Having lived and played in Pittsburgh for most of high school, juniors there won't happen. Like Philly, there is intense concentration on professional sports with no interest to spare. The Steelers are undisputed king with the Pens and HS football following behind. Nutting and the Buccos are on the downswing.
A recent USHL game at the UPMC Lemieux Ice Center in Cranberry was empty. FHL at Rostraver was tried. Their Tier III junior team draws parents and few others. Not to chirp the average Yinzer, but there isn't interest in non-Penguins hockey. The Pens gained broader attention from people new to hockey fandom in the early 90s who then went back to the Steelers until the Crosby-Malkin-Fleury era started. AAA programs produce good talent but hockey in the area isn't developed enough. Plus, there's no rink to ice the team. UPMC Lemieux is maxed out for ice slots, Rostraver wasn't even fit for the Fed. RMU's rink can't be that much bigger than Mt. Lebo or Southpointe. The college crowd idea was tried by the Rebels, being within 100 yards of two huge schools, and that didn't work. If the kids won't leave their dorms to support their school team, they certainly won't leave for some kids they don't know.
I'm not saying a junior team in Pittsburgh is imminent or even likely, but I wouldn't rule it out either. While I think the Rebels working in Philly would have helped the cause, I don't think that their demise at all means an NAHL team can't work in Pittsburgh.
Firstly, I don't really think it's fair to base this off of the Vengeance's attendance. While they may only draw "parents and few others" that's true of almost every Tier 3 team. Their business model isn't based on ticket revenue, so it's an afterthought. There's a big difference between the USPHL and the USHL or even the NAHL. Heck, if anything, the fact that the Vengeance has survived in the area for over two decades (albeit under a few different names) kind of shows that juniors has a place here.
The USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry was not at all empty; there was a fairly full crowd there, especially for the evening games. It was tough to even find parking. The rink's management has even discussed a possible third ice pad down in the future that would have a much higher seating capacity to potentially house a USHL team. In its current state, the rink could probably pull off an NAHL team in Rink 1. As you mentioned, it is a rather busy rink; however, if the Pens owned the team (and there have been credible rumors that the Lemieux ownership group kicked the tires on a USHL franchise) they would be able to prioritize their ice time. That said, I get the sense that if the Pens still want to fill that rink with a full time tenant, it will be with an NWHL team, and recent NWHL games there have been a big success.
Southpointe is actually an interesting one. After losing the Penguins, the rink was purchased by a company that owns both rinks and junior teams. The new owners' portfolio includes teams at all three tiers of junior hockey, including the nearby Youngstown Phantoms. One of their strategies in generating new revenue for the rinks it buys has been to place buy a team to place in it. Could that be in their plans for Canonsburg? So far, they've done some renovations, added a restaurant, and sold the naming rights for what is now Printscape Arena. The seating capacity is probably too low for anything beyond Tier 3, but there's likely some ways to cram in enough for an NAHL team if they keep investing in the rink. And minor league baseball does well in nearby Washington, PA, so it seems possible.
RMU's rink is actually big enough as they previously hosted the NAHL's Pittsburgh Forge. The Forge relocated when RMU bought the rink and added NCAA D1 hockey. So despite having enough capacity, that one is likely off the table.
Rostraver is a dump, even after winning Hockeyville. So nope.
If Greensburg could add seating somehow to the Nevin Arena, I think an NAHL team could do rather well there. While Greensburg itself isn't very big, it's surrounded by rather affluent suburbs that could take to having a way to catch decent hockey with their families without fighting the traffic on the Parkway East. It would also be a natural rival for Johnstown.
So aside from Cranberry, Greensburg, and Southpointe, the other location I would look to is Shadyside. The city is seeking to redevelop the old Hunt Armory and proposals have called for an ice rink with plenty of seating. How much seating is yet to be determined, but it's a big building with plenty of space. Pittsburgh's East End has become a development hot bed and this rink would be in walking distance to many families and young professionals. The Pens have even offered to help run the rink, and given their recent penchant to grow hockey as a sport rather than just their brand, they just might be interested in having a junior team there.
I may be biased as a Pittsburgher, but while I do recognize that everything would have to be done just right, I think there's a possibility.
Ranked 5th in League points & playing at a 1.46 pt./game clip, he is a very big reason why the Bulls now have a 9-point lead in a very competitive South Division. His future Western Michigan coaching staff must be anxious for his arrival.
