Yeah I agree...pretty sure Hockey Canada made it so that hitting wasnt allowed in any leagues under bantam age like 15 years ago as well…a lot of kids start playing in the 5 to 7 year old age range...but they dont learn anything about hitting until 10 years later and a few years after that they're draft elgible..so hitting in any sense, whether it be properly giving/receiving or just when to do it/not to to do it isnt engrained in their brains like it was years ago.

That's pretty cool that you coached, man.
- MattStrat

Kids are dbags these days so I won't be coaching again unless my daughter decides to play.

kids and even more so their parents are DBags...

I ref amateur, high school, and collegiate levels...hopefully Ill coach my kids if they decide to play. Our daughter did learn to skate in the fall but didn't like it, and has since done a couple public skates and says she wants to give learn to skate another shot, so starting that back up at the end of this month.

Pens aren’t even selling out anymore.

We use to be able to sell A level tiks at min face value. Not the case anymore.
- sammy87

The reality is that the Penguins sell out streak has been over for several seasons. They just used clever tactics to "sell out" such as giving tickets to radio stations and corporate partners.

My company is a corporate partner of the Penguins, and it was common for our marketing team to email employees and say penguin tickets are first come, first serve.

I think its a combo of the high ticket prices, late start times, and construction going around PPG Paints arena.

Kids are dbags these days so I won't be coaching again unless my daughter decides to play.
- Feds91Stammer

I used to ref games in Pittsburgh for high school and younger. I took a lot of crap over the years, but i cant imagine being a coach and dealing with the parents I dealt with for an entire season. Generally insufferable people.

The reality is that the Penguins sell out streak has been over for several seasons. They just used clever tactics to "sell out" such as giving tickets to radio stations and corporate partners.

My company is a corporate partner of the Penguins, and it was common for our marketing team to email employees and say penguin tickets are first come, first serve.

I think its a combo of the high ticket prices, late start times, and construction going around PPG Paints arena.
- SuperHenderson13

I think this was just always going to happen as the team declined. A lot of the young people who took up the team moved out of town. The older generation will always be more interested in football. Maybe it will start to fill up more if they drop prices a bit now to meet where demand is.

Also recession concerns. But it's not just that, they just aren't being treated like as big a deal in the local coverage even though they're probably still the best sports team in town.

Pens made a lot of progress in Pittsburgh during this run. Don't think hockey ever gets ignored like it did pre Sid and Geno again. But people are definitely jumping off the band wagon. And who knows if they all come back since Pens may never boast the top star power they've had the last 40 years.

Total disappointment that the only personality we get to see from Sid is to help create a memory for Ovi and his son. He should have danced to a rap song or something.

I think this was just always going to happen as the team declined. A lot of the young people who took up the team moved out of town. The older generation will always be more interested in football. Maybe it will start to fill up more if they drop prices a bit now to meet where demand is.

Also recession concerns. But it's not just that, they just aren't being treated like as big a deal in the local coverage even though they're probably still the best sports team in town.

Pens made a lot of progress in Pittsburgh during this run. Don't think hockey ever gets ignored like it did pre Sid and Geno again. But people are definitely jumping off the band wagon. And who knows if they all come back since Pens may never boast the top star power they've had the last 40 years.
- Tojo.

Kansas City is still waiting.

I think this was just always going to happen as the team declined. A lot of the young people who took up the team moved out of town. The older generation will always be more interested in football. Maybe it will start to fill up more if they drop prices a bit now to meet where demand is.

Also recession concerns. But it's not just that, they just aren't being treated like as big a deal in the local coverage even though they're probably still the best sports team in town.

Pens made a lot of progress in Pittsburgh during this run. Don't think hockey ever gets ignored like it did pre Sid and Geno again. But people are definitely jumping off the band wagon. And who knows if they all come back since Pens may never boast the top star power they've had the last 40 years.
- Tojo.

Good teams winning a lot of games fill the seats. Doesn't necessarily need to be a generational star on the roster IMO.

It's not just the Pens attendence.. Other places, such as Chicago and Philly, that always sold out have had poor attendence as well the past few seasons.

I do believe the past three years with covid and everything that came with it is a factor, both with some people still scared and having remaining negative physcological factors, as well along with the economies of both our respective countries being in the sh!tter.

Good teams winning a lot of games fill the seats. Doesn't necessarily need to be a generational star on the roster IMO.

It's not just the Pens attendence.. Other places, such as Chicago and Philly, that always sold out have had poor attendence as well the past few seasons.

I do believe the past three years with covid and everything that came with it is a factor, both with some people still scared and having remaining negative physcological factors, as well along with the economies of both our respective countries being in the sh!tter.
- MattStrat

All that may we'll be true. I'm just curious how a good Penguins team without one of the ten best players of all-time will be accepted now. That's basically been their brand Curious as in I don't know the answer.

It's been disappointing how little coverage they've been getting right now. A lot of apathy has set in and many people say they're kind of boring now. (And not for Grinder reasons)

Basically unsure how many in Pittsburgh are hockey fans and how many are Crosby/Malkin fans.