Congrats to the Ice Dogs on their successful appeal! Rumor is they convinced CAHA to give them the AAA bid by saying some of the best 06 AAA players in the state (currently at the Kings 05 AAA, Kings 06 AAA & Ducks 06 AAA) were committed to playing for them next year - even though the kids they named would never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever play for them. Those players and parents haven't even had a conversation with the Ice Dogs about it. If the parents of these kids knew they were mentioned in their appeal/application their jaws would drop. God, I really hope this rumor is false. ]If it is true though and Ice Dogs knowingly lied to get their AAA status, they should not only lose their AAA bid, but should be banned from the playoffs. If the Ice Dogs did represent the above, a simple phone call to the parents they mentioned should clear this up. Hey, parent of ___________ , did you ever tell the Ice Dogs that you were planning on playing there next season? Did you have any conversations with the club that would make them believe that?
Hilarious if true.
All you hear on this board is that there should be more AAA teams (despite the ratio of AAA to AA teams in CA being higher than the country average). But two of the recent cases I see are GSE North where they presented a roster to CAHA with three or four 05's on their proposed 04 team, and then later withdrew it, and if the above is true, the Ice Dogs, using other teams non-committed players. It also sounds like one of the new 06 AAA teams basically crumbled mid season, right?
If we need more AAA teams, where are all these kids that are obviously AAA players both in talent and willingness to commit? They certainly aren't available up north. Or is it wishful thinking?
Where are they? Ratio of player issues?
Well, help us understand, in these other states, how far/what are the travel commitments on a DAILY basis for those AAA teams and their players? 20 miles to the rink? 50 miles to the rink?
Well, if you have a kid who just might have what it takes, but live, I don't know, say, in San Diego, or Inland (not on the friggin coast), where is your closest opportunity? 65+ miles one way to Ana.... maybe you don't make it on Ducks... 105+ miles one way to LA....
In other words, I don't need to hear the overstated complaints of "not enough talent" and "roster moves" and "try-outs.make the team.get noticed.it's.automatic" blah Blah BLAH
Cost and school absences is one negative aspect, but FK me if more and more parents bend over for CAHA and continue to consider/commit to daily/regular practice travel that turns into a 2-3 hour commute. That's absurd. No other state and AAA program(s) force such a strain on its players unless it is their choice as a family (b/c they have other OPTIONS available). Here, in CA, there is NO choice. You take it or leave it. That is garbage. There is zero willingness of this state to grow player development numbers - they only want to make the big clubs look good.
OMG... SHOCKING CONCEPT... player development?!?!?
Most of you all sound as if AAA players are born that way and are plucked off of the apple tree and handed to god aka Kings/Ducks and that apple orchard is planted locally. CAHA knows the talent is all over the state, but wants to continue to force the hand of those parents who are blindly willing to do everything they are told because they believe "It is the only way to play at the highest level." Your little angel developed somewhere, then left for god's teams. Do you think there might be a few more like your kid out there that might excel and even benefit from such an opportunity? GASP! UNHEARD OF! That's right, AAA players are one-of-a-kind and no one else could EVER develop into that level of competition, ever. Well, not in California.