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Info on Pittsburgh Vengeance


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Hi everyone I am completely new to the site and hockey in Pittsburgh in general so please excuse my ignorance. I have accepted a new position at work that will transplant my family from Vermont to Pittsburgh. Luckily my company is giving me tons of time to get everything set up as I wont be starting in my new role until March 2022.  I have been to Pittsburgh several times for business and very much enjoy what I have seen. I will be bringing my family there to visit and scope out the area in November so hopefully we will be able to watch some youth hockey and see what its like. That being said my son is a 2012 birth year and plays for the Dynamo Hockey Club 2012 Elite team. We will need to find a home for him next season. He is an extremely competitive player and is consistently a top scorer on his teams. He's really apprehensive about leaving his buddies and teammates so I am trying to find an organization for him that is of similar caliber. My company is based in the Oakmont area so I have been doing some research on the Vengeance as they are close and was trying to figure out the cost. So I googled it and a similar post brought me here! I read a bunch of posts here and it seems to me like the Vengeance organization is a hot topic.... I don't know if that's a good thing or not but whatever. 

Long story short...I was wondering if there's anyone here who currently has a kid playing for their teams that could answer some questions like the cost, practice schedule, travel requirements etc.. I also sent an email to one of the contacts on their site but I think he's in charge of the USPHL team and not the "youth" teams. I didn't see a contact or coaches names for the youth teams. Their website kid of sucks honestly LOL I also looked at the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and they have all that info listed on their site which is nice. I am assuming the cost will be around the same at the Vengeance? I just don't see us being able to make 5pm weekday practices in Cranberry Township from where we will be living, unless I am looking at it wrong? 

Sorry for the long post and all the questions this is all new to me and extremely overwhelming! (also trying to figure out dance companies for my daughters) 

Thanks in advance for the help!

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I'm not involved with the organization but I venture to guess the total season fees for their squirt teams are around $4k, plus the cost of uniforms/gloves/helmet/travel/tournaments etc. What's the travel like for your current team? Because keep in mind teams like the Vengeance and pens elite travel to places like Ohio, New York, Michigan, sometimes Canada to play as those teams are in independent leagues. FWIW, the Pittsburgh area has the PAHL which is a more localized travel hockey league with teams ranging from AA to B level. Again, I have no idea if our AA teams would be comparable to your current team but it may be worth looking into if you don't want the travel commitment. Alpha ice complex (where the Vengeance play) is home to the Steel City Ice Renegades in the PAHL.  Also, if you wanted to go the pens elite route getting from Oakmont to Cranberry via the turnpike isn't too bad. Probably around 35 minutes or so at rush hour. 

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3 hours ago, Danner27 said:

Show up, they will take your money, it’s really that simple. 

Can I put you on ignore?  Does this site have that feature.  You are the most annoying person on this forum.  Someone had to take over for the King. You are it.  This poster came on here for some honest feedback and you reply with that nonsense,  Your kids are aged out so get lost! PLEASE

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The Vengeance at the younger ages is much more reasonable than the older age groups.  Not sure what the 12 team will be next year.   I think the younger teams have been around 3000 but they may ask for more more money periodically for games, etc.  The 07 and 06 teams are around 5500 but they are inclusive I think, although I don't know all the specifics since they have non parent coaches year.  08 even went non-parent this year allegedly, so not sure if they will continue the weekend model and more modest fees.  I wouldn't worry about 5:00 practices.  I don't think they are very popular at all around here.  Usually, the earliest we have had was 5:30. 

The Vengeance at the younger age groups start tryouts pretty early so keep that in mind.   

The Pens is actually not bad price wise for squirts.  It jumps a good bit for peewee. 

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4 hours ago, VTtransplant said:

Thank you all for the responses! 

You might want to inquire sooner than later. If you are moving this summer, most teams have already completed tryouts for next season. You might be able to find your way onto a roster spot if your player is extremly good or lucky if a spot is open or becomes available. But I would start reaching out to Teams and orginazation right away.

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21 hours ago, Danner27 said:

Show up, they will take your money, it’s really that simple. 

Nothing says “welcome to Pittsburgh” quite like your comment, being an arrogant asswipe that you can be sometimes.  Dude was asking about fees and what came with it, that’s all.

@VTtransplant do not mind him.   

As to your original inquiry, many orgs will not post fees until teams are formed and if supplemental ice in the summer is included.  Including tuition, team funds and uniforms for local PAHL teams, expect to pay between $3,500-4K plus hotel fees for away tournaments.  AAA tuition can run between $4-6K plus uniforms, team fee, off ice program, and travel expenses which tend to me higher due to more away tournaments or showcases.  Expect to pay anywhere from $8K to over $10K when all is said and done for AAA hockey here.

Edited by fafa fohi
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8 hours ago, mrfreeze said:

You might want to inquire sooner than later. If you are moving this summer, most teams have already completed tryouts for next season. You might be able to find your way onto a roster spot if your player is extremly good or lucky if a spot is open or becomes available. But I would start reaching out to Teams and orginazation right away.

Thank you. We actually wont be officially relocating until March (although I will be in Pittsburgh after the first of the year) so it would line up nicely for the tryout period it seems. My son will also be able to finish his season with his current team and my kids do cyber learning so their school year wont be affected. My company is being extremely flexible with all of this which is awesome. 

I really appreciate all of the input and private messages I have received. Hopefully everything goes smoothly and my son is able to get on a good competitive team in Pittsburgh! 

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2 hours ago, VTtransplant said:

Thank you. We actually wont be officially relocating until March (although I will be in Pittsburgh after the first of the year) so it would line up nicely for the tryout period it seems. My son will also be able to finish his season with his current team and my kids do cyber learning so their school year wont be affected. My company is being extremely flexible with all of this which is awesome. 

I really appreciate all of the input and private messages I have received. Hopefully everything goes smoothly and my son is able to get on a good competitive team in Pittsburgh! 

We look forward to having another quality hockey player who most importantly loves the game in SW PA. Despite what some people say I think we have a very respectable Hockey community and players. Most of all we are trying to get better.  A lot of serious kids doing as much as they can to improve.

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13 minutes ago, hockeyisgreat said:

We look forward to having another quality hockey player who most importantly loves the game in SW PA. Despite what some people say I think we have a very respectable Hockey community and players. Most of all we are trying to get better.  A lot of serious kids doing as much as they can to improve.

Seconded. No matter what the extent to which we don't hold a candle to Detroit hockey, or our parents are too stupid to understand scams, or whatever else has been repeatedly and pointlessly alleged on this site, one thing is true: ice hockey in Western Pennsylvania is improving significantly over time. It's so far above where it was when I was 16 that there are literally not words to describe how far its come.

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3 hours ago, VTtransplant said:

Thank you. We actually wont be officially relocating until March (although I will be in Pittsburgh after the first of the year) so it would line up nicely for the tryout period it seems. My son will also be able to finish his season with his current team and my kids do cyber learning so their school year wont be affected. My company is being extremely flexible with all of this which is awesome. 

I really appreciate all of the input and private messages I have received. Hopefully everything goes smoothly and my son is able to get on a good competitive team in Pittsburgh! 

I would make a point to try and get an introduction and skate with the team prior to tryouts.  At the younger ages, the Vengeance have "practice" players.  Some of which will try to make the team the following year.

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6 minutes ago, twoboys said:

I would make a point to try and get an introduction and skate with the team prior to tryouts.  At the younger ages, the Vengeance have "practice" players.  Some of which will try to make the team the following year.

I was not aware of this, I have a talented 2013 hockey addicted kid who after watching a 2011 Vengeance game last season is dead set on playing for them. So this thread has been great for me as well. How would one go about getting a foot in the door there? We don't play for SCIR either and I am assuming they use them as a "feeder" system so to speak?

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3 hours ago, forbin said:

I was not aware of this, I have a talented 2013 hockey addicted kid who after watching a 2011 Vengeance game last season is dead set on playing for them. So this thread has been great for me as well. How would one go about getting a foot in the door there? We don't play for SCIR either and I am assuming they use them as a "feeder" system so to speak?

I think your first squirt year just tryout and they will offer you a practice spot if you are just under the cut.  That's how the younger kids I knew who did it got in at all ages. 

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My son left a couple of years ago due to the distance from our home, but I have a couple of friends with kids on the younger teams. I was told that the 2010 and 2011 teams had multiple players leave because of coaching (Big time dad coach) and some left because some of the decisions made by the organization. Do not make your decision based on anything you read on this or any other forms. I would suggest that you contact the organization, talk to the coach and if possible, contact some of the parents from last year’s team. Wherever you decide to take your son, AA or AAA make sure that the coach genuinely wants to develop every one of the team and not just his kid or his kid’s buddies. At the younger ages, the number of A’s should not matter as much as finding the best coaching.

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On 5/20/2021 at 1:20 PM, forbin said:

I was not aware of this, I have a talented 2013 hockey addicted kid who after watching a 2011 Vengeance game last season is dead set on playing for them. So this thread has been great for me as well. How would one go about getting a foot in the door there? We don't play for SCIR either and I am assuming they use them as a "feeder" system so to speak?

I would try and get you kid some lessons with one of the instructors at Alpha.  I do think that would at least put you on the radar.   Either Berky or Michalski.

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  • 3 weeks later...
13 minutes ago, Ihearthockey said:

What's going on with the 07 Vengenace?  I heard alot of them left to go to Essmark?  If true, feels like they have some holes to fill and would be at risk of becoming a good AA program instead of a AAA program.  

Yes, I believe 6 or 7 of the better 07 Vengeance players from last year went to Esmark.  I believe only 2 Vengeance players from last season stayed.  The current 07 Vengeance team for the 2021-2022 season has huge holes to fill.   The association is saying the 07 team will play Tier 1 Elite but I can't see it with the current players they have on their roster. They would do better in Tier 2 and their kids will have a chance to win some games.   

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49 minutes ago, 3 Boys said:

I believe 6 or 7 of the better 07 Vengeance players from last year went to Esmark.

It's more than 6 or 7 that left for the greener pastures of New Kensington. I wonder if they (along with many others) are aware that they may be playing out of another rink....... in the South Hills?

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16 minutes ago, dazedandconfused said:

It's more than 6 or 7 that left for the greener pastures of New Kensington. I wonder if they (along with many others) are aware that they may be playing out of another rink....... in the South Hills?

Esmark is moving? 

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