St Joseph's Prep Hawks

A fun Story and I am sure we all have our own memories to share ! I am sure the word is relief, as the sigh that came over the entire hockey community, when the Pittsburgh Penguins, the National Hockey League, the State of Pennsylvania, the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County announced collectively that the Penguins and this region would finally have a new arena. Many people lobbied and some even sold their soles to make this happen as we saw the saga finally come to an end yesterday with the great news yesterday. Congratulations to the Penguins and it is my true belief that once again the man, who has warmed our hearts since he hit this town 23 years ago, Mario Lemieux was the man holding the puck as he always does and burying another heartstopping goal and maybe the most important goal of his career in getting politicians, the league, the fans and the hockey community a multi purpose facility located in the City of Pittsburgh, which will reside across the street of memories for many of us that began in 1967, when the Blue and White Penguins took to the ice. My first game was in 1967-68, when my father, who I think never saw a hockey game ever again, took me to see the Penguins and purple and gold Los Angeles Kings play on a Saturday afternoon when I was 6 years old and magically during that game a puck came over the glass bounced off dad’s lap and like Rogie Vachon, who played for the Kings and Les Binkley, the maskless goaltender of those Penguins, I snatched the puck out of the air and began my collection of memories and love for this team. (FYI- I still have that puck in my basement) In the years to follow, I watched a tall young man from Quebec (no not yet) named Michel Briere (played a lot like Vincent LeCavalier) warm the hearts of Pittsburgh fans with a brilliant rookie season in 1969-70 leading the Penguins into the Stanley Cup semi-finals only to fall short to the hated St Louis Blues four games to two and tragically # 21 left us after a tragic automobile accident. About that time, I joined my older brothers (one who was the Bugle player who played along with Vinnie Lascheid in the early days) and their friends and tagged along to the games on the 67 F Trafford bus down to the Civic Arena to the games at the Civic Arena and joined an absolutely passionate group of Penguin Fans in section D-24 called Bob Woytowich’s Polish Army. Tickets were $ 3 or $ 1.50 [Student Rush?] in those days and the memories for a little kid who just became a hockey fanatic through my love of this team and more importantly Civic pride in our community, which was really beginning to roll in Pittsburgh with the Pirates in the 1970’s and Steelers, which caught fire in the early 70’s was a great part of my childhood and many others as well. Another young French Canadian rookie came along in 1974 name Pierre LaRouche, who was part of the greatest Penguins team (Syl Apps, Jean Pronovost, Lowell McDonald, Dave Burrows and our fan favorite Ron Stackhouse) to date in 1974-75 and the hope at that time was maybe this would be the team that could bring our Penguins a championship that the Pirates and Steelers accomplished, but this team could probably never bring this city. The New York Islanders stole those dreams rallying from a three games to none deficit in the 1975 playoffs and with a 1-0 loss in game 7 with then mayor Pete Flaherty running up and down the aisles with a ‘Let’s Go Pens’ sign, dashed the hopes of that team and the summer followed with rumors of bankruptcy and the team moving to Hamilton. Many people remember at that time, Edward DeBartolo stepping in and buying that team and the goal at that time was just to keep the team afloat, which that family thankfully did and the team was in and out of the playoffs several times over the next couple of years and the most memorable (5 Game) 2nd round series was against the Stanley Cup Champions New York Islanders in 1982-83, when our Pens got slaughtered in games one and two and the owner promised a refund if the Penguins did not win game 3. The Penguins played a passionate game and beat the Islanders the next two behind brilliant goaltending of Michel Dion, setting up a deciding game 5 in New York that the Penguins were a half a period away from one of the greatest upsets and comebacks in sports history, but the clock struck midnight when the puck hopped over Norris trophy winner Randy Carlyle’s stick resulting in an Islander tying goal followed by the John Tonelli game winner in overtime. The Islanders went on to win Stanley Cups and the Penguins and their fans left to wonder if it was never meant to be. In those days, the DeBartolo family understood one important thing and that was about development and they quietly allowed the Interscholastic Hockey teams to play their games at the Civic Arena, from the mid-70’s up through the late 80’s for a very nominal fee. My greatest memories were dressing in the Penguins locker room before our games and taking to the ice and for a High School kid, it was as close as any of us would ever to playing in the National Hockey League, which could never happen to a kid from Pittsburgh? Even playing Division 1 NCAA Collegiate hockey was a pipedream, but it happened for John LiPrando, from Gateway who went on to Denver University, Verne Shaver from Churchill, who walked on to the University of Michigan and Dee Rizzo, from Allderdice, who went on to win a National Championship with Michigan State, Bobby Kennedy from Upper St Clair to Bowling Green, Chuck Chiatto of North Catholic to Western Michigan, and Beaver Shriver of Fox Chapel to Dartmouth, only to name a few. We used to get to the Civic Arena at 5:30 for a 7:00 PM game, because of the thrill and the by-product was we made more friends in the hockey community, which I have kept to this day. A young guy from Penn Hills named Joe Battista and Penn State took the message of development as the Penguins Director of Youth Development to the streets and into the rinks and when Mario arrived in 1984, the ball began to roll and kids started chosing hockey in Western Pennsylvania as the sport of choice. As the Penguins and Mario became champions in 1991 and 1992, the momentum built rinks in this area through developmental programs, street and dek hockey, and more recently inline hockey. My most vivid memory of the Penguins Stanley Cup was not at the Civic Arena, but was after the 1991 Stanley Cup final game win over Minnesota 8-0, when owner Ed DeBartolo Sr. sat quietly in the Penguins locker room as his dream as owner was realized and the euphoria that followed as over 50,000 people ascended on the old Pittsburgh International Airport in celebration of a 24 year drought that ended that day. After the Pens won the first Stanley Cup, the Penguins were sold became corporate and chased away fans that had supported them with high prices for nearly 40 years and High School games at the Arena became a privilege instead of part of the memories for young people and families. Volunteerism to build hockey became PAYING jobs, which people were more interested in money that what is really important, the players and families. The service once found in the hockey community became capitalization projects. Hockey in this city was again in jeopardy in the late 90’s and Mario once again donned the skates and he and a great young superstar named Jamomir Jagr almost led the Pens to another championship in 2001. After that year the team was then looted, stars were traded and careers in this city were sacrificed [Jagr and Francis were sacrifical lamb’s so don’t boo them because they didn’t want to become a secured creditors either like thier idol Mario was] just to stay afloat and in the city. A chance meeting with Mario at a function at the Marriott with good friend John Harford as our idol stood and took the time to talk to us for nearly 30 minutes after the event was over told me all I need to know about him and we missed the first period of the Pens game. A funny thing was happening on the other end as hockey players from this began to make progress as over 100 young men and women from Pennsylvania Hockey could be found in Division 1 and Junior A hockey programs across North America. Currently, five Western Pennsylvania raised players, who became accomplished players at the high school, amateur and collegiate level are now in the National Hockey League as Plum’s R.J. Umberger [Flyers], Upper St Clair’s Ryan Malone [Penguins], Fox Chapel’s Bill Thomas [Coyotes], Hopewell’s Nate Guenin [Flyers] and Thomas Jefferson’s John Zeiler [Kings] have been playing in the National Hockey League this season. The cry for a new arena began as Mario became player owner and financier as he tried to recover monies he has invested in this community with blood, sweat and tears became tied to gambling, slots, politicians and interestingly community development. My opinion is that why the Isle of Capri plan failed is because it really didn’t have a SOLID plan for community development and was more interested in handouts from gambling licenses for a new arena than true community development for ALL people of the community. As I get older I am realizing that the most important reason that this new arena should be a part of this community is to develop hockey through community, education, leadership, recreation and history. My belief is that this Arena should be named after the institution, who brought hockey to prominence so that my child, who is now 8 and Mario’s Austin can tell their children and grandchildren, when many of us are gone about the stories and their recollections of Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey and their hockey experiences over the years. Mellon Mario Lemieux Arena has a nice ring to it ! What I am proposing is a Pennsylvania Hockey Hall of Fame to be right here in Pennsylvania, to preserve the history of hockey in Western Pennsylvania and the State of Pennsylvania and I am willing to head up a group of volunteers to make it happen. I have preserved nearly 40 years of hockey history through archives in Western Pa and Eastern Pa and would like to invite the Governor and Eastern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Flyer hockey community to join in this effort to build something that can be enjoyed for years to come. The Pa Hockey Foundation was founded to promote the sport, preserve the history and build an Interscholastic Hockey network across the United States through our three Websites Pa Hockey at www.pahockey.net , Pa Hockey History www.pahockey.org and Interscholastic Hockey Today USA at www.pahockey.org . Our Foundation also oversees three great hockey events in this area including the 15th Annual UPMC St Margaret’s Fall Face-Off (a premier local Interscholastic Event in October), the 13th Annual Pa Hockey Scholastic Showcase (a premier regional event each December) and the 2nd Annual National Invitational Scholastic Showcase (an event featuring the top schools from 7 states a year ago and growing into more in 2007). In addition, our partnership with UPMC St Margaret’s is fostering the Pa Hockey Developmental Hockey Programs (our pilot program in the East Suburbs has over 250 participants), the Pa Hockey First Choice Educational Program, the St Margaret’s AED Health and Community Outreach and Awareness Program, and the Pa Hockey Network to provide a multi-media outlet to bring promotion and coverage to our events. We have brought all of this to the Western Pennsylvania Hockey Community at NO cost to the individual members, other than tournament fees that cover game costs of the tournament games. This is an opportunity for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Hockey Community to embrace some great people, great ideas and extend their outreach to the community at little or no cost. I would invite Mario, the State, the County, the City to join our effort to continue the memories for another 40 years of Pittsburgh Penguins hockey. Let’s let people for years to come remember and appreciate the beginnings, the struggles, the history of this franchise, this city, the hockey community and not let it die because March 13, 2007 will be remembered as a day of a new beginning, but also should be a celebration of a legacy of the Mario Lemieux, the Pittsburgh Penguins and hockey in Western Pennsylvania and hockey Pennsylvania as the Governor may be able to build an even bigger bridge between here and Philadelphia and the rest of Eastern Pennsylvania called Pa Hockey History. I am a Penguin Season Ticket Holder and Fan since 1967 and proud to be a Pittsburgh Penguins fan!

If you are looking for individual Game Summaries for the Penguins Cup and Flyers Cup playoffs. Please look at the bottom of the Pa Hockey Main Page and look for scores marked ***GAME SUMMARIES***. In addition, those games are marked with [H] will have highlights of those games. Follow the Penguins Cup and Flyers Cup all the way to the Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships in Aston in April !

Cast your votes for Class AAA, AA and A for the Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships The Fans have voted and the choices for the Pa State Championships are: Class AAA - Bethel Park Class AA - Thomaas Jefferson Class A - Quaker Valley

Sources close to the Caped Crusader from outside of Gotham City northeast of Erie, Pa. and North of Mr Western NY have indicated if the negotiations with the Penguins go past February 15th, that the city of Pittsburgh may lose its professional hockey team. Once again, the State and Local Politicians have done a great job of cementing the exodus. Where is the common sense 'Concerned Citizens'? This professional hockey club has brought more publicity and goodwill to this city and almost rivals the Steelers, especially among people ages 10 - 40 ! Pa Hockey will continue, but will the Penguins Cup survive ? Will we call it [gulp], the Hornets Cup ? Wow, things could really change here people and maybe its time for public outrage ? I really wondered why the Penguins were in such a HUGE hurry to collect all of the playoff ticket money and at double the prices ? Will there be a refund or is this a stage coach holdup by a Berkle, before they ride out of town on their white horse to Kansas City ? Start singing people and follow the bouncing puck ' Goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come Goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come They got some crazy lil' women there, And I'm gonna get me one. I'm goin' be stand on the corner Twelfth Street and Vine I'm goin' be stand on the corner Twelfth Street and Vine With my Kansas City baby And a bottle of Kansas City wine. Well I might pick a train I might pick a plane, but if I have to walk I'm goin' just the same Goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come They got some crazy lil' women there And I'm gonna get me one And one last thing, for my good friends the Villans, who collected nearly 70 High School jerseys to hang at Mellon Arena ? Hang on to them, because you can clean up the blood spilled on Mario Lemieux Place. Cause in this story, he has given too much blood and his team in this town is on life support !

The 2007 Flyers Cup marks the 27th Annual Tournament at Class AAA, AA and A. This years will have 53 schools compete at three levels culminating in the Flyers Cup Championships and the Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships in Aston on April 7th. The Cardinal O'Hara Lions, Haverford Fords and Panncrest Lions are poised to defend their 2006 Flyers Cup Championships. The 2007 Tournament Schedule is NOW AVAILABLE only on Pa Hockey and includes the complete history dating back to 1980 ! The 2007 Flyers Cup Previews are NOW AVAILABLE courtesy of Breakaway Magazine ! Please check out all of the action at the bottom of the Pa Hockey Main Page for ***GAME SUMMARIES*** and Highlights [H] 2007 Flyers Cup Championships Class A - West Chester Henderson Warriors 4 Kennett Blue Demons 2 Class AA - Haverford High Fords 7 Washington Twp Minutemen[NJ] 6 Class AAA - Holy Ghost Prep Firebirds 7 Cardinal O'Hara Lions 3