Initial PAHL Placements

[fafa fohi]

[Saucey]

A low 2007 BY and an exodus to AAA and there are 11 16u AA teams. 😄 Wow, the level of play got significantly better overnight around here.

[nemesis8679]

10 minutes ago, Saucey said:

A low 2007 BY and an exodus to AAA and there are 11 16u AA teams. 😄 Wow, the level of play got significantly better overnight around here.

How else would coaches be able get their friends' kids and/or the same kids they coach in school hockey on their AA team unless they increased the amount of players?

[fafa fohi]

1 hour ago, Saucey said:

A low 2007 BY and an exodus to AAA and there are 11 16u AA teams. 😄 Wow, the level of play got significantly better overnight around here.

Completely nonsensical, especially with only seven teams in A Major Black.  The two orgs fielding two teams in 16U AA will have one team at or around the top, and the "second" team will be 15 games under .500. Those same parents excited to see little Johnny at the AA level will be the first ones yelling and screaming when they get boat raced by seven goals a game.

Bank on it.

[Saucey]

1 hour ago, fafa fohi said:

Completely nonsensical, especially with only seven teams in A Major Black.  The two orgs fielding two teams in 16U AA will have one team at or around the top, and the "second" team will be 15 games under .500. Those same parents excited to see little Johnny at the AA level will be the first ones yelling and screaming when they get boat raced by seven goals a game.

Bank on it.

I agree that is what frequently happens, but this year the level of play is such that most teams may be competitive with each other with only a few outliers. It's early, but if you dig through pre season PAHL game scores, there aren't a lot of lopsided ones. It's just not AA hockey anymore. People were very defensive when I said so last year, but the hockey I watched at Mid Ams, although close games, was ....not good. And the winner of Mid Ams got creamed at Nationals.There was little hitting, a lack of hockey IQ and individual skills on display were wanting. Within just a few years of my oldest playing, I can't believe how bad it's become. 

PIHL is going to be the same way. Doing well locally made not be a great guage of your team. Tournament competition will give a better idea.

[hockeyisgreat]

5 minutes ago, Saucey said:

I agree that is what frequently happens, but this year the level of play is such that most teams may be competitive with each other with only a few outliers. It's early, but if you dig through pre season PAHL game scores, there aren't a lot of lopsided ones. It's just not AA hockey anymore. People were very defensive when I said so last year, but the hockey I watched at Mid Ams, although close games, was ....not good. And the winner of Mid Ams got creamed at Nationals.There was little hitting, a lack of hockey IQ and individual skills on display were wanting. Within just a few years of my oldest playing, I can't believe how bad it's become. 

PIHL is going to be the same way. Doing well locally made not be a great guage of your team. Tournament competition will give a better idea.

Saucey, so you are saying there is a big decline in hockey ability in SWPA?  Just a year removed from the 16U Renegade team winning Nationals?  Maybe AAA is the new AA and AA is the new A Major!  Who cares? Let the kids play where they want.  Maybe the only ones who should play AAA are the kids who are recruited by PPE and Esmark!  Only question is how will you stop other organizations from fielding AAA teams?  Especially when they have kids go on to play high level Junior Hockey.  Even if it is just one or 2 kids per organization that weren't offered a spot at PPE or Esmark.  But then again I guess they should just quit wasting their time and parents money.

[nemesis8679]

Two changes I'd like to see (that will never happen) :

 

1) Institute the same rules many areas have, and separate PAHL teams by district. If you live in X township or boro, you play for X organization. 

I know situations come up that might necessitate a change. But put a limit on it / make it by approved waiver only, and require a good reason. 

2) Break up AAA into leagues, much like they break up the pro leagues in much of European hockey. Higher and lower. If you're in the bottom so many of a league above, you get moved to the league below. If you're in the top so many of a league below, you get moved to the league above. This would be adjusted every season. 

 

 

[PUCKCOVID19]

u18 AA still has to many teams.  preds,vipers,badgers all very weak for aa

[Icebucket]

1 hour ago, PUCKCOVID19 said:

u18 AA still has to many teams.  preds,vipers,badgers all very weak for aa

I think you mean shaha and not preds. Preds have a very solid AA group

[PUCKCOVID19]

3 hours ago, Icebucket said:

I think you mean shaha and not preds. Preds have a very solid AA group

time will tell but going by just roster names and performance. they are a 1 line team. and the aa team last year was terrible, and the remains of the 2005 are carry over too. sprinkle in a major 06's and its not gonna be good. They have a GREAT HC with a GREAT track record, just doesn't have the depth

[Icebucket]

3 minutes ago, PUCKCOVID19 said:

time will tell but going by just roster names and performance. they are a 1 line team. and the aa team last year was terrible, and the remains of the 2005 are carry over too. sprinkle in a major 06's and its not gonna be good. They have a GREAT HC with a GREAT track record, just doesn't have the depth

I don't necessarily expect the preds to be the top team. But basing it on games already played, they have been competitive with teams who will likely be near the top. All you can really go by for now.  As you said, time will tell.

[HockeyFan6687]

Tier 2 hockey is becoming such a cesspool  of misleading organization leadership promoting the pathway to higher opportunities.  I was reading various websites promoting that they will connect their players to junior and college teams.  
Add to that the 9 million private training outfits that charge ridiculous amounts of money to get your kid to the next level and the advent of Tier 2 tournaments advertised as “AAA” showcases or “College Exposure Showcases” where nobody is really there to be scouting.  And even worse the advent of competing Tier 2 AA “National Bound Tournament Teams” as we see in Altoona and State College where kids play mostly for A level PAHL teams all season while playing tournaments expecting to compete in States effectively all for an additional $1500-$2000 on top of your regular PAHL team fees.  Altoona does have 1 team doing it right as a full season team so I lay credit where it’s due. The increased emphasis on Tier 2 National Bound glory has become an extremely unhealthy obsession in some areas.  Add Black Bear to this and the line between non-profit organization and ice rink business is increasingly disappearing where you see organization higher ups running the organization and are on the rink’s payroll at the same time.  And with multiple rinks set up this way it creates the potential for the business to keep these programs in cahoots with each other thus creating the shell game where players can be encouraged to be moved around to satisfy their situations of need in their respective organizations and facilities.  Based on what I’ve witnessed thus far I’m led to believe that’s already happened.  

it’s a sad reality with the direction hockey is going in these parts   I think the volunteer run organization that’s there for the kids is fading away fast for adults to profit off these kids thus driving up costs and potentially driving families to the point they can’t afford to play all while not re-investing a portion of those funds back into facilities to where we have quality customer service oriented staff, clean restrooms and locker rooms that don’t have puddles of piss on the floor, mold growing in the showers, no extra glass on hand requiring  plywood as a fix, as well as effective preventive maintenance on the aging chillers, dehumidifiers and Zambonis   A lot of these rinks are not taken care of and it shows   I hope I’m wrong but it seriously concerns me where we are going to be say 5 years down the road   I’m a realist and I know it’s never going to happen but it’s time to refocus on being honest and doing what’s right for kids   End rant!!

 

 

 

[sadday4hockey]

20 hours ago, fafa fohi said:

Bank on it.

I'd like to bank against it. 15 games under would require a 2-17-1 record.

What's the limit and what's the vig? Standard 10%?

I get both 2nd teams, right? Put me down for a 1100 to win a dime.

[hockeyisgreat]

On 9/22/2023 at 8:13 PM, PUCKCOVID19 said:

time will tell but going by just roster names and performance. they are a 1 line team. and the aa team last year was terrible, and the remains of the 2005 are carry over too. sprinkle in a major 06's and its not gonna be good. They have a GREAT HC with a GREAT track record, just doesn't have the depth

I think you need to look at that again!  I think the Preds will finish top 3!  You need to look at the other teams rosters before you criticize!   I'm guessing you can't because they don't publish them!  You will never see NP, Steel City, or Mt Lebos rosters unless they play a Tourney that uses Score Sheet.  I guess they are smart in that people like you can't criticize what you can't see!  And why do you care about what level teams play at!  Most kids know what they are getting into when they sign up and tryout!

[nemesis8679]

Out of curiosity, why are the 18u AA Vipers in PAHL while both 16u & 15u AA Vipers aren't? I thought all their teams were independent. 

[hockeyisgreat]

Any appeal games this weekend?  Did PAHL get all the placements correct?

[hockeyisgreat]

When is PAHL going to put up the schedules?  Didn't they have their scheduling last weekend?  Any games this weekend?   I guess they have a lot of issues to work thru with this new system!

[HatTrick]

IMPORTANT

Once all game schedules were processed following the first two PAHL scheduling weekends, it was recognized that about 80 games were erroneously placed on the weekends our league intentionally reserves for make-up games.  Those games must please be rescheduled immediately.

We were fortunate last season to have a mild winter in our region, but we cannot expect the same every season.  Additionally, we need to account for the unexpected situations that may force a game to be postponed late in the season.  Not having enough game slots to play your league games is not an unexpected situation and therefore does not justify a game being placed on a make-up weekend.

It is the philosophy of our league to have all teams play their full slate of games, which maintains the integrity of the standings and subsequent playoff seedings.  To that point, our PAHL rules state that a team must play all of its games in order to qualify for PAHL playoffs, so the make-up weekends provide a necessary buffer at the end of the season to help ensure that all teams can remain eligible for playoffs.

The Scheduling page linked below now includes a listing of the games that were placed on the corresponding make-up weekends, found at the bottom of the page.  The Important Dates chart immediately above that list cites the specific make-up weekends. 

Please take action to reschedule the game(s) for your team that were placed on a make-up weekend.  All game changes must be conducted using the format outlined on the Game Changes page linked below, and the end of the "free" preseason grace period for all divisions above 10U shall be Wednesday, October 11th.

[hockeyisgreat]

80 games? Sounds like a big mistake! Miscommunication for sure!  So no schedules come out till the 11th!  

 

Growing pains for sure!

[Icebucket]

Yea if it's 5 games you can blame the clubs, but 80 has be PAHL who dropped the ball 

[e72923]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:32 PM, hockeyisgreat said:

Very interesting that there are no AA-A-B designations!  12 teams in 16U Group 1.  Are there really over 200 AA players at 16U in the PAHL?

the answer is probably close. Due to the fact this year they split up "major and minor aa" some organizations like to keep an 07 team and an 08 team. And for some reason in badgers case, 2 07 teams i think

[e72923]

On 9/24/2023 at 11:26 AM, nemesis8679 said:

Out of curiosity, why are the 18u AA Vipers in PAHL while both 16u & 15u AA Vipers aren't? I thought all their teams were independent. 

15u vipers is just because they want to call themselves aa and there's no pahl 15u aa

[e72923]

On 8/16/2023 at 4:18 PM, Ihearthockey said:

No way 12 teams end up in 16u AA.  My guess is the following based on what I've heard of team makeup from other folks.

Allegheny, Lebo, NP, Steel City, Rebellion all get one team in.

Huskies, Indiana, Armstrong, Shaha, Preds...at least 2 of these teams will be on the outside looking in.

Maybe I'm way off base, it's just my opinion.  

preds only have one 16u team even close to aa level due to the fact they have a aaa 07 and aaa 08 team

[Ihearthockey]

16U AA seems like a clear top and bottom.

SP....yikes.  

Edited November 9, 2023 by Ihearthockey

[Saucey]

1 hour ago, Ihearthockey said:

16U AA seems like a clear top and bottom.

SP....yikes.  

Definitely some teams that should have been placed differently. There are kids who can barely skate on some these teams. Yay for the watering of AA.