Wait a second.......

[aaaahockey]

13 minutes ago, Flavio said:

They really shouldn’t announce it. Nobody wants to drive to Southpointe. Any program looking to operate out of Southpointe and draw kids from north, east and west of the city is going to fail. This whole fascination with organizations moving south of the city is delusion from people likely living south of city. 

Esmark doesn’t have to go anywhere if they don’t want. They have the title of being a viable organization for bantam and midget teams. People will go to them. If they are truly considering making their families drive back and forth between printscape and PIA then they  don’t deserve that title. 
 

I'm thinking Flavio should make their user name North Hills Dad but yes PIA is an awful place to drive and I'm sure they lose talent by being there.   Splitting may or may not help and we could debate if Printscape is the right place to be but that's like saying people should drive to Cleveland and play for the barons (heck that might be closer than New Ken for some of us and less likely to get mugged) 

[Flavio]

I don’t see them losing out at all. They currently draw from everywhere. Why change it up at this point? Esmark’s bantam and midget program is solid as a whole. People seek them out. Esmark doesn’t have to go anywhere part time. Most players who aren’t at the ppe , yet are looking to play Tier 1 are at Esmark already. 
Even Blackbear would be stupid to try to place a Tier 1 team at Printscape. That place might as well be West Virginia to 75% of the hockey community based on logistics. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Flavio

[Coach Yuri]

3 hours ago, aaaahockey said:

Yes what?  I'd assume coach Yuri would know if anyone did ?

Yes 

We are split ice next year practices and games Printscape rink 

[Coach Yuri]

1 minute ago, Coach Yuri said:

Yes 

We are split ice next year practices and games Printscape rink 

Hi everybody !!! Hello boys!!!

[Coach Yuri]

7 hours ago, muckerandgrinder said:

Ok. 
In the theme of the thread..

WAIT A SECOND…..

Esmark 11U can play a whole weekend of what everyone likes to call “faux” AAA and this is somehow this is declared some kind of victory? Tri State is #178 and the Pens are #70. But I guess since it’s the B team of the vaunted  Pens organization it’s legit? 
Hey… with the roster makeup that someone stated earlier good for them. That said, can’t have it both ways here people. If any other local organization claimed that they had “won” that weekend they would be ridiculed and the whole thing would have been downplayed and/or written off.

Esmark had always been the bullies of the block  after Pens from PW on but they always had first pick after PPE at PW minor. Unfortunately this season there were at least 5-6 other established or semi established 10U BY options (AA and AAA) on both sides of the city.
Many people decided to stay put and for the first time Esmark has to gradually build. I’m sure Pens black people chasing that extra A will be heading there but some will probably look to go elsewhere as well. 
After being on their high horse for so many years Esmark has to work their way up for the first time and I’m curious to see how it all shakes out. 

On a side bar. Can somebody please start a thread…

”I’M REALLY NOT INVOLVED WITH THE REBELLION BUT IM HERE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT ONLYA A PRINTSCAPE(SECOND SHEET! maybe…)BLACK BEAR/TEAM ON THE 79 CORRIDOR WILL SAVE THE SOUTH HILLS AND INSTANTLY CREATE A VIABLE AAA PROGRAM!”

Holy hell. We get the point. Ad nauseum…

 

[Coach Yuri]

7 hours ago, muckerandgrinder said:

Ok. 
In the theme of the thread..

WAIT A SECOND…..

Esmark 11U can play a whole weekend of what everyone likes to call “faux” AAA and this is somehow this is declared some kind of victory? Tri State is #178 and the Pens are #70. But I guess since it’s the B team of the vaunted  Pens organization it’s legit? 
Hey… with the roster makeup that someone stated earlier good for them. That said, can’t have it both ways here people. If any other local organization claimed that they had “won” that weekend they would be ridiculed and the whole thing would have been downplayed and/or written off.

Esmark had always been the bullies of the block  after Pens from PW on but they always had first pick after PPE at PW minor. Unfortunately this season there were at least 5-6 other established or semi established 10U BY options (AA and AAA) on both sides of the city.
Many people decided to stay put and for the first time Esmark has to gradually build. I’m sure Pens black people chasing that extra A will be heading there but some will probably look to go elsewhere as well. 
After being on their high horse for so many years Esmark has to work their way up for the first time and I’m curious to see how it all shakes out. 

On a side bar. Can somebody please start a thread…

”I’M REALLY NOT INVOLVED WITH THE REBELLION BUT IM HERE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT ONLYA A PRINTSCAPE(SECOND SHEET! maybe…)BLACK BEAR/TEAM ON THE 79 CORRIDOR WILL SAVE THE SOUTH HILLS AND INSTANTLY CREATE A VIABLE AAA PROGRAM!”

Holy hell. We get the point. Ad nauseum

[fafa fohi]

9 hours ago, Flavio said:

They really shouldn’t announce it. Nobody wants to drive to Southpointe. Any program looking to operate out of Southpointe and draw kids from north, east and west of the city is going to fail. This whole fascination with organizations moving south of the city is delusion from people likely living south of city. 

Esmark doesn’t have to go anywhere if they don’t want. They have the title of being a viable organization for bantam and midget teams. People will go to them. If they are truly considering making their families drive back and forth between printscape and PIA then they  don’t deserve that title. 
 

I disagree.  The drive to Southpointe for most is an easy hop onto I79, and far easier to get to during rush hour or snowy days vs going to Mt. Lebo or YMCA in Bethel.  And if the coaching is solid, to borrow a line from James Earl Jones - "people will come."  Restaurant and bar on site - what's not to like compared to the dump that is PIA.

Edited February 8, 2023 by fafa fohi

[No Politics]

PIA, Southpointe... it's all perspective, guys.  

I live in the North Hills and HATED driving to Printscape, the YMCA, or Ice Castle.  Folks living in the South Hills I'm sure HATE driving to PIA, Frozen Pond, or the Belmont.

One of my sons played for the Arrows.  I heard all the time how far away the Belmont is.  When 28 isn't under construction -- insert joke here -- it only takes forty minutes to get there from downtown, though!

So it's all perspective based on where you live.  Simple as that.  To each their own.  

Makes me wonder why we don't have PAHL districts.  South Hills rinks work better for South Hills families, and North Hills Rinks work better for North Hills families.

[Ihearthockey]

I live in the north and Southpoint is a breeze to get to now that the construction is done down 79 S where they did that 376 corridor.  

[forbin]

The Esmark splitting ice rumor aside, I still think Printscpae needs to announce the second sheet asap. 

[RJUSHL]

12 hours ago, Flavio said:

They really shouldn’t announce it. Nobody wants to drive to Southpointe. Any program looking to operate out of Southpointe and draw kids from north, east and west of the city is going to fail. This whole fascination with organizations moving south of the city is delusion from people likely living south of city. 

Couple things...

If you look at rosters of PPE, Esmark, and Vengeance, you're going to see that there is probably greater than 50% of the kids coming from the south hills and/or 79 corridor. But there are still lots of good players in the south hills that refuse to make that drive to New Ken or Harmarville but are still good players. Those kids generally choose to stay and play at SHAHA or Preds. In the case of SHAHA, many of those teams are ranked higher than Esmark. There are just more good players in the south hills in places like Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Bethel Park, etc.

There is also a concentration of good players in places like Quaker Valley and Seneca Valley, but even though those districts are north of the city, it's still a closer drive to Southpointe than new New Ken. Seneca Valley is wayyyy north of the city, and Printscape is still closer than PIA.

And even when you exclude the 79 corridor, there is also that brand new toll road that connects Southpointe to places west of the city like Robinson, Imperial, Moon, and even Sewickley.

Esmark being based out of New Ken absolutely without any doubt holds them back.

[RJUSHL]

11 hours ago, Flavio said:

I don’t see them losing out at all. They currently draw from everywhere. Why change it up at this point? Esmark’s bantam and midget program is solid as a whole. People seek them out. Esmark doesn’t have to go anywhere part time. Most players who aren’t at the ppe , yet are looking to play Tier 1 are at Esmark already. 
Even Blackbear would be stupid to try to place a Tier 1 team at Printscape. That place might as well be West Virginia to 75% of the hockey community based on logistics. 

It's a quicker drive from Seneca Valley high school in Harmony to Printscape than it is to PIA. If you haven't looked at a map lately, Seneca Valley is wayyyyyyyyy north of the city.

You have your 75% rule backwards.

New Ken is a nightmare for 75% of the city and probably 85% of the best players who either live in the south hills or up and down the 79 corridor. It's not complicated.

Edited February 8, 2023 by RJUSHL

[RJUSHL]

1 hour ago, forbin said:

The Esmark splitting ice rumor aside, I still think Printscpae needs to announce the second sheet asap. 

Has anyone who is at the rink regularly seen any construction or signs of a second sheet?

[stickboy]

If Esmark wanted to move don’t you think they would have done it by now? The guys running it have been around forever and likely have set up their life in that area. I’m sure they aren’t looking to shake things up at this point. Plus they obviously have a relationship with several private schools and billets in that area for their stud imports. 

[RJUSHL]

11 hours ago, Coach Yuri said:

Yes 

We are split ice next year practices and games Printscape rink 

Well I guess that settles that. Thanks for chiming in.

Is it games at one, practices at another? How do you plan on managing this and selling it to potential players and families?

[sadday4hockey]

Remember this type of discussion regarding the same idea with the Badgers and Rebellion or Huskies.

When you try to appease everyone you generally end up pissing off 75% of people.

And RJ, 85% of the top players? You definitely failed stats 101.

[RJUSHL]

3 minutes ago, sadday4hockey said:

And RJ, 85% of the top players? You definitely failed stats 101.

What's your number?

[Flavio]

Saying there are more “talented players” in the south hills is conjecture. We get it .. you live in the south hills and you don’t want to make the drive. Most others don’t want to drive into the south of the city, or to West Virgintscape past 4pm. People are already making the drive for Esmark. Esmark is the only program in the tri state area that is an alternative to the ppe across the board at 14u and up. Their rosters have kids from everywhere around town already. Between them and the ppe already having most of the kids, the reality is that Esmark does all this destabilizing of their program to pick up one or two players per by? 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Flavio

[nemesis8679]

I'd sure as shit drive to PIA before signing up and paying for North Catholic and Excel. But then you don't get the cool logo to stick on your car. 

[sadday4hockey]

It depends on your geographic parameters. What defines the 79 corridor? You reference SV High School which is convenient to your argument as it sits a mere what quarter mile off the highway? SV is a huge district not only in population but also square mileage. I'd be willing to bet that some SV students have a 20 minute drive to the HS from home. Are they in the 79 Corridor?

And in the South Hills, how far east are you going, TJ? Because once you get east of Rt88 it's all backroads to Printscape.

It's probably all a moot point. If Printscape hasn't ordered all the equipment like months ago, good luck getting ice in 2023.

 

[muckerandgrinder]

24 minutes ago, sadday4hockey said:

It's probably all a moot point. If Printscape hasn't ordered all the equipment like months ago, good luck getting ice in 2023.

 

This is what I’ve been thinking the whole time. 
Again… I’m rooting for it to happen because the more rinks the better but this Printscape business is like someone telling everyone that Rt. 28 will be done tomorrow even though there are 7 million cones, signs and tons of heavy machinery still present.

No speculation there. Simply tangible evidence lol

[AMR24]

6 hours ago, RJUSHL said:

Well I guess that settles that. Thanks for chiming in.

Is it games at one, practices at another? How do you plan on managing this and selling it to potential players and families?

This is NOT Yuri. And, to my knowledge, there is no talk of splitting ice between the 2 rinks.

[Paul Baxter]

@Coach Yuri has been restricted until I can verify that this is actually "Coach Yuri" of Esmark.  I cannot allow people posting as someone else without proof.  I will decide the next step(s) based on his reply.  This should serve as a warning to everyone.  If you want to be anonymous, be anonymous, but don't pose as someone.

PB

 

[Flavio]

Printscape is a big fat no from Flavio and a host of others. I hope Blackbear and Esmark put feelers out prior to every attempting something like that, for their own good. South Hills people will still be 30-40 min away because of traffic and back roads. Anyone living in the south hills knows that it’s a lost cause any way you stretch it. People living in Castle Shannon can have a hard time getting to ice castle due to the roads and traffic.  The entire area is over populated and crowded. 

[aaaahockey]

45 minutes ago, Paul Baxter said:

@Coach Yuri has been restricted until I can verify that this is actually "Coach Yuri" of Esmark.  I cannot allow people posting as someone else without proof.  I will decide the next step(s) based on his reply.  This should serve as a warning to everyone.  If you want to be anonymous, be anonymous, but don't pose as someone.

PB

 

Great move. I actually assumed he isn't but I agree with you 100% unless he is another coach Yuri I've never heard of ?

 

/sarcasm/ look out for that @Jack Handey guy too.  I used to have a book he wrote back in the day with witty sayings and I don't believe it's actually him.