Hattrick Swayze

Correct me if I am wrong but Vengeance and Armstrong both have the same Head Coach at 18U AA and 16U AA? Seems to work out just fine for them as those two and Allegheny seem to be the top teams at those higher age levels year after year.

It is insane that they asked each family to pay between $1,200 and $1,500 after the season ended for their teams. Can not believe that people are willing to fundraise and pay more money after the season ends but some people will continue to drink the kool aid and believe that their kid will be one of NAHL tenders that rarely ever actually make a NAHL team. If your kid can't make the top Pens Elite team stop chasing the AAA dream and let them play for the closest PAHL organization. If they are still "too good" for their local organization at that point then look at going AAA. The Pittsburgh area has at most two teams full of AAA players at any age group. Quit chasing the dream and let your kids enjoy the sport. Most of these kids will not play any higher level than D1 or D3 ACHA and that is fine.

Have no fear, the Russians are coming!!

The more interesting side of this to me is the Team Discipline aspect of it. 10 misconduct penalties in a season results in that team being ineligible for Playoffs? The way the checking rules are called at this point you may have several teams at the 14, 16, and 18U divisions ineligible for playoffs. I think everyone is happy to see the FPP gone but taking it to another extreme of eliminating teams from playoff eligibility seems like they are taking too far. I agree with the player discipline side of this but 10 misconducts for a team in a 20 game season could happen to several teams with the way the game is called anymore. The suspension rules at the end of games also gives Ref's a little bit too much power to hand out misconducts or games just to punish players and or coaches under these rules. I guess we shall see how this all plays out.

I’m sure the parents will be thrilled when they get billed for the money they lost from the Esmark Sponsorship halfway through the season.

Esmark should do all of these kids a favor and tell them to move on now. Instead they are on social media asking for more players to show up. Heard it was 12 players and a few goalies most of which weren’t true AAA level players.

Black Bear does not own their rink. They are not being forced into competing in their leagues but decided to do so on their own. Icemen deciding to go AAA next year instead of trying to compete at Tier 2 to make nationals again is not smart on their part.

Beyond that I heard that the coach went into the locker room and lost it on the kids and basically said he was quitting. It’s not the 9 and 10 year olds in the rooms fault that they were blatantly lied to. The organization and the coach should be ashamed that they stole these peoples money and set the kids up for failure.

Heard a rumor 18U Vengeance might be folding. Any truth to that?

He played for the Allegheny Badgers until his first year of PeeWee’s.

Is there an award for having the most supplemental tryouts? If so the Aviators win by a land slide!!

From what I have heard Allegheny added 3 Esmark players and one of their goalies as well as a SHAHA AAA goalie from last year. On top of that they had 2 of their players make Vengeance and decline to stay. Seems like that team will be very good. Mid State added two Pens cuts and already had a strong team and not sure what is going on with Icemen having two teams but their top team is supposedly really strong. Anyone know where all the Viper Stars players ended up this season because they were a very good PAHL team last year? Assuming a few went to Renegades or Icemen and maybe a few to Allegheny? Should be an exciting year for the 09 group at Tier 2.

Yes, they did. Unfortunately for a lot of the kids they did it late enough that they couldn't try out Tier 1 anymore. Tier 2 will be very good in Western Pa this year. I also heard they are not refunding any of their tryout fee's even though they folded the team. Not a great look on their part!

They need to give up and let these players try out elsewhere. They are going to hold on to them too long and it’s the kids that are going to get screwed over.

Yes

If I were one of the families whose player got named to that team I would be running for the hills. The team most likely won't be as good as some of the AA teams locally and they will be paying 3 times as much with the normal Esmark travel on top of that. Already a mass exodus and the supplemental will just bring more AA level players. Wouldn't be surprised if this team ends up folding and these players have nowhere to go.

Pretty sure 2 or 3 Forwards and a Goalie went to the Long Island Gulls. Top Defenseman to Esmark. Sounds like the majority of the rest of the players trying out at Vengeance now.

They canceled the tryout tonight. Top 4 players and both goalies left so assuming the coach pulled the plug as the team was not going to be as competitive as he’d like it to be.

I don't take anything on this forum as the gospel truth. Just curious as it has kind of gone silent on here and I was talking the other day with someone who is highly involved at Alpha and they said there is no way they'd have ice there. I just don't want to see a bunch of players without a home if that is the case. Thanks for the feedback.

I know Vipers are holding tryouts at Alpha but does anyone know if they actually have ice there next season? I have heard from a few people at that facility that they will not have enough ice or any ice at Alpha. It would be really sad if players try out for them and then they do not have any practice ice for next season. I hope they are not desperately trying to hang on and setting the players and families up for a complete disaster.

Seems like a lot of money for one 50 minute practice slot a week and nothing else included. Let’s Fly!!

That is true! At least not yet.

Don’t let this article fool you. McCort knew exactly what they were doing and got caught. They listed a player on 15 score sheets when that player only played in 9 games. Their Coach deliberately cheated and they were turned into the league. In no way did they turn themselves in and take the high road here. McQuillan has been coaching in the PIHL for close to 3 decades so there is no chance he did not know what they did was against the rules. Obviously PIHL has to start doing a better job as well of checking eligibility. Their on site reps should make sure that players who are listed as playing on the score sheet are in fact in the lineup. It is sad that youth hockey has come to this but obviously there are adults out there who will cheat to win. Pathetic!!

If you know the Montour coach at all none of this comes as a surprise.

Especially when they had two Tier 2 teams make the National Championship last year. The Renegades 18U team is mostly the same team that won Nationals at 16U. You’d think they’d be proud of that but apparently not.