Rostraver sold??

[Wes]

Rumor going around today that Rostraver is/was sold to Black Bear?

anyone else hear this?

 

[Sticktime56]

Buddy of mines kid plays for Thunder. He mentioned last week the rink sold but he had no details. I am interested to see if BB bought as well. 

[aaaahockey]

I'm a different thread here, someone said the owner denied it and said the rink was still for sale.  So there are at least two different stories floating around and I guess only time will tell. 

[RJUSHL]

If it's a done deal, Black Bear would've issued a press release. They seem to make a big deal out of it when they purchase a new rink. A deal could still be in the works but who knows.

[Danner27]

Black bear would more than likely be good for that place, along with the programs that play out of it. 

[Ron Shock]

That place should be designated a historical landmark. I don’t know of any older rink in Pittsburgh area.

[Wes]

3 hours ago, Ron Shock said:

That place should be designated a historical landmark. I don’t know of any older rink in Pittsburgh area.

Nevin is pretty old too, and Armstrong.

[aaaahockey]

Any updates on this one?

[Lifelongbender]

On 8/26/2022 at 11:55 AM, aaaahockey said:

Any updates on this one?

I talked to someone I consider absolutely reliable tonight. Apparently Rostraver management met with Black Bear representatives last week out at Delmont and signed the papers. As far as I can tell this is a done deal at this point, quite literally. 

[aaaahockey]

20 minutes ago, Lifelongbender said:

I talked to someone I consider absolutely reliable tonight. Apparently Rostraver management met with Black Bear representatives last week out at Delmont and signed the papers. As far as I can tell this is a done deal at this point, quite literally. 

Thanks for the update.  

[hockeyisgreat]

Still nothing from Black Bear on their website!  Last rink they have listed as purchased is Deep Freeze in Boardman Ohio.  I sure hope this is true for the Mon Valley!

[Wes]

12 hours ago, Lifelongbender said:

I talked to someone I consider absolutely reliable tonight. Apparently Rostraver management met with Black Bear representatives last week out at Delmont and signed the papers. As far as I can tell this is a done deal at this point, quite literally. 

Hmmm....

[BeaverFalls]

Hopefully this helps keep the lights on for a resource to the community. 

[RJUSHL]

This is a great thing for Mon Valley hockey, but I can't help but think this is another nail in the coffin for PAHL.  Is there anyone that doesn't think Black Bear is going to be running the amateur leagues in Pittsburgh within the next year or two? Black Bear is very aggressive and PAHL cannot adapt fast enough.

Edited September 13, 2022 by RJUSHL

[BeaverFalls]

9 minutes ago, RJUSHL said:

This is a great thing for Mon Valley hockey, but I can't help but think this is another nail in the coffin for PAHL.  Is there anyone that doesn't think Black Bear is going to be running the amateur leagues in Pittsburgh within the next year or two? Black Bear is very aggressive and PAHL cannot adapt fast enough.

This is very possible and may be a good thing. Idk enough about both organizations but I have to think there is way too much pandering to creating travel hockey for kids who should only be playing in-house (soak up that money so you can brag about your kids game 3 hours away even if it is B hockey). 

[hockeyisgreat]

21 minutes ago, RJUSHL said:

This is a great thing for Mon Valley hockey, but I can't help but think this is another nail in the coffin for PAHL.  Is there anyone that doesn't think Black Bear is going to be running the amateur leagues in Pittsburgh within the next year or two? Black Bear is very aggressive and PAHL cannot adapt fast enough.

Black Bear might be very aggressive!  I would have thought that they would have put pressure on Allegheny and South Pittsburgh to leave the PAHL this year!  It seems that most of the AHF has very high level teams.  Not sure they want to get into the low levels of Squirt, PeeWee and Bantam.  The PAHL might wide up being very watered down with maybe half as many teams but I think there are still enough rinks and organizations within SWPA for the Pahl to exist. Just my opinion!

[sadday4hockey]

And the old windbags at MidAm will fiddle while the PAHL burns.

 

[nemesis8679]

To force anyone to leave PAHL, those teams need still need other teams to play. So there's still no alternative. 

[hockeyisgreat]

Just depends on how far you are willing to go to get competitive teams to play!  I'm still not real sure of the rationale the Badgers used to go 16U Independent this year instead of playing a PAHL schedule and then all those independent games. Pretty sure Renegades, Wildcats, Preds, Rebellion and Arrows would give them good games in 16U AA PAHL this year.

[Danner27]

100% confirmed to me the other day, BB does own it. This should be good for that old place. Real Zamboni ? Doubt that anything can be done with the concrete boards. 

Edited September 16, 2022 by Danner27

[Spear and Magic Helmet]

11 hours ago, Danner27 said:

100% confirmed to me the other day, BB does own it. This should be good for that old place. Real Zamboni ? Doubt they anything can be done with the concrete boards. 

Should be good for Jim Murphy too. It seems like he's been trying to get out of the hockey business for longer than he's been in it.

[Lifelongbender]

12 hours ago, Danner27 said:

100% confirmed to me the other day, BB does own it. This should be good for that old place. Real Zamboni ? Doubt they anything can be done with the concrete boards. 

It's hard to see what can be done to improve Rostraver. I have been thinking that maybe they'll build a new facility in that big parking lot and then tear the old one down. Need to stay open during construction to honor existing contracts after all.

In theory they could fill in the existing rink and then build a new one at the level of the top of the existing boards. I have always assumed that the boards were built that way because they also act as retaining structures for fill under the stands, so removing and replacing them isn't much of an option. Even if that's not true, you'd still have a concrete slab at the back of the boards for the entire perimeter of the rink, except the Zamboni entrance and the two stairwells at the entrance end.

I will say that I was there a couple days ago and it sure seemed like the dehumidifiers were not running. The glass was more or less completely opaque due to water condensation on it, and the players were complaining about the ice, too.

Edited September 14, 2022 by Lifelongbender

[aaaahockey]

I can't imagine someone buying it to tear it down and build a new rink if they paid anything close to what I heard Murphy was asking.  There is a lot of land out there in the middle of nowhere that would have to be cheaper unless there is something else to salvage in the building. 

[Wes]

If this is "100% true" I am hopeful that BB will make some BADLY needed short term repairs...

Nothing but best wishes for Jim.  He deserves a nice relaxing retirement.  He's worked so hard on this place for many years.

[carroll81]

1 hour ago, Wes said:

If this is "100% true" I am hopeful that BB will make some BADLY needed short term repairs...

Nothing but best wishes for Jim.  He deserves a nice relaxing retirement.  He's worked so hard on this place for many years.

My experience with BB operations in the East is that they do not rush in to update the rink.  Unless there is some kind of emergency, don't get your hopes up for any updates this season.  Maybe next year.