2025-26 PAHL Team Placement

[James Gatz]

1 hour ago, Happy Hockey Fan said:

Just said they are placed very poorly. 

You are still in the placement season, so hopefully PAHL gets it right.  Your scores seem to strongly suggest moving up, but your coaches can further push for that in their post-game reports and make it be known to PAHL that you want to move up.  

Being in the wrong division can make the year a lot less fun that it should be.  I'd be in favor of PAHL having two short seasons with realignment in the middle or make the playoffs some sort of realigned process.  For as much as USA Hockey belabors to "make it fun" we somehow become wedded to these set divisions for an entire 14-18 game season.  Having two 7-9 games seasons would be possible albeit with a bit more administrative and scheduling hassle.  

Ideally, you want to be in a division where you end with a record close to .500.  If your team is doing well above or below that mark, you are in the wrong division and development is suffering.  

[fafa fohi]

21 hours ago, Happy Hockey Fan said:

Answer the question, would you be alright with your kid playing on a team that doesn’t get to finish games because they are placed so badly?

I never said any kid was a star player. I  only said that the team is placed  very poorly. And if you don’t think it would hinder development playing 10 games a year playing only two of the three periods and pounding teams  10-0 hurts development, keep your opinion to yourself. Because of that is the case, you obviously don’t know anything anyway. 
 

I never once claimed that any kid on the team was a star player. Never suggested any of the kids was a potential star. Never said anything about how good the team was. Just said they are placed very poorly. 
 

have a nice day. Glad you take pleasure in others misery. Shows what a good person you are. 

The answer to your first question is this - SHIT HAPPENS.  The kid is 9-10 years old.  Is he / she having fun, or are you too busy yelling at everyone because of the poor placement and not really paying attention?  Seems you have the qualifications to be on a hockey board or better yet, run for Hockey Director role at your kids org.

As for not knowing what I am talking about, well, that depends.  Raising four kids from LTP to HS level and one playing D1 club, I can speak from experience and say I have a good sense of youth hockey.  All I can remember from those Squirt days was my kids had fun, they looked forward to the post-game snack and got better with time.  Hell, at that age they are still learning how to pee straight.  

As for misery, you are bringing it on to yourself bro.  You seem quite angry and being this wound up at the Squirt age, I can only imagine how you will be when your kid is at the age level with checking.  

[twoboys]

My kids are older.  I only have one still playing.  I don't think you should have a concerned about development if you are the team pounding teams.   I would only be concerned if you are the team that is consistently losing games by 10 goals.  In order to develop, you need for your kids to have to time to do things with the puck. 

[James Gatz]

11 minutes ago, twoboys said:

My kids are older.  I only have one still playing.  I don't think you should have a concerned about development if you are the team pounding teams.   I would only be concerned if you are the team that is consistently losing games by 10 goals.  In order to develop, you need for your kids to have to time to do things with the puck. 

I think it works both ways, but agree with you it is worse when you team is the one that is severely outmatched.  The developmental risk to being the better team is that it is harder for the coaches to get the kids to develop good habits playing the right way.  Not a huge deal at 10U, but if those kids can skate it end to end and score, most will take that chance.  They aren't having to see the game unfold and find passing opportunities.  

For the goalies in particular, playing on the dominant team is not great experience developmentally.  

[Macky85]

36 minutes ago, James Gatz said:

I think it works both ways, but agree with you it is worse when you team is the one that is severely outmatched.  The developmental risk to being the better team is that it is harder for the coaches to get the kids to develop good habits playing the right way.  Not a huge deal at 10U, but if those kids can skate it end to end and score, most will take that chance.  They aren't having to see the game unfold and find passing opportunities.  

For the goalies in particular, playing on the dominant team is not great experience developmentally.  

I agree, it works both ways. The coach could use this as an opportunity to develop some well-rounded skaters. If the team continues to dominate blowing out teams, swap the forward and defense lines if they're racking up goals. Let them learn all positions and avoid ending games after the 2nd or having a running clock. 

The coach could also tell them they need to pass (multiple times) and work the puck prior to shooting.

This won't work if you have a full roster of stars but it doesn't sound like that's the case.

[Happy Hockey Fan]

2 hours ago, fafa fohi said:

The answer to your first question is this - SHIT HAPPENS.  The kid is 9-10 years old.  Is he / she having fun, or are you too busy yelling at everyone because of the poor placement and not really paying attention?  Seems you have the qualifications to be on a hockey board or better yet, run for Hockey Director role at your kids org.

As for not knowing what I am talking about, well, that depends.  Raising four kids from LTP to HS level and one playing D1 club, I can speak from experience and say I have a good sense of youth hockey.  All I can remember from those Squirt days was my kids had fun, they looked forward to the post-game snack and got better with time.  Hell, at that age they are still learning how to pee straight.  

As for misery, you are bringing it on to yourself bro.  You seem quite angry and being this wound up at the Squirt age, I can only imagine how you will be when your kid is at the age level with checking.  

The kids are not having fun pounding teams and leaving the ice 30 minutes earlier. It was fun the first time, the second and third time were not as exciting. 

I haven’t yelled at one person. 
 

I have been through this also. My kids are out of hockey. I have coached and been a parent of PAHL players since 2009. I have never seen a pre-season placement this bad. 

I am happy your kids had fun, maybe you can hope our kids do too. 

 

[Happy Hockey Fan]

21 minutes ago, Macky85 said:

I agree, it works both ways. The coach could use this as an opportunity to develop some well-rounded skaters. If the team continues to dominate blowing out teams, swap the forward and defense lines if they're racking up goals. Let them learn all positions and avoid ending games after the 2nd or having a running clock. 

The coach could also tell them they need to pass (multiple times) and work the puck prior to shooting.

This won't work if you have a full roster of stars but it doesn't sound like that's the case.

The coach has swapped all players from F to D and vice versa. The coach has told them to pass the puck more than necessary. It hasn’t stopped the lopsided scores. Their development is being slowed. And the goalies are getting absolutely NO development stopping 1 or 2 shots a game.  

[fafa fohi]

5 hours ago, Happy Hockey Fan said:

The kids are not having fun pounding teams and leaving the ice 30 minutes earlier. It was fun the first time, the second and third time were not as exciting. 

I haven’t yelled at one person. 
 

I have been through this also. My kids are out of hockey. I have coached and been a parent of PAHL players since 2009. I have never seen a pre-season placement this bad. 

I am happy your kids had fun, maybe you can hope our kids do too. 

 

You are aware that players at that age progress with their skating and puck handling, regardless of how many goals his / her team scores or lets in.  It is their first years without a buzzer for line changes, so they learn that as well.  You stating your coaching resume here I would think you would know that already.  Hell, have the kids play up in local / away tournaments if they are so damn good?

For a so-called "Happy Hockey Fan" you don't appear to be very happy.  Smile.

[stickboy]

Just keep putting up 20+ goals a game. Eventually everyone in your division will be pissed and something will have to be done. 

[twoboys]

If you want the game to be close have the better kids only play D and tell them they can't carry the puck.  And sit them if they don't listen.  You just have to decide if you are willing to sit your players for not listening.  This won't happen.     

Most of the time parents want coaches to be much stricter than they are actually are willing to be.  For example, most parents want the coach to sit a kid who repeatedly takes stupid penalties.  How often does that happen?  Maybe they miss one shift.  The parents want the kid to sit, a lot, to get the message.  This only happened on my son's team once.  Kid took a stupid penalty and then sat a whole first period of the next game.  Dad was going nuts.  Problem was the coach told the team he was sitting the kid for two periods.  Lost the team after that.

[James Gatz]

On 10/20/2025 at 9:27 AM, sample39 said:

PAHL does not want players transferring from one PAHL team to another PAHL team mid-season.  It's likely this will get blocked, unless all parties worked out a deal w/ the league beforehand.  Based on the scenario you described, I can't see this getting approved.  

PAHL permitted the transfer. 

[Macky85]

PAHL has spoken, 10u placements are out. Hopefully anyone stressing over their teams placement can now relax and enjoy the season!

 

@Happy Hockey Fan as anticipated your teams 2&3 are both in A3, which should be more competitive for you all  Good luck with your season.

[James Gatz]

I enjoyed this announcement in the latest PAHL Pulse.  

Quote

There still seems to be a large number of coaches, managers, and parents participating in PAHL that are not aware of the thorough placement process used by the league.  The Placement Process page linked below outlines the process, and the Competition Initiative page linked below shows the competition results from the 2024-25 season.  Please share that information with your membership.

I've been involved for a few years, and read all the linked pages.  It is still and enigmatic process.  

This is the distribution for 12U based on my hockey ratings.

 

And here is a similar chart showing the My Hockey ratings for the 10U age group.  I've excluded the teams with a 0 rating in MHR, which happens when teams are on a "statistical island" and have not played outside of their grouping of teams.

Edited October 29 by James Gatz

[Tired Hockey Mom]

I heard that Aviators 2010 team has been pulling players down from their AAA team. I thought there was a PAHL rule that didn't allow players to be double rostered on a AA and AAA team.

[Happy Hockey Fan]

57 minutes ago, Tired Hockey Mom said:

I heard that Aviators 2010 team has been pulling players down from their AAA team. I thought there was a PAHL rule that didn't allow players to be double rostered on a AA and AAA team.

Definitely not allowed to go back and forth. But one could choose to “move down” after playing for their aaa team. But that would make them ineligible for the AAA team. 

[James Gatz]

16 hours ago, Tired Hockey Mom said:

I heard that Aviators 2010 team has been pulling players down from their AAA team. I thought there was a PAHL rule that didn't allow players to be double rostered on a AA and AAA team.

There are three players on the Aviators 2010 Blue team page who are listed on the roster of the PA16U2 PAHL team playing in the AA2 division.  The Aviators PA16U1 team is a 2009 team playing in the PAHL A1 division.  The Aviators 2010 Blue team is not a PAHL team and is playing an independent schedule.  

15 hours ago, Happy Hockey Fan said:

Definitely not allowed to go back and forth. But one could choose to “move down” after playing for their aaa team. But that would make them ineligible for the AAA team. 

While not in keeping with the spirit of PAHL's claimed mission, I don't know that double rostering players on an organization's independent quintuple A team and their PAHL team is forbidden.  The PAHL rule that address this is in the administrative policies.  PIHL Governing Documents - Draft

The rostering limitation provides:

4. A male player who appears on the roster of any Tier 1 team – or on the roster of a 10U or 12U team within an association that primarily fields Tier 1 teams above the 12U classification – at any point of the season shall not be eligible for participation in league games with any league team unless removed from the Tier 1 roster and submitted – or resubmitted, if applicable – to the league for approval for the league roster.

The Aviators AAA team is not a Tier 1 team, so this rule would not apply as I read it.  Aviators win again.

Edited October 31 by James Gatz

[HatTrick]

Based upon the requirements established and approved during USA Hockey’s Winter Meeting on 01/19/2025,
any program that wants to compete at youth Tier I in the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 seasons must have been
approved, paid registration and competed as Tier I in the 2024/2025 season. Only Tier I programs approved
the 2024/2025 season will be recognized as an eligible organization of the USA Hockey Affiliate MID
AMERICAN DISTRICT HOCKEY, INC (MID AM) for the 2025/2026 - 2026/2027 seasons.
The approved Tier I member organizations within MID AM include:

Ohio Jr Hockey/Cleveland Barons 

Ohio AAA Blue Jackets 

Culver Academy
Cincinnati Swords/Tri State Spartans 

North Hills/Pittsburgh Stars

Gilmour Academy
SportsOne Parkview/Fort Wayne Force

Pittsburgh Penguins Elite

Pittsburgh Predators
South Hills Amateur Hockey

Butler Valley/Pittsburgh Ice

Gilmour/Ohio Prospects
Sylvania Tam O’Shanter/Sylvania Leafs

Steel City/Pittsburgh Vengeance

Indiana Elite

[Happy Hockey Fan]

4 hours ago, James Gatz said:

There are three players on the Aviators 2010 Blue team page who are listed on the roster of the PA16U2 PAHL team playing in the AA2 division.  The Aviators PA16U1 team is a 2009 team playing in the PAHL A1 division.  The Aviators 2010 Blue team is not a PAHL team and is playing an independent schedule.  

While not in keeping with the spirit of PAHL's claimed mission, I don't know that double rostering players on an organization's independent quintuple A team and their PAHL team is forbidden.  The PAHL rule that address this is in the administrative policies.  PIHL Governing Documents - Draft

The rostering limitation provides:

4. A male player who appears on the roster of any Tier 1 team – or on the roster of a 10U or 12U team within an association that primarily fields Tier 1 teams above the 12U classification – at any point of the season shall not be eligible for participation in league games with any league team unless removed from the Tier 1 roster and submitted – or resubmitted, if applicable – to the league for approval for the league roster.

The Aviators AAA team is not a Tier 1 team, so this rule would not apply as I read it.  Aviators win again.

Wow.  Crazy. 

[Wildcat19]

You’d think a coach would rather win or lose with the kids on his actual team, instead of bringing in mercenaries for certain games while the kids who show up to practice every week end up on the bench. But apparently, for some people, it’s more important to win a 16U AA game than to treat kids and families right. Unfortunately, that seems to be par for the course at this daddy-ball organization, where integrity is clearly a secondary consideration

[nemesis8679]

I wonder if that's the team that the former semipro owner has kids playing on?

[kid310050]

13 hours ago, nemesis8679 said:

I wonder if that's the team that the former semipro owner has kids playing on?

He's South Pittsburgh's headache now 🤣

Edited November 6 by kid310050

[nemesis8679]

On 11/6/2025 at 3:12 PM, kid310050 said:

He's South Pittsburgh's headache now 🤣

And next season, somebody else's, probably.