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AAA Tryout Log Jam


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47 minutes ago, nemesis8679 said:

How many of these kids who've upended their own lives and their families lives actually end up playing in any of the leagues you've mentioned? And I mean stepped on the ice at all in those leagues, let alone making anything else out of it. 

facts NONE or very little percentage..The Kool aid man would be proud that his legacy lives on still....  and the ones referred to. 100 percent sure none will play d1 or USHL 

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2 hours ago, nemesis8679 said:

How many of these kids who've upended their own lives and their families lives actually end up playing in any of the leagues you've mentioned? And I mean stepped on the ice at all in those leagues, let alone making anything else out of it. 

They are 16. So no, none have stepped on college ice. I will give you that.

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2 hours ago, nemesis8679 said:

How many of these kids who've upended their own lives and their families lives actually end up playing in any of the leagues you've mentioned? And I mean stepped on the ice at all in those leagues, let alone making anything else out of it. 

If you are referring to the kidsand families that did this and are playing on top 10 teams in the country at 06 and 07, I would disagree as this is where most of the USHL, OHL and D1 scouts concentrate their efforts on when scouting kids in the US. The u17 team 2006 by for next year primarly came from the top 5 teams in the country and Minnesota high school and prep school. Other than the Minnesota High school, most of those kids have come from all over and not many are playing for a hometown team. If you are referring to PPE or Barons. couple of those kids will play USHL/OHL, say 6-7 and maybe 3 or 4 play D1. I don't think any will go to Juniors next season, but in another year or 2. The PPE 07 is a lock for the national team next season. Both those teams have some talented players and being 6 and 7 in the rankings shows it. Both where very heavily scouted this season. Time will tell. That 06 group of Pittsburgh kids is very talented and many of the better ones have left cause of many reasons, mostly due to PPE catering to out of town kids over local kids. But this is not new, many kids have left Pittsburgh for a number of reasons in the past, in order to move ahead. Used to be cause the Pittsburgh teams were not as competitive, but that seems to have changed. 

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2 hours ago, nemesis8679 said:

How many of these kids who've upended their own lives and their families lives actually end up playing in any of the leagues you've mentioned? And I mean stepped on the ice at all in those leagues, let alone making anything else out of it. 

If you are referring to the kidsand families that did this and are playing on top 10 teams in the country at 06 and 07, I would disagree as this is where most of the USHL, OHL and D1 scouts concentrate their efforts on when scouting kids in the US. The u17 team 2006 by for next year primarly came from the top 5 teams in the country and Minnesota high school and prep school. Other than the Minnesota High school, most of those kids have come from all over and not many are playing for a hometown team. If you are referring to PPE or Barons. couple of those kids will play USHL/OHL, say 6-7 and maybe 3 or 4 play D1. I don't think any will go to Juniors next season, but in another year or 2. The PPE 07 is a lock for the national team next season. Both those teams have some talented players and being 6 and 7 in the rankings shows it. Both where very heavily scouted this season. Time will tell. That 06 group of Pittsburgh kids is very talented and many of the better ones have left cause of many reasons, mostly due to PPE catering to out of town kids over local kids. But this is not new, many kids have left Pittsburgh for a number of reasons in the past, in order to move ahead. Used to be cause the Pittsburgh teams were not as competitive, but that seems to have changed. 

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2 hours ago, nemesis8679 said:

How many of these kids who've upended their own lives and their families lives actually end up playing in any of the leagues you've mentioned? And I mean stepped on the ice at all in those leagues, let alone making anything else out of it. 

If you are referring to the kidsand families that did this and are playing on top 10 teams in the country at 06 and 07, I would disagree as this is where most of the USHL, OHL and D1 scouts concentrate their efforts on when scouting kids in the US. The u17 team 2006 by for next year primarly came from the top 5 teams in the country and Minnesota high school and prep school. Other than the Minnesota High school, most of those kids have come from all over and not many are playing for a hometown team. If you are referring to PPE or Barons. couple of those kids will play USHL/OHL, say 6-7 and maybe 3 or 4 play D1. I don't think any will go to Juniors next season, but in another year or 2. The PPE 07 is a lock for the national team next season. Both those teams have some talented players and being 6 and 7 in the rankings shows it. Both where very heavily scouted this season. Time will tell. That 06 group of Pittsburgh kids is very talented and many of the better ones have left cause of many reasons, mostly due to PPE catering to out of town kids over local kids. But this is not new, many kids have left Pittsburgh for a number of reasons in the past, in order to move ahead. Used to be cause the Pittsburgh teams were not as competitive, but that seems to have changed. 

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5 hours ago, Whoosh said:

I know most of them..... What would you do if your kid was a very high level player (USHL, NAHL,D1 level prospect) and couldn't play in Pittsburgh because you're not friends with the guys from Canada and Chicago who run the program?........ serious question. What would YOU 

 

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Internet double posted me
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5 hours ago, Whoosh said:

I know most of them..... What would you do if your kid was a very high level player (USHL, NAHL,D1 level prospect) and couldn't play in Pittsburgh because you're not friends with the guys from Canada and Chicago who run the program?........ serious question. What would YOU do?

Tell them to play PAHL and get good grades because it's super easy to get a scholarship for academics if you maintain above a 3.2 or so GPA and that there are many things in life such as family and friends more important than hockey.  

 

 

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20 minutes ago, aaaahockey said:

Tell them to play PAHL and get good grades because it's super easy to get a scholarship for academics if you maintain above a 3.2 or so GPA and that there are many things in life such as family and friends more important than hockey.  

 

 

Then why would anyone pay aaa hockey? I don't get it you bash "faux aaa" teams, now you're bashing one of the top teams in the country.  

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2 hours ago, Danner27 said:

Tryouts all over ? How did the 18’s for all the faux aaa teams turn out ? Any improvement or still the same train wrecks sitting at the bottom of the district, Season over before it started as usual ? 

U18's, 06's and 08's for Esmark still going on.  Anyone been at those tryouts that can comment on the turnout, etc?

PPE U15, U16 and U18 are done - my guess is the contingent of western PA skaters shrunk yet again for the sake of adding out of town players.  

Call the other AAA teams "faux" all you want - all PPE teams did nothing at Nationals this past season and to my knowledge none of the boys teams made it out of pool play, particularly two teams that were gifted an at-large berth.  All of this can be had for the low low price of $30K+ a year while dictating where your kid goes to high school.

Edited by fafa fohi
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1 hour ago, fafa fohi said:

U18's, 06's and 08's for Esmark still going on.  Anyone been at those tryouts that can comment on the turnout, etc?

PPE U15, U16 and U18 are done - my guess is the contingent of western PA skaters shrunk yet again for the sake of adding out of town players.  

Call the other AAA teams "faux" all you want - all PPE teams did nothing at Nationals this past season and to my knowledge none of the boys teams made it out of pool play, particularly two teams that were gifted an at-large berth.  All of this can be had for the low low price of $30K+ a year while dictating where your kid goes to high school.

Yes PPE might have failed at nationals but they still went. Our local faux programs such as predators, icemen etc sit at the bottom district standings. Season over by october. 

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46 minutes ago, Danner27 said:

Yes PPE might have failed at nationals but they still went. Our local faux programs such as predators, icemen etc sit at the bottom district standings. Season over by october. 

"Yes PPE might have failed at nationals but they still went."...........two at-large berths for U15 and U16 with nothing to show for it other than a participation trophy.  Both went 1-2.  And U18 never left Pittsburgh and U14 went 2-2.  

So I guess "we still went to nationals" is now the new tagline for PPE to hold over the "faux AAA" teams?  lol

Edited by fafa fohi
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29 minutes ago, sadday4hockey said:

They are NOT all prospects for those levels, some not even close. You'd think some of the delusion would have subsided by this age.

You clearly have reading and comprehension issues. Try again and get back to me. You're telling me that none of the kids on a top 5 team in the US will play tier 1 or 2 Jr's?  Bold statement

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24 minutes ago, fafa fohi said:

"Yes PPE might have failed at nationals but they still went."...........two at-large berths for U15 and U16 with nothing to show for it other than a participation trophy.  Both went 1-2.  And U18 never left Pittsburgh and U14 went 2-2.  

So I guess "we still went to nationals" is now the new tagline for PPE to hold over the "faux AAA" teams?  lol

It’s not a tag line - they still play the best teams, developed players etc. look I’m not a fan of what’s going on up there at all, but you want to tell me the predators & icemen develop players ? Have the proper personal, coaching, tools & channels ? They don’t. 
 

western pa -

PPE>Esmark>everyone else from FAUX to AA. 

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38 minutes ago, Danner27 said:

It’s not a tag line - they still play the best teams, developed players etc. look I’m not a fan of what’s going on up there at all, but you want to tell me the predators & icemen develop players ? Have the proper personal, coaching, tools & channels ? They don’t. 
 

western pa -

PPE>Esmark>everyone else from FAUX to AA. 

At the end of the day, why do these kids play AAA?  To move on to juniors or next level in the hockey pyramid .   Yes, winning national championships are great, but if an organization doesn't move kids on then you waisted your time and money in my opinion. You pay for the coaching, training and development.  Yes, good hockey players translate to wins, but your paying for the connections (scouts) and player development.  That's how I see it.  Hence why the other programs such as Predator's, Iceman etc. are "faux AAA" How many kids do they move? How many scouts are at their games? Going to nationals is good exposure.  Especially if you are already an organization with recognition.

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With what’s going on at PPE, some of these pseudo AAA teams will get better without needing to develop the players themselves.  At the rate PPE going, in the next few years they may not have any Pittsburgh kids on their 14U-18U rosters. There’s hardly anything Pittsburgh about them anymore. 

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Does PPE actually develop the players?  With so many new imports each year you have to ask that question.  Recruiting is easier than developing.  They definitely have good qualified coaches there but how far can they develop these kids and at what expense??  You really have to ask does it make financial sense?  I guess you could ask that about a lot of hockey teams though.  Pens are crazy expensive these days though.

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I watched an interview that Gretzky gave a few years ago. He said two things in particular I found interesting. 

#1 After hockey season, the skates and hockey stick went to the basement, not to be touched again until the next season started. 

 

#2 If he had to deal with the same expense and aggravation as kids and parents do today, he wouldn't have been able to continue playing. 

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2 hours ago, Danner27 said:

It’s not a tag line - they still play the best teams, developed players etc. look I’m not a fan of what’s going on up there at all, but you want to tell me the predators & icemen develop players ? Have the proper personal, coaching, tools & channels ? They don’t. 
 

western pa -

PPE>Esmark>everyone else from FAUX to AA. 

I never said anything about Icemen or Preds - SHAHA and Vengeance made Midams at 06 this season and the season prior at a fraction of the cost of the PPE spend.

PPE develops players?  In what way exactly?  Are they really developing a kid that joined the team that played in FL or CA through Bantams?  And I cannot seem to find any data on former PPE kids making NHL rosters while parents pay $120K+ for four years of NC high school, Excel and PPE fees.  That is equal to two years tuition at a top university, or some pretty nice cars for said players to tool around in around Cranberry.

But I guess it is worth it as long as they are "developed players."  Respectfully, I disagree so I will leave it at that.

Edited by fafa fohi
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On 4/14/2022 at 12:53 PM, Whoosh said:

I know most of them..... What would you do if your kid was a very high level player (USHL, NAHL,D1 level prospect) and couldn't play in Pittsburgh

This was most of the sentence. My reading comprehension tells me that you are specifically referencing the Pittsburgh contingent to which I say as do all of the historical data show that no way all of those players are USHL or NAHL level. The over/under on the number of those players that ever play regularly in either of those leagues is one and a half.

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5 minutes ago, sadday4hockey said:

This was most of the sentence. My reading comprehension tells me that you are specifically referencing the Pittsburgh contingent to which I say as do all of the historical data show that no way all of those players are USHL or NAHL level. The over/under on the number of those players that ever play regularly in either of those leagues is one and a half.

The ushl is the hardest junior league (including major juniors in Canada) to make it to. 

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