Black Bear Folded our Program

[Guest]

Well the dreaded Black Bear Sports Group strikes again, this time in CT. Our local youth program is going to fold 5 years after they purchased the rink after failed contract negotiations. They've made zero improvements to the place since taking over. Number wise we are a healthy program with good coaches and great kids, so it will certainly be interesting to see what happens. Perfect timing too with year end tournaments and tryouts right around the corner!

We are being led to believe they are starting up a Tier 1 program as well as a Tier 2 program (assuming they will try to attracted existing players)

[Guest]

What CT rink is the program out of?

[Guest]

Milford Ice Arena

[Guest]

Welcome to the AHF!

It will be great when they make us drive 4 hours to CT for a league game.

[Guest]

You would be doing a public service if you dropped by this thread periodically and updated us on the BB developments.

In the meantime, can you provide more history and a summary of the negotiations?  Why did it take BB 5 years to strong arm your club? They usually steamroll over the existing club in a year or two.

[Guest]

I am surprised you have not been added to the AHF before this. The AHF & THF are terrible for hockey. The travel my rink dropped out of NJYHL to join AHF has been brutal. My older son played in the AYHL a couple years back, but now his team is in the THF. Travel is even worse than my younger son in AHF. The competition in the AFJ is about the same maybe a little worse. The THF competition is so bad. Top teams are about the same, but lower teams should be in AA, not AAA. I hate BB. They are ruining youth hockey on the east coast. I can't wait for the Atlantic District to decertify about 80% of the Tier 1 teams so we can get some sanity back. BB wants more Tier 1 teams at their rinks for one reason- MONEY!!!!!!!

[Guest]

Maybe USA Hockey needs to step in?

[Guest]

You have two teams - hardly a program

[Guest]

You have two teams - hardly a program

if this is the Southern Stars that play out of Milford Ice you must mean at least 2 per level. According to my hockey they have 11 teams
2 - squirt / 3 - peewee / 2 bantam and 4 midget.

With that said BB owned rinks want BB owned/ran teams. They aren't completely doing away with hockey at the rink just making a BB team. Just like Ice Line did to the Quakers to make Team Philly and Body Zone before them, this nothing new.

[Guest]

Two teams? What program are you looking at? I counted 11