Flights and Tiers. Sounds like Midget AA has too many kids, too many teams?
I don't think so. It is a bad idea. As a parent who knows the 2001 and 2002 birthyear as well as anyone in this state, I would make the following comments:
1. Keep it 16 teams. These are virtually the same kids who have played each other since PW AA.
2. You never know what can happen. You play a good game against a Strong Team in the AM and then you lose in the PM. A key kid gets hurt or suspended and your whole outcome can be different.
3. It may be the last year of pretty good competitive hockey for the AA 2001s, you cannot and should not determine the strength of a team based upon LABOR DAY.
4. So many minor birthyear teams look good over LABOR Day and don't make Playdowns as they are outgrown and outpaced over the next six months by the older boys.
5. Year after year PW AA, Bantam AA, and even last year, there were major surprises. Teams surpassed other teams, teams caved under pressure when no one thought that was possible. Teams came out of nowhere. In PW AA my son's team was never given a chance and they made State Finals. In Bantam AA, my son's team was a non factor and they finished 5th and even in Midget AA last year, many teams came out of nowhere, teams faltered and the top team failed miserably. I could go on and on.
6. 6 team leagues suck. Even 8 teams leagues kind of suck. Everyone needs a variety to keep it interesting and 4 or 5 CAHA weekends are great!
I wasn't in San Jose and for the first time in a decade, I missed my son's games. But I do know that clubs intentionally delayed games if they had the lead. One team didn't even shake hands after the game. And there should have been stop time with under 2 minutes to go. The concept was kind of cool but to give some teams a hall pass to Playdowns in February based upon Labor Day outcomes or subjective opinions is absurd. No sport pre-determines their Playoffs. Let the kids battle it out. You never know what can happen. My son's team beat a purported Top Tier Team in Midget AA last Labor Day and lost by February to the same team.
Caha has taken on a great experiment with this concept and I can understand perhaps at PWAA or maybe even Bantam AA, maybe the kids are not well known, but by Midget AA and only 16 teams...don't really need another experiment. We had that last year and it wasn't fun at all. One off games, not enough CAHA weekend bonding for the kids.
May everyone have a great season even though it started two months too early...best of luck.