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What were the numbers at all the tryouts today. Any strong players left to be taken. I hear that there were a number of clubs (Nationals and others) still need a lot of players.

Are this summers AAA teams going to be even more watered down or will teams across the city be stronger?

scrapiron wrote:What were the numbers at all the tryouts today. Any strong players left to be taken. I hear that there were a number of clubs (Nationals and others) still need a lot of players.

Are this summers AAA teams going to be even more watered down or will teams across the city be stronger?

I guess many teams are picking their layers before tryouts, but I'm not sure.

I've recently learned that I'm out of touch.

I think the fact that so many teams are still looking for players is an indication that the AAA market is saturated.

jBlaze3000 wrote:I think the fact that so many teams are still looking for players is an indication that the AAA market is saturated.

What are the negative effects of a saturated market? I need to understand your way of thinking to actually make sure that you are thinking..

MrBoDangles wrote:

jBlaze3000 wrote:I think the fact that so many teams are still looking for players is an indication that the AAA market is saturated.

What are the negative effects of a saturated market? I need to understand your way of thinking to actually make sure that you are thinking..

I think what he is saying is that only the best of the best of best are allowed to play summer hockey, because the if you are just a good hockey player you shouldn't be given the oportunity to improve and enjoy playing the game. They should sit at home and only hope to be as good as the best of the best.

Maybe it isn't a bad thing that some kids have the opportunity to find a home on a spring/summer hockey team in February instead of 6 months ago. (???)

I still don't understand all of the "watered down" comments. I'm all for as many options as possible for kids to have fun and grow passion for hockey. The Elite programs are going to find their talent and do their thing. There's still plenty of room for the Eastons, Legacys, CCMs, etc. of the world. If my kids are going to play checkbook hockey, I'm all for a competitive market out there.

If a kid wants to spend the summer having fun and playing on a team with 6 B-level players from his association and 6 B-level players from the next town over and tell grandma he plays "AAA", what does it hurt? At the end of the day, if the kids are having fun and playing hockey, who cares?

The only challenge is to keep track of who is who and set the tournaments up properly. There's nothing worse than being on either end of the 16-1 game in the summer.

MrBoDangles wrote:

jBlaze3000 wrote:I think the fact that so many teams are still looking for players is an indication that the AAA market is saturated.

What are the negative effects of a saturated market? I need to understand your way of thinking to actually make sure that you are thinking..

All I'm saying is that it's a sign that the growth of AAA hockey has hit a peak, at least for the time being.

we're all crazy wrote:Maybe it isn't a bad thing that some kids have the opportunity to find a home on a spring/summer hockey team in February instead of 6 months ago. (???)

I still don't understand all of the "watered down" comments. I'm all for as many options as possible for kids to have fun and grow passion for hockey. The Elite programs are going to find their talent and do their thing. There's still plenty of room for the Eastons, Legacys, CCMs, etc. of the world. If my kids are going to play checkbook hockey, I'm all for a competitive market out there.

If a kid wants to spend the summer having fun and playing on a team with 6 B-level players from his association and 6 B-level players from the next town over and tell grandma he plays "AAA", what does it hurt? At the end of the day, if the kids are having fun and playing hockey, who cares?

The only challenge is to keep track of who is who and set the tournaments up properly. There's nothing worse than being on either end of the 16-1 game in the summer.

Couldn't have said it better. For my son, last season was his first experience with "AAA" hockey him being a 2003. The #1 thing he got out of it was being on a team where all 15 kids WANTED to be there. Being around that competitive environment helped him all aspects in life, not just hockey. If its watered down so be it. If the kids are all smiling till September then it was all a success as far as I'm concerned.

flpucknut wrote:

we're all crazy wrote:Maybe it isn't a bad thing that some kids have the opportunity to find a home on a spring/summer hockey team in February instead of 6 months ago. (???)

I still don't understand all of the "watered down" comments. I'm all for as many options as possible for kids to have fun and grow passion for hockey. The Elite programs are going to find their talent and do their thing. There's still plenty of room for the Eastons, Legacys, CCMs, etc. of the world. If my kids are going to play checkbook hockey, I'm all for a competitive market out there.

If a kid wants to spend the summer having fun and playing on a team with 6 B-level players from his association and 6 B-level players from the next town over and tell grandma he plays "AAA", what does it hurt? At the end of the day, if the kids are having fun and playing hockey, who cares?

The only challenge is to keep track of who is who and set the tournaments up properly. There's nothing worse than being on either end of the 16-1 game in the summer.

Couldn't have said it better. For my son, last season was his first experience with "AAA" hockey him being a 2003. The #1 thing he got out of it was being on a team where all 15 kids WANTED to be there. Being around that competitive environment helped him all aspects in life, not just hockey. If its watered down so be it. If the kids are all smiling till September then it was all a success as far as I'm concerned.

Bingo... that is why regardless of whether it's elite or not it's great experience. All the players on the team want to be there, they all give it their all and they all can skate at the same level as each other (more or less). For a number of kids even playing on an open level AAA team (or an invite or elite) is still ten to 100 times better than the team they play for in the winter and the practices are 10 times better so they learn ALOT in a much shorter period of time. I get that this is not true for everyone and every association but it is for alot of folks so the experience is very worthwhile and great for their development and for how they both play and perceive the game.

jBlaze3000 wrote:

MrBoDangles wrote:

jBlaze3000 wrote:I think the fact that so many teams are still looking for players is an indication that the AAA market is saturated.

What are the negative effects of a saturated market? I need to understand your way of thinking to actually make sure that you are thinking..

All I'm saying is that it's a sign that the growth of AAA hockey has hit a peak, at least for the time being.

Simple economics would disagree - demand is outweighing supply when folks are paying north of 1500 for south of 50 hours.

InigoMontoya wrote:

jBlaze3000 wrote:

MrBoDangles wrote: What are the negative effects of a saturated market? I need to understand your way of thinking to actually make sure that you are thinking..

All I'm saying is that it's a sign that the growth of AAA hockey has hit a peak, at least for the time being.

Simple economics would disagree - demand is outweighing supply when folks are paying north of 1500 for south of 50 hours.

Show me a link to a program that charges that much for that little ice time.

jBlaze3000 wrote:

InigoMontoya wrote:

jBlaze3000 wrote: All I'm saying is that it's a sign that the growth of AAA hockey has hit a peak, at least for the time being.

Simple economics would disagree - demand is outweighing supply when folks are paying north of 1500 for south of 50 hours.

Show me a link to a program that charges that much for that little ice time.

Is that 50 hours PLUS tournaments or is that 50 hours include a rough translation of tournament game time as well. If that is 50 hours PLUS tournaments for that cost then that cost is as cheap as I've ever seen and a great value in my eyes. Our spring/summer AAA programs down here are usually around $450 to $500 for maybe 13 practice hours (usually shared ice with another team) plus 2 tournaments. I can give you lots of links for those

Since tournament fees are usually included in the registration costs I can only assume that he's talking about total ice time (including guaranteed games in tournaments). If not then the number of tournaments would need to be taken into consideration.

Yes, let me see a link for an AAA team that charges $500 for maybe 13 hours of ice (I assume the reason you underlined "maybe" is because it is a max of 13 hours, correct?) and 2 tournaments.

AAA hockey is way over-rated in this state. It used to be good, now if you got the money you can play. there is way way way to many so called AAA teams sorry to say it some one had too

What can we call them .[That is ok w/you] A,AA,summer teams,spring teams,fall teams, fun teams,not fun teams???????

old goalie85 wrote:What can we call them .[That is ok w/you] A,AA,summer teams,spring teams,fall teams, fun teams,not fun teams???????

Apparently if your kid is only good player and not a great player you can't play in the summer and try to become a great player. It will be a rude awakening for some of these parents with elite players, when "Johnny good player" is dominating "Johnny elite player" in a few years. Some players develop later..

yes they do?? I would like to see where all the orange kids from the 93 level ended up. Same w/the 93 blades.

Three Blades from 93 group played D1.

old goalie85 wrote:Three Blades from 93 group played D1.

And I would be willing to bet those kids would have been D1 regardless of where they played.. IMO

It's all semantics. "AAA" used to mean elite but it doesn't any more. Pretty soon AAA is simply going to mean off-season club hockey.

Last year my son played on a Showcase team with kids that were all 99's and 98's. This year those kids were spread out among the PeeWee B1, PeeWee A, and Bantam B1 teams. There's no doubt in my mind that team could have competed in some of the 98 open level AAA tournaments.

What's the difference between that and an average AAA team? We had about 10 practices, all scheduled the week of which allowed us to take advantage of "fire sales", costing each skater about $5 per hour. Total cost for a 10 games and 10 practices was about $200 per skater.

The Machine oldest team was the 96s
Dave Snuggerud coached a 95 team that became a Machine two years after the 96 team started. The team became breakaway after two years.

Bernie had the 88s his next team was the 96s.

The jury is out on just how well the Machine players will do at the college and beyond.

jBlaze3000 wrote:It's all semantics. "AAA" used to mean elite but it doesn't any more. Pretty soon AAA is simply going to mean off-season club hockey.

Last year my son played on a Showcase team with kids that were all 99's and 98's. This year those kids were spread out among the PeeWee B1, PeeWee A, and Bantam B1 teams. There's no doubt in my mind that team could have competed in some of the 98 open level AAA tournaments.

What's the difference between that and an average AAA team? We had about 10 practices, all scheduled the week of which allowed us to take advantage of "fire sales", costing each skater about $5 per hour. Total cost for a 10 games and 10 practices was about $200 per skater.

You just called yourself a liar.

MrBoDangles wrote:

jBlaze3000 wrote:It's all semantics. "AAA" used to mean elite but it doesn't any more. Pretty soon AAA is simply going to mean off-season club hockey.

Last year my son played on a Showcase team with kids that were all 99's and 98's. This year those kids were spread out among the PeeWee B1, PeeWee A, and Bantam B1 teams. There's no doubt in my mind that team could have competed in some of the 98 open level AAA tournaments.

What's the difference between that and an average AAA team? We had about 10 practices, all scheduled the week of which allowed us to take advantage of "fire sales", costing each skater about $5 per hour. Total cost for a 10 games and 10 practices was about $200 per skater.

You just called yourself a liar.

I have no idea what you're getting at but I defy you to tell me how I'm a liar. Let's hear it....

jBlaze3000 wrote:

MrBoDangles wrote:

jBlaze3000 wrote:I think the fact that so many teams are still looking for players is an indication that the AAA market is saturated.

What are the negative effects of a saturated market? I need to understand your way of thinking to actually make sure that you are thinking..

All I'm saying is that it's a sign that the growth of AAA hockey has hit a peak, at least for the time being.

Maybe you just need to explain again..

MrBoDangles wrote:

jBlaze3000 wrote:

MrBoDangles wrote: What are the negative effects of a saturated market? I need to understand your way of thinking to actually make sure that you are thinking..

All I'm saying is that it's a sign that the growth of AAA hockey has hit a peak, at least for the time being.

Maybe you just need to explain again..

You are obviously reading into something that isn't there. How about you explain what you're thinking and I'll explain to you why you're wrong. K?