aaaahockey

What's up with no parking at the rink?

0.01% maybe.

I don't disagree with you that's why I said the best kids will rise to the top. My point was more about the few number of players from our region who make it. And even many of the pens who do were brought in for u16.

If 2-4 players from every aaa team in pittsburgh except Pens elite (any birthyear) play free to play juniors or division 3 or 1 hockey I will salt my hat and eat it. Doesn't happen these days. If we are talking pay to play juniors whatever. I'd be absolutely shocked if it wasn't a couple pens elite, maybe 1-2 Esmark and 1-2 other kids across all the other programs.

The few kids who are that good will be found one way or another. And they aren't playing on the low level AAA teams around here with very few exceptions.

4 including one who played two sports. Not sure how that makes the preds legitimate or not but they are almost a bigger money grab than pens black.

I heard directly from a Preds parent that they were told high school hockey wasn't an option next year. Not sure if they were correct, telling the truth, etc (I don't even know the guy he was talking to my brother) but hopefully he's wrong that sounds insane. Maybe they changed their mind when parents got upset.

Yes I think something like St Margaret's would be good for this but the problem is coaches use that tourney to take a look at bubble JV/varsity players so it's hard to say they would even play their best. I'm not as familiar with all the high schools in lower levels but if they are coached like some of the PAHL teams they probably try to play lower to win.

In my opinion you could have swapped TJ and South Fayette with the bottom two in AAA and made the conference stronger and made AA more competitive as well. I think they would have ended in the bottom 4 for sure but were better than at least the two bottom in AAA. I'm not sure about next year depending on the graduating seniors.

Maybe they should have done it this year then.

They going to move up and play with the big boys?

Shaha 14u and 12u girls have tryouts April 23 and 25. No 16 or 19u girls that I have seen.

I didn't go quite as far as you but 08 seems pretty similar with a lot of overalap. Seems like a little more lag prior to the AA tryouts after AAA but you gotta pick your horse I guess early.

Anything exciting happen this weekend? Big upsets or suprises?

I figured people lick their fingers and see which way the wind is blowing. Open skates for teams etc they will figure out fast what chance their kids have unless they are delusional.

Well I do have to admit I don't want to spend 4000 dollars + travel to spend 8 months with a bunch of loud jack******. It makes the entire experience miserable and I'd rather my kid have fun and the parents have fun too.

Agreed. Need to figure out a host org and a coach. I think pens, one North hills and one south Hills team would be fine. Same with 08s.

Hard question because it also depends on if any other 08s show up that would knock them out of spots. Maybe this is where the Esmark team gets their 09s

From what I gather you have hit on the problem though in all seriousness for getting all the kids on one team. Preds and Esmark are seen as money grabs. Preds you get a lot of dad coach involvement and not just from one person there are at least two or three way too involved dads. Esmark is an insane drive for South Hills families because they practice at New Kensington. Shaha coach seems insane (and a dad). For a long time Shaha really seemed to have a good thing going until their oldest two birth years fell apart. I'm honestly glad my kid isn't an 09 because it seems like a mess. I don't really know much about Vengeance but that's a drive too and I'm not sure an upgrade over any of those teams (looks like Preds finished above them and shaha close).

I would be!

I guess that begs the question who is a good coach for them?

I believe the pred kids who left are talking about returning as well. It's silly season have to see how it plays out.

Agree here by the first year midget things are much more even than in previous years. It's not perfect but 08s and 07s could be very competitive in most situations this year.

Shaha and icemen played each other several times. Kudos to them btw.

I would Argue with you here that they got beat by another independent team but it looks like they lost to the steel City ice renegades.