New Semi Pro team in Pittsburgh

[zam]

35 minutes ago, Pucks11 said:

Absolutely nothing! He stacks beer league teams and brags about championships.

Well I think you got your answers there. You can figure out who your first line center is going to be.

Not a bad idea, throw some shady business money into buying a team. Suddenly you go from beer league hero to team owner and professional player. A modern day Mario. That's one way to impress the ladies and lil Johnny wildcat.

 

[hockeyisgreat]

Wow, Typical message board negativity coming from the same people!  You all must feel slighted somehow in you or your children's hockey careers.  It's like my kid couldn't make it so I'm going to criticize anything and everything about Western Pa Hockey and Hockey in general.  I feel bad for you all and your negative attitudes Why do you all care so much about how other people spend their money?

[YardSale]

9 hours ago, aaaahockey said:

Also see 3ice where the Prince of ice castle played last year (at least in Pittsburgh). How that stuff makes money beats me! 

3Ice has a tv contract and some decent sponsorships plus only 7 players per team and 8 teams.  They also get decent turnouts at the games. That is much more feasible than this new league. Why so many players per team?

[kid310050]

20 hours ago, Wes said:

Link?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/737357036840038/user/100091950467063/

[Spear and Magic Helmet]

10 hours ago, sample39 said:

History has a funny way of repeating itself.  Do your homework on the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (MAHL) in 2007-2008.  If this new league actually gets off the ground, I would expect a similar demise. 

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0073322015.html
 

Just to further your point - 2014-15.

[nemesis8679]

1 hour ago, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0073322015.html
 

Just to further your point - 2014-15.

How/why so many players in one season? 

[nemesis8679]

3 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

Wow, Typical message board negativity coming from the same people!  You all must feel slighted somehow in you or your children's hockey careers.  It's like my kid couldn't make it so I'm going to criticize anything and everything about Western Pa Hockey and Hockey in general.  I feel bad for you all and your negative attitudes Why do you all care so much about how other people spend their money?

Because this is a grift of some sort. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by nemesis8679

[Saucey]

4 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

Wow, Typical message board negativity coming from the same people!  You all must feel slighted somehow in you or your children's hockey careers.  It's like my kid couldn't make it so I'm going to criticize anything and everything about Western Pa Hockey and Hockey in general.  I feel bad for you all and your negative attitudes Why do you all care so much about how other people spend their money?

Actually, I know that gentleman, if he is involved all I can say is, RUN AWAY and do it fast lol.

[Spear and Magic Helmet]

1 hour ago, nemesis8679 said:

How/why so many players in one season? 

From what I remember, the team actually had a different name and played one game, then folded and became this 2nd team. I think players were not getting paid and the hotel or whatever they were staying in was kicking them out b/c no one paid for their accommodations. John Mooney (yes, LJ's dad/Logan Cooley's uncle) played a game when he was 44 and by the end they were just taking whoever would show up to play games.

[sadday4hockey]

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/11dcebac-ee6a-4f72-8eef-e9acdd311774

 

[nemesis8679]

6 hours ago, Saucey said:

Actually, I know that gentleman, if he is involved all I can say is, RUN AWAY and do it fast lol.

Yeah, I know him, too. So do the police and so does the D. A. 

You're advice is correct. 

[Racchi’s Rug]

6 hours ago, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

From what I remember, the team actually had a different name and played one game, then folded and became this 2nd team. I think players were not getting paid and the hotel or whatever they were staying in was kicking them out b/c no one paid for their accommodations. John Mooney (yes, LJ's dad/Logan Cooley's uncle) played a game when he was 44 and by the end they were just taking whoever would show up to play games.

Towards the end they were. The Mooney game - I was one of 100 in attendance - was one of their 3 wins. Mooney fought at center ice and maybe scored a goal. I was fascinated by this train wreck that year as I am a minor league hockey nerd. The owner went by “Sticks and Stilettos” and lived in Florida. Very “Major League” - The team allegedly was not getting paid. The league now seems to have its shit together but then there was a wide disparity between teams/facilities/ownership. Although a team named the Baton Rouge Zydeco was just announced today.

[hockeyisgreat]

If that is indeed the same person as the internet searches suggest I would be very cautious about trusting everything he says.  But if you look up the league website it gives the sense that they are trying to put something together. A lot has to go right for it to work but 20 other cities are trying to make it work.  Probably a little step up from beer league. Not much different than the Wild Things baseball team in Washington PA.  Just glad to see that there is another opportunity for people to play hockey.  I'm sure there will be a lot of hiccups along the way.  Look at Antonio Browns football team for an example!

[Wes]

This might have a better chance if very reputable people in WPA were involved with things.  There are a lot of good coaches, managers and hockey people in this area.  The owner of this team apparently has a questionable background which doesn't give you a warm feeling.

[nemesis8679]

For this to work:

1) an owner who is a knowledgeable hockey person, not a conman

2) play in an area that doesn't have one of the most successful NHL teams of this century, an ECHL team, a NCAA D1 team, and multiple ACHA teams within an hours drive from the city. 

[PUCKCOVID19]

they may or may not survive only time will tell..... BUT I do remember when W&J had hockey team that played there. the rink and jays ws jam packed on a fri and sat night for it and that was sub par club hockey.... so who knows there might be a niche for this in south hills. 

[PUCKCOVID19]

judging by all their social media pictures, looks like they had a successful first night in Pittsburgh( well beaver) 

[nemesis8679]

19 hours ago, PUCKCOVID19 said:

judging by all their social media pictures, looks like they had a successful first night in Pittsburgh( well beaver) 

No it doesn't. Looks like there's about 30 people there. 

[Carl Racki]

Honestly, If the guys playing are enjoying it why not.  Let them have their fun.  It's funny, there is a pro dek hockey league I never knew about until recently.  It's great guys are still playing and having fun.  I wouldn't want to be the person funding it though.  

[Icebucket]

18 minutes ago, Carl Racki said:

Honestly, If the guys playing are enjoying it why not.  Let them have their fun.  It's funny, there is a pro dek hockey league I never knew about until recently.  It's great guys are still playing and having fun.  I wouldn't want to be the person funding it though.  

And that is where the issue comes in.  The guy who owns the team has a history of being very shady.  I can only assume the team will fold mid-season and he will have "lost" all the sponsors money.

[nemesis8679]

On 11/21/2023 at 4:52 PM, Icebucket said:

 

On 11/21/2023 at 4:52 PM, Icebucket said:

And that is where the issue comes in.  The guy who owns the team has a history of being very shady.  I can only assume the team will fold mid-season and he will have "lost" all the sponsors money.

Very shady? I'd go a step further and say a history of being a criminal. I'd find some other beer league to play in. I wouldn't give this guy a dime or trust him with anything. This isn't someone who simply made a bad decision or was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a pattern of deceptive and fraudulent behavior. The guy's a conman. Of course since it's white collar money crimes, he'll continue to get slaps on the wrist and be able to keep up the next grift as fast as he can come up with them. If you want to have a laugh, find the video of the "contract signing" on the team's Facebook page. Dude is like straight out of central casting as a crooked used-car dealer. If I was those players, I'd be very apprehensive of signing anything knowing his prior history of forgery and not honoring them. Apparently since he can't sell insurance or cars in the state of PA anymore, he does "exotic animal" show & tells at nursing homes and birthday parties now. I wouldn't let this huckster get within 50 yards of a vulnerable old person. I pre-emptively feel bad for whoever is getting fleeced in this hockey venture. 

Here's a couple of his easily-found run-ins with the law. 

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:3361510b-442f-49bd-bdae-24affc29943e

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:b1fb1bfe-7010-4ded-a587-80a040d4a1fc

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by nemesis8679

[nemesis8679]

From the Union Hockey League's website:

"The Union Hockey League is hybrid league, a mix between semi-professional hockey and senior hockey, with players being compensated for travel and other expenses via a ticket sales split but allowing them to retain their amateur status. Players can also make a substantial commission by selling season tickets and partnerships. "

 

So, I guess they earn their own money by hawking tickets, and if ticket sales aren't great, they're on their own with expenses? 

[Wes]

On 11/22/2023 at 2:50 AM, nemesis8679 said:

Very shady? I'd go a step further and say a history of being a criminal. I'd find some other beer league to play in. I wouldn't give this guy a dime or trust him with anything. This isn't someone who simply made a bad decision or was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a pattern of deceptive and fraudulent behavior. The guy's a conman. Of course since it's white collar money crimes, he'll continue to get slaps on the wrist and be able to keep up the next grift as fast as he can come up with them. If you want to have a laugh, find the video of the "contract signing" on the team's Facebook page. Dude is like straight out of central casting as a crooked used-car dealer. If I was those players, I'd be very apprehensive of signing anything knowing his prior history of forgery and not honoring them. Apparently since he can't sell insurance or cars in the state of PA anymore, he does "exotic animal" show & tells at nursing homes and birthday parties now. I wouldn't let this huckster get within 50 yards of a vulnerable old person. I pre-emptively feel bad for whoever is getting fleeced in this hockey venture. 

Here's a couple of his easily-found run-ins with the law. 

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:3361510b-442f-49bd-bdae-24affc29943e

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:a13a715d-fd3c-40de-89d7-be78939ca84e

 

Are these the same two documents?? They look the same.

[nemesis8679]

4 hours ago, Wes said:

Are these the same two documents?? They look the same.

Well, that's the one for forging insurance papers. Not sure why it posted twice. I fixed it. 

Here's the one for scamming people at his car dealership. 

 

Neither one is something a good person would do, or something he did once that could've been an honest mistake or just a one-time bad choice. 

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:b1fb1bfe-7010-4ded-a587-80a040d4a1fc

Edited November 24, 2023 by nemesis8679

[Racchi’s Rug]

A buddy of mine tried out on a lark. Career beer leaguer no higher than C and that’s pushing it. 50 or so years of age. Apparently you have to sell a bunch of sponsorships in order to get considered for the roster. To me, that’s a lot for the possible distinction of having a hockeydb entry at best. Also there’s another dude that made the team that never played youth hockey and just began in adult league at Ice Castle and has likely never delivered or received a check (hockey check). Not downplaying peoples’ dreams here but some shit doesn’t compute. If that’s what you want and it makes you happy, go for it. The team and maybe league will likely fold. This is a step down from the old MAHL. Several steps down and that’s not saying a lot. Makes Sticks and Stillettos look like Gary Bettman.