Congratulations to the following teams who medaled in the 2021 Keystone Games:

16u Boys Midget, Gold Medal

18u Boys Midget, Silver Medal

PB

And to Central Region 

18 U Bronze 

16 U Silver 

14 U Silver 

12 U Bronze 

 

They should add copper or aluminum so everyone gets a medal. It's shameful that one team gets excluded like that!!

1 hour ago, sadday4hockey said:

They should add copper or aluminum so everyone gets a medal. It's shameful that one team gets excluded like that!!

well..... sucks to suck 

1 hour ago, sadday4hockey said:

They should add copper or aluminum so everyone gets a medal. It's shameful that one team gets excluded like that!!

Everyone's a comedian!

I have to say it is a bit amazing they were able to pull this off after a year where it was cancelled. I didn't have the best experience at the KSG and found my region to be disorganized and the coaching to be lacking. However, it is an event that definitely has potential to be very good.

3 hours ago, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

I have to say it is a bit amazing they were able to pull this off after a year where it was cancelled. I didn't have the best experience at the KSG and found my region to be disorganized and the coaching to be lacking. However, it is an event that definitely has potential to be very good.

it doesnt even attract the best kids, most of the best kids for west where at the chowder cup 

 

 

Having been a part of this for 25 years, the Keystone Games needs some work. Too many lopsided games in my opinion and some very close good games.

The Regions in the West and Central need to be split down the middle the number of players and more players from the East Suburbs and North Suburbs need to participate and be included in both regions. The answer is that the West Region needs to have tryouts in North and East Suburbs and by re-drawing the district boundaries it will refuel the West and Central. And moving the games to the West half of the State would help as well. If you move the games West, you will see a lot of people play in the games locally and may give Boston a 2nd thought. 

I saw a few Pens Elite, Esmark and Vengeance kids participating FYI ............Kudos to the committee for starting later on Friday to save people money (one less hotel night). 

 

On 8/10/2021 at 6:39 PM, PUCKCOVID19 said:

it doesnt even attract the best kids, most of the best kids for west where at the chowder cup 

 

 

Well then..... now that’s a hell of a point!

 if “the best” kids aren’t there just they should have just shut it all down. Honestly, why do players that aren’t the presumed and anointed “best kids” even play at all? 
Better yet.. dissolve PAHL and have high school hockey create a SEC- like power conference so the “haves” can all play each other exclusively.
The “have nots”? 
Let them play shinny! SMH

Motion to unpin from the top.  This discussion, like the event before it, needs to fade away.

On 8/10/2021 at 6:39 PM, PUCKCOVID19 said:

it doesnt even attract the best kids, most of the best kids for west where at the chowder cup 

 

 

Which definitely wasn’t the case in the early to mid 90s. 

1 hour ago, muckerandgrinder said:

if “the best” kids aren’t there just they should have just shut it all down. Honestly, why do players that aren’t the presumed and anointed “best kids” even play at all? 
Better yet.. dissolve PAHL and have high school hockey create a SEC- like power conference so the “haves” can all play each other exclusively.
The “have nots”? 
Let them play shinny! SMH

Isn't that exactly what PPE has done over the course of their existence?

From "Elite Mites" to leaving the T1 Elite League and creating the "Northeast Pack" and finally the Prep Team that isn't really a Prep team.

Shinny for the peasants is a great call mucker.

We participated at the 18u tournament for Central. Got bronze on a tie breaker to the west. Here is how it stacked up

North Team - some college kids (ACHA mostly) some T3 kids and a mix of skill form Wilkes Barre area. Lost big to East, pretty big to Central, and beat West

West Team - Similar mix bit more skill from around Pittsburgh area. Beat central 5-4, lost big to East, and lost to North

Central - ACHA kids from Mercyhurst, Kids from Icemen, some AA, and a mix of others.  Lost to west by a goal, beat Central pretty big, and lost 6-4 (with EN)

East - Basically entire team was Jr. Flyers and Genesis. Kids said team was built two months prior and had been practicing. It showed. 
 

Our central team after two games really blended and gave them a heck of a game. 
 

This tournament is huge for the Philly area apparently. Not so much elsewhere. Central had a hard time getting kids. Lots of counties but really only four or five actually have hockey. The west has a large base to draw from but their isn’t anyway PPE or Esmark is going to let their kids play!

My son and the players really enjoyed it. I didn’t like the three game format. No playoff feel. Tie breakers decided 2-4. 

3 hours ago, Novos51 said:

We participated at the 18u tournament for Central. Got bronze on a tie breaker to the west. Here is how it stacked up

North Team - some college kids (ACHA mostly) some T3 kids and a mix of skill form Wilkes Barre area. Lost big to East, pretty big to Central, and beat West

West Team - Similar mix bit more skill from around Pittsburgh area. Beat central 5-4, lost big to East, and lost to North

Central - ACHA kids from Mercyhurst, Kids from Icemen, some AA, and a mix of others.  Lost to west by a goal, beat Central pretty big, and lost 6-4 (with EN)

East - Basically entire team was Jr. Flyers and Genesis. Kids said team was built two months prior and had been practicing. It showed. 
 

Our central team after two games really blended and gave them a heck of a game. 
 

This tournament is huge for the Philly area apparently. Not so much elsewhere. Central had a hard time getting kids. Lots of counties but really only four or five actually have hockey. The west has a large base to draw from but their isn’t anyway PPE or Esmark is going to let their kids play!

My son and the players really enjoyed it. I didn’t like the three game format. No playoff feel. Tie breakers decided 2-4. 

You might be mixing up your regions.  Looking at the program rosters for 18U, the East was mostly from WBS teams.  The South was mostly Genesis and Team Philly, with one Little Flyer and one Philly Elite (Hollydell).

25 minutes ago, carroll81 said:

You might be mixing up your regions.  Looking at the program rosters for 18U, the East was mostly from WBS teams.  The South was mostly Genesis and Team Philly, with one Little Flyer and one Philly Elite (Hollydell).

You are correct. Thanks!

Kudos to the Central Midget 18 U Team who battled the South (Handpicked team that had several Practices and Scrimmages) to a one goal game and if they had won would have pulled off Gold. 

Team was coached by Mercyhurst Coach Tom McKinnon who did a great job ! Mostly Erie College kids and High School Players (2002 - 2005 BY) Players gave Philly all they could handle.

Central Midget 16 U, Bantam 14 U and Pee Wee 12 U all were very competitive and either beat Philly or played one goal games with them.

Here's a beautiful stat about Keystone Games ,,,,,,South Region Philadelphia 6000 Registered USA Hockey Players - Central Great Lakes Nittany Region 1200 Registered USA Hockey Players. Also East 3500 and West 2700

Thanks to All who participated 

Edited August 14, 20215 yr by Pa Hockey

Honestly you have to think they will go the way other sports at the KSG went years ago and just have teams enter, rather than individuals. KSG needs to get with the times. Teams are picked in the spring now and many teams practice all summer. It's very expensive to out together a one off team for just one weekend. 

On 8/15/2021 at 4:54 PM, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

Honestly you have to think they will go the way other sports at the KSG went years ago and just have teams enter, rather than individuals. KSG needs to get with the times. Teams are picked in the spring now and many teams practice all summer. It's very expensive to out together a one off team for just one weekend. 

If the West (or Central, for that matter) is going to ever be able to compete with the South (philly), they need to pick a team right after Midams, practice and do at least 1 summer tourney before playing at KSG.  The South continually has high level players in the boys' brackets, and practically no AAA players play for West or Central, thus making it a difficult task right out of the gate.

I enjoy the KSG concept but it needs refinement - especially a playoff game.  3 games is too little. 

Yeah, a playoff would make it a little more meaningful.  And move the event to State College.  Seems like a pretty central location for all.

We have gone back and forth on the format and a 4th game would mean an additional (logistically double pad rink and one game a day with 5 divisions) day in the hotel and drive up the costs to an already expensive tournament.

I would be in favor of a pre-tournament set of games between West / Central and South / East the week prior as a tune up for the actual games. The Format rewards the best teams because pretty good tiebreakers. 

Central Midget 16 U, Bantam 14 U and Pee Wee 12 U all were very competitive and either beat Philly or played one goal games with them.

 

I appreciate all this discussion. I think this tournament could be really awesome if people see the opportunity 

1 hour ago, Novos51 said:

I appreciate all this discussion. I think this tournament could be really awesome if people see the opportunity 

Novo ..............Needs to be good competition at all levels and playing field in West / Central needs to be leveled with distribution of players. 

On 8/10/2021 at 6:39 PM, PUCKCOVID19 said:

it doesnt even attract the best kids, most of the best kids for west where at the chowder cup 

 

 

you are correct about Chowder Cup. Unfortunately many of the "better" players do not play HS hockey.... if I am not mistaken, KSG participation is for Scholastic/HS players.

25 minutes ago, brokenstix said:

you are correct about Chowder Cup. Unfortunately many of the "better" players do not play HS hockey.... if I am not mistaken, KSG participation is for Scholastic/HS players.

I would dispute this on a couple of levels. Most of the teams had college kids at the 18u level and the Philly team was mostly AAA. With the exception of PPE most other programs allow their kids to play HS