Jump to content

AAA Playing A in summer


Recommended Posts

I watched a couple of A division summer hockey tournament games in Pittsburgh this past weekend. Most of the players looked like they are in the right division but some of the teams had players who play AAA in the fall. I feel that if you play AAA, you should not be able to play in any AA/A tournaments, especially A division. Not sure why they would want too anyway. The team that won the championship looked like they had 3 or 4 AAA players. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spring summer hockey gets a pretty wide range of kids.  Some kids just want to play. Maybe the kids you saw have improved that much since the end of last season.  What age group were the kids you saw?  I'm sure the teams they were playing for didn't want to pass up the fees for playing spring hockey.  Was there a AA/AAA division in that tournament?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, BACKCHECKING said:

I watched a couple of A division summer hockey tournament games in Pittsburgh this past weekend. Most of the players looked like they are in the right division but some of the teams had players who play AAA in the fall. I feel that if you play AAA, you should not be able to play in any AA/A tournaments, especially A division. Not sure why they would want too anyway. The team that won the championship looked like they had 3 

Spring/summer hockey gives kids a chance to play with their friends and have fun. Some of those AAA kids get pushed so hard from August-March and they don't get to hangout with their friends like they want or have fun. You will have this problem everywhere this time of year and it happens in a lot of sports during the off season. 

  • Like 1
  • Fist Bump 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would not read much into anything regarding summer hockey.  Most of the stuff I see in summer games, especially in the 3/3 and 4/4 variety would make robo-parents flip their noodle because there are more players rushing the puck from end to end and lack of passing, etc.  I was at a game on Saturday and heard a few parents go full Rambo on a ref for not calling a penalty.

In general, you see lots of stuff you would not normally see in regular tournaments or games once the season starts because coaches for summer games are letting the kids have fun.  And with no checking in some of these summer leagues, that should tell you all you need to know.

Edited by fafa fohi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Pucks11 said:

Spring/summer hockey gives kids a chance to play with their friends and have fun. Some of those AAA kids get pushed so hard from August-March and they don't get to hangout with their friends like they want or have fun. You will have this problem everywhere this time of year and it happens in a lot of sports during the off season. 

I see your point and I would not have an issue with it if they played in the AA division, the skill level is not that big of a difference. I agree that summer hockey gives a chance for kids to have fun but how much fun do you think 1st year Bantams, who have only played A division are getting smashed into the boards and watching the AAA kids skate end to end and score are having.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, fafa fohi said:

I would not read much into anything regarding summer hockey.  Most of the stuff I see in summer games, especially in the 3/3 and 4/4 variety would make robo-parents flip their noodle because there are more players rushing the puck from end to end and lack of passing, etc.  I was at a game on Saturday and heard a few parents go full Rambo on a ref for not calling a penalty.

In general, you see lots of stuff you would not normally see in regular tournaments or games once the season starts because coaches for summer games are letting the kids have fun.  And with no checking in some of these summer leagues, that should tell you all you need to know.

 

If this tournament would have been nonchecking i would have no issue. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Watching for years, the AA and A kids hit a lot more than the AAA kids. The AAA kids tend to pick their checks because if they miss 1 that is a quick odd man rush the other way. If you didn't want your kid getting hit then don't put him in a checking tournament. Just play school league.  

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The local tournament this past weekend only had two divisions per age group; A and AA. Certainly quite a few AAA playing in the AA division. It's not a big deal. Good chance for AA players to face some better competition from kids with a bit more speed and skill. Makes some AA kids realize they are better than many of the AAA players, and makes some realize they are nowhere close. Now if a team in the AA division filled out the majority of their roster with AAA kids, that would be different.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

But..... aren't the majority of the "AAA" players not actually AAA but in reality "faux AAA" as many on here profess? If that's the case, then the AA players should have no issue competing with them and the A players should use the opportunity to push themselves to their best.

It can't be both ways.

 

  • Like 3
  • ROTF 1
  • 100 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Pucks11 said:

Watching for years, the AA and A kids hit a lot more than the AAA kids. The AAA kids tend to pick their checks because if they miss 1 that is a quick odd man rush the other way. If you didn't want your kid getting hit then don't put him in a checking tournament. Just play school league.  

Was just about to say the same thing. There are very few big hits in AAA games- but, I see plenty in AA/A games. Both styles are fun in their own rights, but AA/A games tend to rely on more physical contact than speed. 
I'd be more worried about a kid that doesn't have the speed taking out a player that can go end to end than the other way around. 

  • Fist Bump 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m amazed at how many spring/summer tournaments there are these days. It has to be nearly impossible to make competitive divisions with rosters being all over the place. 
I always had my kid doing private and group lessons this time of year because it gave him the freedom to play lax and baseball. Still skated 2-3 times a week plus dry land but the schedule was semi-flexible. 
And from what I see these days, you have a lot of kids who could use less 12-2 games and more work on their individual skills. 
At all levels.

  • Like 1
  • 100 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/14/2022 at 8:39 AM, sadday4hockey said:

But..... aren't the majority of the "AAA" players not actually AAA but in reality "faux AAA" as many on here profess? If that's the case, then the AA players should have no issue competing with them and the A players should use the opportunity to push themselves to their best.

It can't be both ways.

 

Sounds to me there is a lot of lower end players in this tournament that is being discussed. I’m sure if there are PPE kids, local kids from playing out of state  - they are the the ones really standing out. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Appreciate everyone’s feedback and now I see the point of spring and summer hockey. At the time it was hard to watch my nephews team take some dirty hits from players that are obviously more skilled. Most of the AA players cannot keep up with players on the “Faux AAA” teams and I had a hard time understanding why they would want to play in the A division. I figured that mommy and daddy wanted to show off Johnny’s AAA talent to their A league family, friends, and coworkers or since Johnny is a bottom player on his “Faux AAA” team he wanted to feel like a superstar. I thought why they wouldn’t rather be with the top players from the “Faux AAA” and PPE teams in skating and skills lessons to get better for next year instead of checking a kid in the back half their size and getting kicked out of a summer hockey tournament. Now i understand that they just wanted to have fun and play with their friends.

Pittsburgh’s hockey motto should be “I GOT MINE”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First off.. I can’t believe that a spring hockey topic has gone of this tangent. 
But now that we are here riddle me this.
If the AA kids in this instance apparently “cannot keep up with the faux AAA players” why should they all have use their time and money to play with them in PAHL during the season?

BTW… backchecking… I’m pretty sure you started this post with your opinion already set in stone. I always thought that playing against better players was a good thing. Sorry your team didn’t run away with the summer sizzler banner.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, muckerandgrinder said:

I’m pretty sure you started this post with your opinion already set in stone.

You are correct my opinion that Bantam and above, AAA should not play down in an A division is set in stone. They obviously cared more about winning the great sizzler than development, if they cared about development than they would have entered the AA division so that they got to play against better players. Do you agree that it would have been better for the A kids to play up in the AA division rather than the AAA to play down 2 divisions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

                   
 
                 
 
BANTAM A                
 
GAMES TOTAL SCORE
TOTAL POINTS
           
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS '09
8 2            
 
FIRST LINE EVENTS '09 CIOCCA
3 0            
 
                 
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 4 2            
 
AVERAGE JOE'S 2 0            
 
                 
 
AVERAGE JOE'S 2 0            
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS '09
6 2            
 
                 
 
FIRST LINE EVENTS '09 CIOCCA
3 0            
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 5 2            
 
                 
 
AVERAGE JOE'S 4 2        
 
FIRST LINE EVENTS '09 CIOCCA
2 0      
 
           
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 0      
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS '09
3 2      
 
                 
 
  Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Total        
 
AVERAGE JOE'S 0 0 2 2        
 
FIRST LINE EVENTS '09 CIOCCA
0 0 0 0        
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 2 0 4        
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS '09
2 2 2 6        
 
                 
 
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
               
 
  SCORE O.T. S.O. FINAL        
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 2     2        
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS
0     0

 

I can only assume that you are talking about this bracket in the tournament.  It looks like Franklin Regional Middle school won the tournament.  Obviously a Middle School can have a wide range of talent from B to AAA. But even they lost to Johnstown.  Looks like all the games were fairly close also.  First line didn't win any games but 2 of their 3 were close. Just trying to figure out what your big issue really is!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, hockeyisgreat said:
                   
 
                 
 
BANTAM A                
 
GAMES TOTAL SCORE
TOTAL POINTS
           
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS '09
8 2            
 
FIRST LINE EVENTS '09 CIOCCA
3 0            
 
                 
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 4 2            
 
AVERAGE JOE'S 2 0            
 
                 
 
AVERAGE JOE'S 2 0            
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS '09
6 2            
 
                 
 
FIRST LINE EVENTS '09 CIOCCA
3 0            
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 5 2            
 
                 
 
AVERAGE JOE'S 4 2        
 
FIRST LINE EVENTS '09 CIOCCA
2 0      
 
           
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 0      
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS '09
3 2      
 
                 
 
  Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Total        
 
AVERAGE JOE'S 0 0 2 2        
 
FIRST LINE EVENTS '09 CIOCCA
0 0 0 0        
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 2 0 4        
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS '09
2 2 2 6        
 
                 
 
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
               
 
  SCORE O.T. S.O. FINAL        
 
FR MIDDLE SCHOOL 2     2        
 
JOHNSTOWN RED WINGS
0     0

 

I can only assume that you are talking about this bracket in the tournament.  It looks like Franklin Regional Middle school won the tournament.  Obviously a Middle School can have a wide range of talent from B to AAA. But even they lost to Johnstown.  Looks like all the games were fairly close also.  First line didn't win any games but 2 of their 3 were close. Just trying to figure out what your big issue really is!

Its not that big of an issue. the games i watched were competitive. I am just wondering why would Franklin want to play A and not AA. If its not to chase a banner why not have the lower kids play up instead of the better kids play down? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...