attendance at Hockey. The bills we have discussed as nauseum deal with the ability of school districts to dictate attendance numbers at venues under their control. Again, I could be wrong, but I believe only SSA has their own on campus ice sheet. All other school districts can dictate how many fans, personnel, players can attend but in the end, we are still beholding to the dictates of the rinks that we play in.

As I said, I may be wrong.

57 minutes ago, Quinlan2020 said:

Allegheny County Health Department@HealthAllegheny

Here is information about common characteristics identified by case investigators among new cases of COVID-19. This information helps the Health Department determine whether mitigation measures are appropriate or needed. The chart covers data from the last six weeks.

 

Nice chart.

Thank you for data. 

I have read the posts and remarks on this board for a number of years. Feel free to go back and review my post history. 
Never made anything personal.

Never trolled anybody.

Not taking the bait now.

I believe we live in a representative republic and, as such, the society follows the rules of those individuals elected to oversee them. 
In that spirit, I wear my mask. I limit my exposures.

Beating the drum of thousands of people dying everyday, most of them older and “ some younger kids” having long term health effects is not helping advance a fact driven and data based discord. 
 

I can disagree without being disagreeable.

Data graphs from four European countries demonstrating that although the rate of testing has increased leading to a rate of positive tests increasing, there has been no change in overall death rate.

It is real.

It is contagious.

It is not as deadly.

The virus is real. 

The virus is contagious.

The virus does not appear to be nearly as deadly. 

Regardless of political or social stance on the issue, that is a very well said summary of what we are dealing with and living in.

2 hours ago, Quinlan2020 said:

Once again, the totally stupid argument about kids being low risk. People still don't understand the part about stopping the spread? Wow.

Respectfully, it wasn’t about stopping the spread. In an open society with free movement that is just a bridge too far. Can’t be done.

It was, and should still be, about flattening that curve. The virus will spread, people will get it, need to stop the overflow of critical care beds.  For the most part Pittsburgh and the immediate surrounding counties have done that. 
 

That being said, the Governor can stop it all with the stroke of a pen and there isn’t a thing we can do about it.

Sadly @Danner27, you could very well have been right there first time.

1 hour ago, 1&done said:

Talk to anyone and everyone you know in LOCAL healthcare people. Don't believe your politicians or the folks in their pocket books 

I am one of those, a healthcare worker and not a politician....

Won’t make policy statements, but I have worn a mask for my job since 2003. Now I wear one around the general public because the Governor says I have to. No opinion offered here from me as to whether I like it or not. I do it. It is analogous to the gloves I wear at work. I don’t know if you have a disease and you don’t know if I do. 

Until folks have a blinking red light on their body that tells me their commutable disease status, Ill wear my mask to WalMart and I’ll socially distance if I am around a hockey rink.

My kid wants to play hockey this fall. I would like for that to happen. I did not attend try outs and the offer of team placement still came. I hope the season is held and not canceled, to that end I will do what is asked of me.

Personally, the fight over whether to wear a mask or not is not a hill I am willing to die on. I’ll wear my mask.

Just an assumption, but since they posted here I’ll say that I believe both Armstrong and NP have already formed their teams for next year. Tryouts are, again my opinion, merely a formality and source of revenue. Most other organizations have done the same. 
 

But that is just my opinion.

Well, never personally been associated with PPE but.........

Let us not fool ourselves, the teams are already chosen. Have been since January I would guess.

Probably not a stretch to think that most every organization already has their top two or three teams at each age grouping already chosen; probably been chosen since January or so.

You original query mentioned North Pittsburgh, I just glanced at their webpage and last year’s travel handbook is posted on there.  Would give a glimpse into the organization. Did not look at others.

39 minutes ago, Snap Shot said:

This is a really good point about the # of teams a given organization is going to field and the amount of ice time that is available.  

North Pittsburgh was mentioned earlier and they are fielding 6 teams at 10U, 6 teams at 12U, and 5 teams at 14U.  

Arctic Foxes has 4 teams at 10U (including an '09 BY and a '10 BY), and 7 teams at 12U (including an '08 BY and an '07 BY)

NP has 6 teams at 14u as well.

It is easy to look online ( or just ask) how many teams an organization fields at each specific age grouping, then look at the availability of ice. 
 

Any mention by someone on this board about organization X or Y will probably be met with skepticism and “ oh they’re just a disgruntled parent”.
 

Look for yourself and see if the organization you are considering is fielding too many teams for the amount of ice available, then decide if that organization is focused on quality or quantity.

8 hours ago, PuckHead7 said:

It could also mean the demise of any chance of NC having a good PIHL varsity team in the future.  ..........

Already realize the difference in Pens Elite, NC, and Excel.

My post was merely in response to this.

6 hours ago, PuckHead7 said:

There’s no way that PPE will require all PPE players to attend Excel.  This is a stupid concept and a waste of a good conversation.  Why in the hell would all of the schools that the players attend allow the kids to be dismissed early? Excel starts at 1:30pm.  What, are they leaving school at noon? How are the getting from their school to Cranberry?  Dumb!

I will say that the 18U NC/Excel team is an interesting idea. There are many kids that go to NC that do not play for PPE.  It could also mean the demise of any chance of NC having a good PIHL varsity team in the future.  All with a price.  22-24k ish to go to NC, be in Excel and be on the team. Guesstimating, of course.  What ranking does this team go on?  Definitely not AAA!  Why would NC allow this? Less money for them and more for Excel/PPE.

I know that this is NC’s first year back at the Varsity level, and I realize they are A. 
But at 11-1, it seems they are doing okay as it is.

Whole lot of truth tied up in that post. He’s not wrong.

In a public place such as the lobby of the rink or perhaps the parking lot? Or in a more restricted hallway to the locker room or the locker room itself?

No person can enter the ice surface without the blessings of the on ice official.

On 9/11/2019 at 8:18 AM, sadday4hockey said:

Frozen Pond, yes. However, it is also an old barn and while there were many cosmetic improvements you have to wonder about the age of the ice making machinery there as well.

As far as Baierl, I was there about 10 days ago and the bathrooms were closed down so there were Port O' Johns outside that were so disgusting I almost vomited. They were so full the urine was backed up into the side urinal of the one that was "open" and the other one had an out of order sign on it so I assume that one was worse. I'm guessing that this was a planned renovation which begs the question why not do it in the off-season?

Belmont was renovated what 3-4 years ago and they did a great job. Same with Kirk Nevin probably 8 years ago.

The bottom line is that if the sport continues to grow as we all hope it will, a shortage of ice will always be a concern.

Blade runners in Warrendale was going down a bad road 4 or 5 years ago. Ice was not reliable, latrines were......well.....not good.

Not giving and props to Baierl but will give massive props to the Next Step Hockey management group. That place has come a long long way. 

As for the latrine renovation and Port-a-Johns being there and it not being in the off-season, we are only now beginning to have placement games and practices so I believe it was , in fact, the off season. Cleanliness of the temporary facilities is not the responsibility of Baierl.

A quick search showed a round trip ticket from PIT to Kazan ( the Capital) with accommodations for one was a mere $2816.00. Only two stops; Boston and Istanbul on Turkish Airlines.

I do not wish to detract from the discussion regarding checking and age groups. 

But to answer the original question posed by this thread, it appears North Catholic will be fielding two Middle School teams this year.

Checking.