Great weekend of squirt major hockey for the E9 – 06 teams that competed this past Saturday and Sunday! Hats off to the BA – 06 team for moving up to #1 spot after a decisive win over VJW. We have had additional movement in the weekly rankings, see below.

1) BA – moves into the #1 spot after weeks of speculation related to the new defensive -system. We have seen limited offensive -scoring power, however the 4-1 upset over VJW is a step in the right direction. Congrats to BA, let’s see if they can continue the momentum.

2) SCS – You move up with a strong showing against the Rifles, 3 wins in a row and still short-handed due to injuries.

3) Patriots – idle, no games this past weekend. Next weekend is the showdown in Haverhill vs VJW.

4) Rifles – Moving down due to SCS loss, however big win over BJR. A win next weekend over VJW with a Patriots loss moves you up

5) VJW – Moving down again after the BA beat down at Pilgrim. 2 tough games next weekend, win both and your back up.

6) Glades – Outscored opponents 11 – 10 in the last 4 games, 2 big wins over the Rifles and Knights and as a result you move up. 2 light games next weekend vs ECW, need 2 wins to maintain position.

7) Knights – After a long ride to VT, LK went 1-1-1 with the Glades in a 3 game series, as a result a move down, we need to see more from this team.

8) ECW – Idle, no games this past weekend. Will the Wiz upset BA in Hingham next weekend?

9) BJR – Idle, this team is definitely struggling again and should consider a move down to BHL.

Feel free to post comments, looking forward to several great games next weekend!

Patriots will continue to dominate as they roll through the competition this weekend. Looking forward to a rematch against BA soon.

The BA new defensive system is working. Things are coming together and this team is beginning to Gel!

06 breakers would dominate E9

VJW in a freefall.

Having the BJR in the E9 is a complete joke. Coach has no Cred and all the kids do is swear after losses.
Change the format. If an e9 founder can't be in top six, they don't belong.

True, those BJR kids are something else. But have you seen the BJR06 parents!? Holy hell... what an assembly of deplorables. When you see an adult walking around in a youth XXL squirt BJR jersey you know you're in for a parental sh*tshow.

Breakers only played 1 decent team so far and lost. Wait until you get your weak part of schedule over and you'll be in middle at best

06 breakers are lucky to be in the EHF never mind E9

06 Breakers would be BHL American at best - sorry T-mac got cut by all the talented 06 players that have come and gone from that program

Seriously. A new defensive system ?????? Thought BA was all about development and skills ? Kids should not be learning about defensive systems and concentrating on the "W". Learn the skills. You will start to see kids with hockey sense now. Those are the kids that will excel later on Learning a defensive system will help no body down the line.

What - you don't think these kids are capable of learning a system while continuing to develop their skills? It is isn't mutually exclusive. If it were, the kids would just do skill sessions and play very few games.

What is the defensive system anyway? Give the puck to d guys and let them decide what to do with it?

Clearly you haven't watched this team play. They have controlled the puck in every game this season 3-4 times more then the opposing teams. They are learning to move the puck and to control possession of the puck in the offensive zone. Skills which are being developed as the game transitions from 1 or 2 players skating around everyone and scoring to what hockey is suppose to be like.

You fools keep talking about scoring, however, as they are learning to maintain possession in the offensive zone, there have been many times where scoring chances are passed up in an effort to maintain possession. As its new, once the players are more comfortable, those chances will end up in the back of the net.

And to the skills development guy, hockey is a team sport, and all the individual skills in the world don't translate if a kid doesn't know how to play as team and move the puck when he should.

Some might argue they would be better off under this plan. Skills with intrasquad competitive games. Games are for parents. Do you think driving all over New England (or further) to play a different group of 12 year olds is really what makes them reach their potential?

This coming from someone that drives and flies all over for their kid's hockey games. I love doing it, and I love watching him play, but I don't think it is an essential part of the development plan.

funny. BA kids learning a defensive system for years the program was about the fabulous skills and the emphasis on the kids development and not team w's. has this changed ? now if the kids skate well and move the puck and are creative with the puck and find open teammates then that is skill. in fact it is tremendous skill for kids this age hockey sense can be taught. but this type of skill is not taught by creating neutral zone traps and defining particular roles and positioning in the defensive zone. so which one is it? Is BA still concentrating on skill development or are they now defining success by the amount of w's a team has.

BA is teaching the kids how to play a "team" game. Discipline, trusting your teammates, and working hard together as a team towards the greater goal of teamwork will equal skill development and yes eventually wins as a result of the team coming together. VJW doing the same as are the Patriots. Or would you rather teams rely on one or two stud players going end to end and maybe scoring at a 25% clip? If that is your preference, then back to mite hockey you go. Squirts learning accountability and roles within the team is big now. Guess you are the dad of the dynamic kid who scored all his teams goals as a mite, and now he is being forced to play a team game and doesn't score as much, which is crushing your dreams as being "the dad" of the best kid on the team. Sad thing is that your stud kid is learning more playing a team game and it will suit him in the long run against being the kid that can go end to end all the time. And an FYI, the kid doing end to end as a squirt usually ends up looking for his head by the time he is a bantam. Good luck to you all. Peace.

if that is what's happening then great! glad to hear it. I believe that this is a team game and that kids should look to pass the puck and that skills and teamwork = success. Hockey sense can be taught and it involves moving the puck not hogging the puck. But that is not what was said at beginning of the post It said that BA has a defensive system. System hockey is not what should be taught at this level. basic positioning yes. Systems no. Systems limit skill development. Save systems for the colleges and Boston Bruins. Let Claude do that. I have seen many BA teams throughout the years and usually at the lower levels they are anything but what you describe. They lower teams are usually highly skilled individuals who can skate around any cone. The BA game at those levels are usually 5 individuals doing their own thing. So if this has changed then great! Just don't tell me they have systems. That is stupid.
As far as your opinion on me and my kid goes you no nothing of what you speak. My advice to you is to keep your eyes on your own kid and keep your mouth shut. People who have opinions about other kids and over promote their own will find out that they will run out of teams that they can play for. People who enjoy the ride and watch their kid flourish will find that doors will open up later down the line. Nobody is watching squirts or pee wees (not preps or colleges) but they will soon enough. so, keep your mouth shut and your your eyes open.

if that is what's happening then great! glad to hear it. I believe that this is a team game and that kids should look to pass the puck and that skills and teamwork = success. Hockey sense can be taught and it involves moving the puck not hogging the puck. But that is not what was said at beginning of the post It said that BA has a defensive system. System hockey is not what should be taught at this level. basic positioning yes. Systems no. Systems limit skill development. Save systems for the colleges and Boston Bruins. Let Claude do that. I have seen many BA teams throughout the years and usually at the lower levels they are anything but what you describe. They lower teams are usually highly skilled individuals who can skate around any cone. The BA game at those levels are usually 5 individuals doing their own thing. So if this has changed then great! Just don't tell me they have systems. That is stupid.

*As far as your opinion on me and my kid goes you no nothing of what you speak.*
- And where in the post you are responding to are comments singling out "your" kid to cause you to fly off the handle and tell me to keep my eyes on my own kid and my mouth shut? Looks like a nerve was touched. Ahem, sorry your kid was cut from all those BA teams...

My advice to you is to keep your eyes on your own kid and keep your mouth shut. People who have opinions about other kids and over promote their own will find out that they will run out of teams that they can play for. People who enjoy the ride and watch their kid flourish will find that doors will open up later down the line. Nobody is watching squirts or pee wees (not preps or colleges) but they will soon enough. so, keep your mouth shut and your your eyes open.

if you read the post ahead of mine then you would know I was accused as being the dad of the "dynamic kid" who never passes the puck. quite frankly BA is what it is. an organization that teaches skills and does it well on an individual basis. Again, I have seen the younger BA teams play throughout the years. Great skill no teamwork. if the 05's pass the puck and are playing as a team then great for them. i think they will learn a lot more than just skating around cones and be better overall players. I honestly hope they are a good team. maybe things there have changed? have they?

My kid never played for BA. He never tried out. I never wanted my kid to just concentrate on individual skills. hockey is a team game and should be taught as a team game Remember, passing, playing with vision and playing without the puck are skills too. BA never fit into what I thought was important in learning how to be a complete player. BA has a big following and I get that. it's just not for me and mine. So play for BA. I hope you are happy with the results. I can honestly say the my kid is better playing where he is now than he ever would have been playing there. to each his own and good luck to you.

Thank you for your contradictory post regarding team and individual development. We get it, you want your kid to be a star player on a weak team. Good for you, Learning systems and the basics of team play is vital at the squirt age and up. Come bantams, the kids who have been team players all along will prosper while the one man show kids will be in for a rude awakening when they get their blocks knocked off by still trying to go one on five. I sleep well at night knowing my kid is the one that will be crushing the prima donna from squirts that used to be able to dangle.

Get a life

I agree... get a fn life.. your kids crushing other kids. LOL LOSER , someone is living the life he never had through his kid.. poor kid