Viper Stars no more?

[bender05]

What’s up with the Huskies replacing Viper Stars as a feeder for Esmark?

[AMR24]

That question should be directed to Black Bear. Only they can explain what they are forcefully doing to the oldest youth hockey organization in Western PA…

They will smother youth hockey in Western PA…

[RJUSHL]

The Black Bear takeover of hockey in WPA continues. I'm not saying any of this is either good or bad. Most likely there are some positives as well as negatives that will come from a complete Black Bear takeover.

WPA rinks owned by Black Bear:

Printscape (Southpointe)
Palmer (Delmont)
PIA (New Ken)
Ice Garden (Rostraver)
Youngstown (Phantoms)

The Black Bear playbook is pretty obvious. We can see this not just in WPA but in other regions where they've moved in.

1. Buy a rink
2. Make a few modest upgrades
3. Raise the fees
4. Take over the organizations
5. Make the organizations leave their current league and join the AHF

Steps 1-3 have happened already in all those rinks. Looks like New Ken and Rostraver have just completed step 4. Black Bear controls the rink and the amateur organization that is the primary customer.

What's next?

• Huskies leaving PAHL for AHF
  • You'll notice on all the updated PIA website pages that talk about the Huskies (and not Vipers), there is no mention of PAHL. The move to AHF is coming.
• Mon Valley Thunder leaving PAHL for AHF
• Badgers being taken over by Black Bear
• Rebellion being taken over by Black Bear

From an outsiders perspective, it appears that the Badgers and Rebellion are very well run organizations that still have control over their organizations. I think it would be a shame if they were taken over by Black Bear. The only way for them to avoid a takeover would be the preemptively announce a a move to AFH. It's going to happen one way or another. Either with existing board control, or control by Black Bear.

I do think the graphic on the new PIA page puts to rest the rumors that Esmark is moving to Southpointe. What makes more financial sense (contingent on a second sheet at Southpointe) is for Black Bear to start their own Tier 1 program at Printscape that rink to play in their existing Tier 1 league.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by RJUSHL

[hockeyisgreat]

Thanks for putting it all down on paper.  There are still a lot of organizations that Black Bear does not control that will stay in PAHL.   PAHL will have to step up with the competition to make sure that organizations don't leave.  Competition is not a bad thing.  Hopefully SWPA hockey and the kids will benefit from all of this.

[forbin]

18 minutes ago, RJUSHL said:

I do think the graphic on the new PIA page puts to rest the rumors that Esmark is moving to Southpointe. What makes more financial sense (contingent on a second sheet at Southpointe) is for Black Bear to start their own Tier 1 program at Printscape that rink to play in their existing Tier 1 league.

This part of it doesn't seem like a "bad" thing in my opinion. There is a want/need for a legit Tier 1 program in the south and it would help eliminate all the "faux" AAA teams everyone complains about. Make Rebellion the feeder program to it.

[twoboys]

They don’t need another AAA in the South.  They already have SHAHA and the Preds.  And Southpointe is an easy drive to Cramberry.  

[RJUSHL]

12 minutes ago, twoboys said:

They don’t need another AAA in the South.  They already have SHAHA and the Preds.  And Southpointe is an easy drive to Cramberry.  

Not really about what is needed. It’s about what will gather up market share, and the only way Black Bear can fold the best players in the South Hills into their ecosystem is to start a Tier 1 program in the South Hills in a rink they own.

It’s such an obvious strategy that I’d be shocked if it doesn’t happen. Only way to grab kids from the three big orgs in the south. 

[Puck01]

They can PPE part 2 the Pittsburgh version. I could support that. 

[AMR24]

7 hours ago, RJUSHL said:

The Black Bear takeover of hockey in WPA continues. I'm not saying any of this is either good or bad. Most likely there are some positives as well as negatives that will come from a complete Black Bear takeover.

WPA rinks owned by Black Bear:

Printscape (Southpointe)
Palmer (Delmont)
PIA (New Ken)
Ice Garden (Rostraver)
Youngstown (Phantoms)

The Black Bear playbook is pretty obvious. We can see this not just in WPA but in other regions where they've moved in.

1. Buy a rink
2. Make a few modest upgrades
3. Raise the fees
4. Take over the organizations
5. Make the organizations leave their current league and join the AHF

Steps 1-3 have happened already in all those rinks. Looks like New Ken and Rostraver have just completed step 4. Black Bear controls the rink and the amateur organization that is the primary customer.

What's next?

• Huskies leaving PAHL for AHF
  • You'll notice on all the updated PIA website pages that talk about the Huskies (and not Vipers), there is no mention of PAHL. The move to AHF is coming.
• Mon Valley Thunder leaving PAHL for AHF
• Badgers being taken over by Black Bear
• Rebellion being taken over by Black Bear

From an outsiders perspective, it appears that the Badgers and Rebellion are very well run organizations that still have control over their organizations. I think it would be a shame if they were taken over by Black Bear. The only way for them to avoid a takeover would be the preemptively announce a a move to AFH. It's going to happen one way or another. Either with existing board control, or control by Black Bear.

I do think the graphic on the new PIA page puts to rest the rumors that Esmark is moving to Southpointe. What makes more financial sense (contingent on a second sheet at Southpointe) is for Black Bear to start their own Tier 1 program at Printscape that rink to play in their existing Tier 1 league.

 

 

It’s been brought to my attention that the Badgers are owned by BlackBear…it’s on BB’s website.