Wes

On 8/15/2021 at 4:54 PM, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

Honestly you have to think they will go the way other sports at the KSG went years ago and just have teams enter, rather than individuals. KSG needs to get with the times. Teams are picked in the spring now and many teams practice all summer. It's very expensive to out together a one off team for just one weekend. 

If the West (or Central, for that matter) is going to ever be able to compete with the South (philly), they need to pick a team right after Midams, practice and do at least 1 summer tourney before playing at KSG.  The South continually has high level players in the boys' brackets, and practically no AAA players play for West or Central, thus making it a difficult task right out of the gate.

I enjoy the KSG concept but it needs refinement - especially a playoff game.  3 games is too little. 

9 hours ago, Lifelongbender said:

Well, I was just wondering if we could get updates about the current policies at rinks around the region. I'm not interested in anyone's opinions about masking or vaccines here, or political views. Just wanting to understand the policies of rinks in the area.

It's my thinking that we are going to be in the same boat as last season - coaches wearing masks on benches, players not required to wear them on the ice, and possibly restrictions on parents in rinks. I don't see this season evolving any differently than last season.

I thought that starting a conversation would give us all a place to note rink restrictions and policies as they are revised and released.

Sorry @Lifelongbender I had to blow off some steam LOL.

So how's the new owners working out at these rinks?  How have the ice rates changed?

(I have no stake in this, just curious!)

The mythology of masks (and this "vaccine") is ridiculous.  Our entire family got COVID back in January 2020.  None of us got the Vaccine this year, nor do we plan to do so. However, the government is pushing this MYTH that you must get the prick even if you have had COVID.  No thank you.  I won't patronize anywhere that forces me to show proof of vax, when I already have the God Given antibodies in me.

If you're that damn concerned about catching coof, don't go out in public.  Masks AREN'T going to help unless you are practically wearing a mustard-gas preventing gas mask.

So glad I no longer have kids in youth hockey.  This is all BS.

1 hour ago, GrumpyOldPucker said:

Depends on whether you gauged success ONLY by winning the national championship:

Steel City Selects Girls 2021: 

14U - Lost in Semi Finals

19U - Lost in Semi Finals 

16U - Lost in Championship game

I was really pulling for the 19s but they lost to a team they had beat in the round Robins…

12 hours ago, 3v3 said:

Here you go. Feel free to count the grand total of out of town players on PPE and Esmark. Just using these as the example since they’re the most hotly debated. 
 

Nothing malicious about not listing amateur hockey player hometowns on a team’s website. It’s hit or miss across the entire country on whether or not a hometown is listed for teams. 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/12789/pittsburgh-penguins-elite-18u

https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/15751/esmark-stars-18u-aaa

That their own website doesn't have this info, and you have to go to Elite Prospects says it all. Glad you're making excuses for PPE.

22 hours ago, Theroadtobeerleague said:

PPE rosters are always easy to find on their website.  I know of two SSA girl players that got cut from Pen Elite.  Someone has hurt feelings 

Show me where their hometowns are listed.  They aren't and there's a reason for that.  My feelings aren't hurt.  My daughter got the same opportunities in college as most of her former PPE teammates, so I am not shedding any tears, smarty-pants.

5 hours ago, Danner27 said:

Unfortunately, the only real AAA in western pa is PPE followed by esmark midget. As stated above, you can see how far the gap is between these two clubs. I have nothing against any kid or extra A status parent. Spend your money however you like -  It’s just the truth. 

My biggest problem with PPE is how they are using youth hockey not just to fund the pro practice rink but also make a profit after the pro bills are paid from youth hockey! The penguins along with upmc are also using this business model as a tax shelter. PPE makes more money off import players. 

agree fully, but I think Esmark usually has more local kids on their rosters each year. 

5 hours ago, fafa fohi said:

The Pens grow the sport locally through the Little Pens Learn to Play program, then through their Lil’ 66’ers teams.  Teams used to consist mostly of local talent, then they began recruiting out of state for the older kids teams, now it’s a matter of time until they start importing 8-9 year olds and pump the parents up with AAA talk so they can uproot their families from Chicago, FL or other areas and move here to fulfill little Johnny’s NHL dreams. 

To an extent, PPE is a joke because they import kids from out of the area.  Several years ago there was supposed to be a rule where they would only have a few out of town kids, but that rule went out the window when winning became the sole objective.  So in my mind they really don't do a whole lot for true "local" kids.  I know a number of local kids who went to Cleveland, Maryland, Culver and played there rather than PPE.  One of our kids lost their spot on PPE when they turned down playing for SSA (because we couldn't afford $25k for high school).  All the kids who played (female) SSA also never got cut from PPE.

There's a reason why they make the rosters hard to find for PPE and never have any BIOs for the kids, it's because most of the kids nowadays are from out of Western PA.

At that age play as much as possible.  Playing with the boys up through 14’s is what made my daughter a good player.

I always liked for the tryouts to be soon after the league playoffs (PAHL, etc.), rather than in the middle of May, June, etc.  The kids are fully ready for a tryout right after the season, instead of throwing on skates for the first time in weeks then going for a tryout.

We're all done with youth hockey so I don't have to deal with this anymore LOL.

Congrats to Baldwin

20 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

How did your Tournament go?  Last year you guys had a spring summer 4 on 4 league.  Are you going to do it again this year?

The online schedule/stats wasn't online so I couldn't find them either...

On 3/30/2021 at 1:27 PM, CovidPolice said:

I'm trying to word this in a way that it doesn't come across as trolling.  Because I'm hoping for a serious discussion.  Preferably based on real life experiences.

 

Basically my question is it a one-way street from Pens Elite to other AAA Pittsburgh organizations?  Or have there been instances of players returning/going to PPE from these other programs?  

 

I could see it's various ways. Either the Pens don't want other organization retreads. Or perhaps the Pens would love to snag the best kid from a rivals roster.  Or does the past years team have absolutely no bearing?

 

Also curious how often at the older ages do local PAHL players make the jump to a legit AAA team.  It looks like most of the "replacement" kids on PPE rosters come from imports from out of the area AAA programs.  Seems the players that have the skill and desire to play AAA would do it at earlier ages and not just suddenly make the jump at 14,15,16 years old.

 

Thoughts?

 

I could go on and on about this topic, but I don't want to write a book about this (yet).  PPE has it's favorites and frankly you're either a favorite of them or they drop you like a lead balloon.  It doesn't always have to do with talent either.  A lot is who they can pull from other AAA teams.   A while back an Ohio AAA team folded and they "invited" their star players to come to PPE tryouts and then promptly cut several local girls in lieu of out of towners.   This was during a time period where they said their rules were only X number of players could be from out of town.  When in fact 66% of the team was 1-10 hour drive away.  So the PPE name is more a moniker as they don't really do a lot to support or grow local kids, as they'd just as soon grab the best player from Detroit over a Pittsburgh kid.

They also love parents who have deep pockets or financial pull (pilots, real estate office owners, CEO's), as those kids seem to make teams year after year while kids to "average parents" don't stick around (unless you are a total stud).  

On 3/31/2021 at 9:17 AM, BACKCHECKING said:

 I have also noticed that the new players to a team have been contacted in advance and have been invited to practice (tryout before the tryouts) with the current team.

^^^ this 100%

4 hours ago, sarampage said:

It was probably Max Ivanov.  He was the Pens skating coach around that time...

I believe that was him.  Looks a lot like him, so it probably was him.  Good catch.

2 hours ago, dazedandconfused said:

And the drills he used were about as useless as @#$% on a bull. He was paid to stick around and keep 71 happy.

NONE of the drills he used were age appropriate. Most of them couldn't have been performed by high level 16U players and he was using them with 10, 12 and 14U players. If you were training for the Ice Capades he was a good option. He was preceded in this type of training by Besa Tsintsadze until he decided to do his flying Walenda act on the ice at Baierl and landed on a young players leg slicing through his shinguard and deep into his leg.

The best skating instructors are figure skating coaches who will work with hockey players. They take the stick out of their hands and break down their whole stride and then build them back up. It's not a quick fix though. Takes 4-6 months of consistent reps.

It might have been Max.

@dazedandconfused To each their own.  The training our daughter received was excellent.  We probably had at least 12 sessions throughout the season.  There were techniques used in there that were never covered by any other coach.  Lots of techniques to recover from bumps, falls and get up and get going fast were especially good. Sorry you had a bad experience with him.

On 4/13/2021 at 11:33 AM, champeen said:

what if i told you we don't live in PGH, but will be there for part of the summer.  would you be willing to help me?

The best skating coach our daughter ever had was when she played with the PPE around 2015.  This guy (who was a blond haired younger russian guy) was tremendous and took the girls through all sorts of skating - and balance recovery techniques.  Easily the best training she's ever had but I can't recall his name. The drills he did were fantastic and I've never seen another coach teach those sort of techniques.  He must have taught the girls techniques used in russia.

It is hard to find a really good skating coach (that is not out to just make $$) and you are doing the best thing, asking around.

On 4/8/2021 at 1:37 PM, Rancho1 said:

Nice to see RMU getting semi and final games with more restrictions than Wolf recommends.  How stupid can PIHL be scheduling games there? It's a shame. 

Seriously would anyone expect any of these orgs to go to a rink with far less rules?  It's how they're all run, both the PIHL and PAHL. Let's make things as difficult as possible on everyone.  Play at RMU!

50 minutes ago, Danner27 said:

Wow the mid site is awful to navigate. I can’t find any of what you posted. 

Here are the real time scores and results 

https://www.ahabadgers.com/page/show/6257753-pa-tier-ii-2021-mid-am-district-tier-ii-pa-tournament-

2 hours ago, mrfreeze said:

Does anyone have the schedule for the Western Pa Tier 2 playoffs?

Here you go.  All games at Center Ice, Delmont. They do have Livebarn.  

18U_Schedule.pdf 18U_Bracket.pdf PA__StateTournament_Schedule_14U.pdf PA__StateTournament_Schedule_16U.pdf

Some "interesting" things regarding the 18uAA state playdowns.

Firstly, does anyone know that the midam allows host organzations to "make" the schedule for the tourneys?? (Yes!, they do!)

9 teams (this is roughly the standings in MHR) 

Preds IND

AHA

Indiana

SP

Armstrong

SHAHA

Huskies

Preds PAHL

SCIR

So how was this playdown implemented?

1, 4, 7 in a bracket, 2, 6, 9, and 3, 5, 8

Notice that the 1 team draws 4 & 7.  2 team draws 6 & 9 - what??

That setup only gives each team a MINIMUM of 2 games, which makes each game cost $550.

Typically you'd see the #1 team draw the #9 team somewhere in their bracket; better yet, there should have been an 8/9 playin game and 2- 4 team brackets, giving each team a minimum of 3 games.

Thoughts/comments??

None of these guys...

https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/city/nhl-players-career-stats.php?city_id=4659

12 minutes ago, nemesis8679 said:

So, since it's inception, how many players from PPE have played a game in the NHL? 

none that I am aware of.

3 hours ago, sadday4hockey said:

So nice to see that Karma made its way to Columbus at the 18U level. Although, you can rest assured that one of the at large bids was already in hand before the final buzzer even sounded.

So happy for the CBJ winning 18uAAA. 

You're likely correct about the at large bid probably due to the pull of one PPE player's daddy. ?