AAA Solution?

[AAAGuy]

Get rid of the letters: AAA, AA, A, B.  Go Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3.

Tier 1 is the top % in each birth year.
Tier 3 is the low end / beginning travel player
Tier 2 is everyone else.

You're either Elite at the top, beginner or low end at the bottom or in between.  Imo 3 levels is the only way to go!

Tier 1 - 4 teams in the entire Atlantic District at each birth year.  North, South, East and West.  Coaches get hired DIRECTLY by the district just like making the Quebec team, etc...

These 4 clubs play each other 8 times a season (4H/4A).  That's 24 games.  Play remaining schedule in other leagues like T1Elite League, ECEL, etc... and top end tournaments.

Tier 2 - Whether it be NJYHL, DVHL, EJEPL, Independent, etc... 

Tier 3 - The "Beginner" travel level, what A & B has become.

Another Option if nobody wants to go the way I mentioned above would be...
If you already have an AYHL or Independent Tier 1 charter via AAHA, make them earn it on the ice.  How?

Have tryouts like normal in April.  Make every Tier 1 team that applies play in an AAHA tournament.  The Final 4 standing get Tier 1 status at each birth year.  Everyone else falls to Tier 2.  Now you have a year to keep those kids together and coach them, we'll see where they land in next years Tier 1 AAHA Seeding tournament.

Competition is the only way to decide this.  You give EVERY CLUB a chance to declare, but parents will have to make serious decisions on which team to pick to see if they have a legitimate chance at being 1 of the 4 teams that get Tier 1 status for the season.  If they fail, they play Tier 2 and they can enter Tier 1 tournaments, non-league games, etc...

Don't base it off "criteria", imo that never works!

Let the Debate begin!

[Guest]

It sounds like a decent idea but I don't see how this could work. Tier one is already saturated with too many different clubs so closely located throughout each region and we all know the rosters of many of the teams are polluted with lesser talent that doesn't belong but gets a pass because parents will pay and the clubs will graciously accept their money.

[Guest]

Sorry about your kid bro

[Guest]

This doesn't have anything to do with my kid. She's 9 and playing in house, as for me, I read enough and hear enough around the rink to know how crazy kids hockey is. We will let her decide how she chooses to progress.

[AAAGuy]

I hope you're not saying sorry to me.  My kid was a AAA player for years, he's playing Jr's now and focusing on college in the next year or 2.

I posted what I did because I saw and still see how AAA is diluted and we need to figure out a better way to scale it down.

Either District controls it with 4 teams or make it an open competition.

[AAAGuy]

I hope you're not saying sorry to me.  My kid was a AAA player for years, he's playing Jr's now and focusing on college in the next year or 2.

I posted what I did because I saw and still see how AAA is diluted and we need to figure out a better way to scale it down.

Either District controls it with 4 teams or make it an open competition.

[AAAGuy]

What do you mean you don't see how it could work?  I've been in this game for over 40 years.  It's easier than you think.

Option #1 - AAHA takes over T1 and makes 4 teams at each birthyear and hires coaches and controls it.  "For the Good of Hockey"

Option #2 - Make all applying T1 teams compete after tryouts to "earn" their T1 status.  Competition 99% of the time sets things apart the way they should be.

You said "Tier one is already saturated with too many different clubs so closely located throughout each region and we all know the rosters of many of the teams are polluted with lesser talent that doesn't belong but gets a pass because parents will pay and the clubs will graciously accept their money"

You are right, this will take care of all of those issues.

[Guest]

Congrats on your kid.  Did he come from one of the diluted programs?

[Guest]

Tier 1 is a huge money grab by organizations.  The people that run that are doing very well!

[AAAGuy]

Over the years he played with all reputable programs, not one of the diluted programs.  It got tiring to be anywhere between a middle of the road to upper level T1 team and traveling 100-200 miles to beat teams by 7-10+ goals.  This is why I believe either the highest level, in this case T1, should be controlled by the district for the "good of hockey" or if clubs would rather actually compete after tryouts and settle it on the ice so games are more competitive and the dilution stops!