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PAHL preseason groupings


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9 hours ago, Slaphappy said:

There was 2 goalies and maybe 12 players at the start.

That's a lot fewer than I would have expected.  I think the idea to have both a 16u and 15u "aa" viper stars was not a good idea for the first season.  They probably should have taken the best lot and made a single 16u team

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On 8/21/2018 at 12:04 PM, Saucey said:

Can someone please tell me why it is a good thing to be able to split AA in half, talent wise? Those first year birth year teams should not be in AA unless they can hang with the talent in AA. I had the pleasure of listening to the coach of one of those teams just scream at the kids after they lost to another team of mostly older players. There is a huge difference in a year of development sometimes. I thought, gee, how fun for those kids to lose all their games and then have their coach railing on them for something that they can't control, when they could have had a competitive year in a Division below or a mixed birth year. In years past, but for their birth tear designation, a first year wouldn't have played AA that year, or would have done it on a team of mostly second years. I just don't understand this fascination with birth year. And how good is it for the older kids to play those younger birth year teams? Just don't get it. Add in the talent suck of the PPE and all  these independents, and PAHL AA has just been an uneven, watered down mess at some age groups the last few years. What does AA even mean now?

They aren't going to be in AA.  They were just initially placed in top group.  Once the placement games are completed they will be placed accordingly. 

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1 hour ago, twoboys said:

They aren't going to be in AA.  They were just initially placed in top group.  Once the placement games are completed they will be placed accordingly. 

Actually, I heard that at the PAHL meeting, PAHL explained that for the Bantam age group, PAHL is forming two AA divisions. The placement committee decided that there is going to be AA Major and AA Minor divisions, anticipating that the AA Minor teams are supposed to be 'majority 2005 players'.  That is why there are two group 1s. Past years, those birth year teams played in the same AA division, with that crazy split in talent. So although now the younger birth year team will not be in the first AA tier playing against mostly 04s, they technically are still AA. With some teams in A Major black possibly being better than some in the AA Minor category, but excluded from AA if they are mostly 04, not good enough to be in AA major. There are three organizations playing PAHL with 05 BY, so they will have to include other mixed BY teams teams to have a division. It's interesting, because if that trend continues, I think it is possible that AA in PAHL will no longer necessarily mean most talented of all the kids, at least not in the 'minor' division. Weird that this is the only age group that PAHL decided to do this. Is this the only age group with BY teams in PAHL?

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Viper Stars never had a U15AA team, just the aforementioned and now defunct U16 Gold team. I mean AA team, sorry. I'm telling you, I'll be shocked if the U18 team lasts the whole PAHL season with low numbers and empty promises of AA they may not make Halloween. The demise of that organization is drastic over the last few years. You have Kingerski leaving after the kids aged out (always had strong teams) as Coaching Director. They forced Carole out as President and you've had two Kosick puppets follow her. Bernie passed on. Heather Veltri finally had enough of the ice scheduling. They stiffed Si Bishop and then brought in Posey just to rub salt in the wound. Scheuler made them a ton of $$ with a great Thanksgiving Tournament every year and got no thanks so he left. What does that leave you with?

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8 hours ago, hockey07 said:

So what 04 teams will be good? Are any 05s good enough to move up to the AA “major”? Are Vipers Stars 05 playing in PAHL or independent? Or maybe that’s the 06s??

If the 05s are on a team of 05 s, I think that is the point of the AA Minor, doesn't matter if they can hang in AA major. I thought the Vipers 05 were playing independent, but not sure, check the PAHL grouping play in list, if a Vipers team is listed in the second group one, probably them.

There is so much talent in the 04 BY, and with the ones who left PAHL last year to play Icemen returning, I think you can expect quite a few good teams. That birth year is always fun to watch.

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On 8/27/2018 at 11:10 PM, hockey07 said:

So what 04 teams will be good? Are any 05s good enough to move up to the AA “major”? Are Vipers Stars 05 playing in PAHL or independent? Or maybe that’s the 06s??

From what I’ve heard, Foxes and Rats 05 teams have majority of players from last years team that played in PW AA championship. Both teams added players going to BY model that could make them better. Then again, who knows when checks start flying how the players will respond. 

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On 8/16/2018 at 5:06 PM, hockey07 said:

Aren’t the North Hills teams the AA Vipers Stars?

 

On 8/24/2018 at 10:26 AM, Paul Baxter said:

How many players & goalies were on the 16u VS team before it disbanded?

Why did the team disband?  They marketed the crap out of that team at the PIA rink.

There are zero kids on the Vipers U16 or U18 that played for the U16 team from last year. 

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On 8/21/2018 at 12:04 PM, Saucey said:

Can someone please tell me why it is a good thing to be able to split AA in half, talent wise? Those first year birth year teams should not be in AA unless they can hang with the talent in AA. I had the pleasure of listening to the coach of one of those teams just scream at the kids after they lost to another team of mostly older players. There is a huge difference in a year of development sometimes. I thought, gee, how fun for those kids to lose all their games and then have their coach railing on them for something that they can't control, when they could have had a competitive year in a Division below or a mixed birth year. In years past, but for their birth tear designation, a first year wouldn't have played AA that year, or would have done it on a team of mostly second years. I just don't understand this fascination with birth year. And how good is it for the older kids to play those younger birth year teams? Just don't get it. Add in the talent suck of the PPE and all  these independents, and PAHL AA has just been an uneven, watered down mess at some age groups the last few years. What does AA even mean now?

We have always played on AA minor birth year teams that competed and made the playoffs. It’s important for those teams to stick together and play minor and major AA separately to compete for Nationals. 

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