Blackbear abandons AC Sharks!

[Guest]

"Owning an ice rink is a business, not charity. If you don't like BB leave the rink, but don't blame BB because AC or your former rink owner abandoned you."

Good for hockey?  I think this post, and this part of the post, sums up black bear and its ownership pretty well.  Yes, by all means, Conquer NJ and PA hockey - but don't insult parents with the whole "good for hockey" line.  I have yet to see anything that claimed to be "good for hockey" to be truly good for hockey.  good for the business maybe, but not "hockey".

alternatives will exist, I assure you.

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[Guest]

"Owning an ice rink is a business, not charity. If you don't like BB leave the rink, but don't blame BB because AC or your former rink owner abandoned you."

Good for hockey?  I think this post, and this part of the post, sums up black bear and its ownership pretty well.  Yes, by all means, Conquer NJ and PA hockey - but don't insult parents with the whole "good for hockey" line.  I have yet to see anything that claimed to be "good for hockey" to be truly good for hockey.  good for the business maybe, but not "hockey".

alternatives will exist, I assure you.

I wrote the above quote and do not work for BB. I do know that rinks were going to be closed and COVID had a devastating effect on the financial viability of numerous rinks. Most rinks have debt on them. The only way to turn a profit is raise prices or fill up rinks with kids. COVID changed everything as most kids were not going to the main money maker of rinks- public skates. You can complain all you want about BB, but Comcast let the AC rink go to hell, not BB. AC/Casinos never put any money into the rink. If rinks make so much money, why did Comcast unload rinks to BB? They did this because the were losing money. They kept Voorhees because the Flyers pay everything and all the other stuff is profit! Will BB be good for hockey, I really don't know. I do know that for $3k-$3500 you get 6 months of hockey, 2-3 tournaments and a summer camp. That is a good deal. The summer camp alone will run about $900-$1500 depending on who is running the camp. Ice time is expensive. I would rather have BB running rinks and pay more knowing the rinks will be open long term, than have cities owning rinks and not funding them correctly. Again don't blame BB for AC issues. AHF last season was great and will only get better. They are trying to make Tier I better and more competitive by having different AAA divisions. They are pushing girls hockey. They are trying to grow the sport in the Mid-Atlantic. Even if this is driven by a need for profits, who cares. They are still growing the sport. Hockey will never be as cheap as field sports or basketball. The costs are just higher. Get over it, let you kid have fun and if too expensive apply for a BB scholarship. Does the DVHL or NJYHL offer financial aid for families? They do not!

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[Guest]

"Owning an ice rink is a business, not charity. If you don't like BB leave the rink, but don't blame BB because AC or your former rink owner abandoned you."

Good for hockey?  I think this post, and this part of the post, sums up black bear and its ownership pretty well.  Yes, by all means, Conquer NJ and PA hockey - but don't insult parents with the whole "good for hockey" line.  I have yet to see anything that claimed to be "good for hockey" to be truly good for hockey.  good for the business maybe, but not "hockey".

alternatives will exist, I assure you.

I wrote the above quote and do not work for BB. I do know that rinks were going to be closed and COVID had a devastating effect on the financial viability of numerous rinks. Most rinks have debt on them. The only way to turn a profit is raise prices or fill up rinks with kids. COVID changed everything as most kids were not going to the main money maker of rinks- public skates. You can complain all you want about BB, but Comcast let the AC rink go to hell, not BB. AC/Casinos never put any money into the rink. If rinks make so much money, why did Comcast unload rinks to BB? They did this because the were losing money. They kept Voorhees because the Flyers pay everything and all the other stuff is profit! Will BB be good for hockey, I really don't know. I do know that for $3k-$3500 you get 6 months of hockey, 2-3 tournaments and a summer camp. That is a good deal. The summer camp alone will run about $900-$1500 depending on who is running the camp. Ice time is expensive. I would rather have BB running rinks and pay more knowing the rinks will be open long term, than have cities owning rinks and not funding them correctly. Again don't blame BB for AC issues. AHF last season was great and will only get better. They are trying to make Tier I better and more competitive by having different AAA divisions. They are pushing girls hockey. They are trying to grow the sport in the Mid-Atlantic. Even if this is driven by a need for profits, who cares. They are still growing the sport. Hockey will never be as cheap as field sports or basketball. The costs are just higher. Get over it, let you kid have fun and if too expensive apply for a BB scholarship. Does the DVHL or NJYHL offer financial aid for families? They do not!

There shouldn't be different AAA divisions. If you are supposed to be the highest level / best of the best and still can't compete, then play tier 2. This is the root of the problem. Too many kids playing at the highest level that shouldn't be and then it is a trickle down from there. Just do away with T1 and T2 status. Don't give clubs who field shit teams a free pass to the highest league. If a team at York is good enough to play at the highest level, they should be able to. If the LF are running out teams that couldn't even compete in the lower divisions of the AY then they should be playing A/AA.
I commend the AHF for a having a scholarship. The main issue with hockey is the cost. That being said, how many do they offer. Does every club get one? I feel something like this can easily be exploited. Stuff like that should really be handled at the club level. 

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[Guest]

The clubs will never go for this as AAA is a money maker and the letter chasers will leave and go to a rink that will accommodate them. The solution is relegation. Limit the teams at AAA and demote the bottom 2-3 teams each year and pull up the top 2-3 AA teams. This way you limit the rinks that are AAA any year and give the rinks interested in AAA a chance to get pulled up. You then have a 1 year not player movement form rink to rink for AAA eligibility so parents can't letter shop. It will be like they do in soccer. This will also force the rinks to not take non AAA level players on a team just to fill a slot. If not enough AAA players you play AA.

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[Guest]

We love AC! Drop the kid off, hang out at the TROP!

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[Guest]

AC Sharks alive and well! Great new management, coaches, 100% INDEPENDENT! Tired of rink owned teams, (BB), and others, (Hollydell), why not have fun at the beach?

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[Guest]

Good to here AC is doing well but disagree with rink owned teams. Rink owned teams that are ran for profit maybe the only thing to save hockey in PA, NJ, DE. I hope I'm wrong but just look at Protec for example.

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[Guest]

Big bear isn't saving anything. Like everything in the world if something fails everything around it adapts and finds a way to survive. Running a for profit operation and holding the customers hostage by buying everything around them isn't saving rather its monopolizing and leaving the customer no choice. Sort of like how big bear handles it's partner organizations who play out of their rinks. Either move over to ahf or you have no rink to play at to me that isn't saving it's bullying into complying. The ponds closing is actually great for both the Ducks and Bears since we all live in the same area the transition into one club will strengthen both programs as one much larger fundamentally sound and powerful organization. Not to mention joining the organizations brings the talent of both programs together and will now provide for a much more stable talent pool in one rink. Less teams equals better quality of play since it's not spread between two rinks just a stones throw from each other. The rinks that have been bought didn't ask to be sold, they were given an offer they couldn't refuse well over applicable value.

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[Guest]

Big bear isn't saving anything. Like everything in the world if something fails everything around it adapts and finds a way to survive. Running a for profit operation and holding the customers hostage by buying everything around them isn't saving rather its monopolizing and leaving the customer no choice. Sort of like how big bear handles it's partner organizations who play out of their rinks. Either move over to ahf or you have no rink to play at to me that isn't saving it's bullying into complying. The ponds closing is actually great for both the Ducks and Bears since we all live in the same area the transition into one club will strengthen both programs as one much larger fundamentally sound and powerful organization. Not to mention joining the organizations brings the talent of both programs together and will now provide for a much more stable talent pool in one rink. Less teams equals better quality of play since it's not spread between two rinks just a stones throw from each other. The rinks that have been bought didn't ask to be sold, they were given an offer they couldn't refuse well over applicable value.

How do you know BB overpaid for rinks? Have you seen the confidential bill of sale? Fewer rinks mean less ice time and fewer opportunities for lesser playrrs. BB is not the enemy.

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[Guest]

Nda's don't apply to people who aren't the owners and enough details are out there that got there from casual talk around the rink with people who matter.

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