Pittsburgh Post Gazette Stellar 6 2021-2022

[Pa Hockey]

Stellar Six 2022: Meet the Post-Gazette's hockey all-stars | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

These are the Cream if the Crop in Western Pa High School Hockey for 2022 -

Congrats to ALL

[nemesis8679]

Can someone put up screens hots, or at least names and teams? I just get the pay wall. 

[Spear and Magic Helmet]

13 minutes ago, nemesis8679 said:

Can someone put up screens hots, or at least names and teams? I just get the pay wall. 

Connor Chi, NA, forward

COLBY BILSKI, TJ, forward

Trey Gallo, NA, defense

Ed Nowicki, Baldwin, goal

William Tomko, Peters, forward

Chase Williams, FR, forward

 

Looks like no one from the B division made it, though honestly I'm not sure if any of them are better than these 6.

[Danner27]

1 hour ago, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

Connor Chi, NA, forward

COLBY BILSKI, TJ, forward

Trey Gallo, NA, defense

Ed Nowicki, Baldwin, goal

William Tomko, Peters, forward

Chase Williams, FR, forward

 

Looks like no one from the B division made it, though honestly I'm not sure if any of them are better than these 6.

4 3A 

2 2A

[AMR24]

2 hours ago, Spear and Magic Helmet said:

Connor Chi, NA, forward

COLBY BILSKI, TJ, forward

Trey Gallo, NA, defense

Ed Nowicki, Baldwin, goal

William Tomko, Peters, forward

Chase Williams, FR, forward

 

Looks like no one from the B division made it, though honestly I'm not sure if any of them are better than these 6.

I always feel players in the B division often get over looked because they are in a co-op. There are some really good players scattered about the B division.

[Pa Hockey]

The only player I think should have been on it is Brett Smith from TJ and he was considered. Keith did a great job with all selected ...Congrats to All 

 

[hockeyisgreat]

What about Ian Norkivicus?  Top scorer in D-2?   Top point getter in any division should be considered!  Maybe they should have a top 10 at least.  Wouldn't diminish the achievment.

[Novos51]

18 hours ago, hockeyisgreat said:

What about Ian Norkivicus?  Top scorer in D-2?   Top point getter in any division should be considered!  Maybe they should have a top 10 at least.  Wouldn't diminish the achievment.

The struggle with the B division is two fold. First they don’t get the attention the pure schools have and I don’t expect that will change. In most sports AAAA gets more press than A. The other is the belief (and it’s somewhat fair) that the top scorers see lower level goaltending. The ceiling in B is pretty darn good but the basement can be pretty darn low. 
 

[hockey57410]

20 hours ago, AMR24 said:

I always feel players in the B division often get over looked because they are in a co-op. There are some really good players scattered about the B division.

If you watch the open division, the play is significantly lower.  If you went to Alpha to watch the all star game it was noticeable the speed from B Division to the AAA division.  If you're even halfway decent travel hockey player and your school is one of the co-ops or in B Division, you'll dominate.  Sadly it all depends on where your school gets placed each year unless you're one of the traditional AAA schools.

[hockeyisgreat]

2 minutes ago, hockey57410 said:

If you watch the open division, the play is significantly lower.  If you went to Alpha to watch the all star game it was noticeable the speed from B Division to the AAA division.  If you're even halfway decent travel hockey player and your school is one of the co-ops or in B Division, you'll dominate.  Sadly it all depends on where your school gets placed each year unless you're one of the traditional AAA schools.

I have to respectfully disagree!  Maybe the overall depth in the B Division isn't as good as AAA, but the kids who dominate B are not "halfway decent travel hockey players" they are for the most part AAA and AA players just like the rest of the divisions. 

It is just like Quad A football. There are more D-1 players per school but you can still see D-1 players in Single A Football.

[twoboys]

No way there were considering the A or B division players.  That is just the way it is.  Two kids in A had unbelievable goal totals.  One with 38 and one with 36. 

What about the kid from Meadville who lead AA in points?  He had 33 goals in 18 games.  Unreal.

  

[Pa Hockey]

This is why I like the Pa Hockey Top 25 which gives accolades to AAA, AA, A and B and Norkevicus was on that list along with 24 others and so were the Stellar 6. 

My kid played A Hockey for FR and based on his College Career in the ACHA did ok leading the entire ACHA in scoring as a 19 yo sophomore (chest thump). Virag at Pitt did ok  too  along with Adamski RMU (Hampton AA), Kimmick SRU (TJ A)  Leslie Pitt (Penn Trafford AA) just to name a few who went from HS to College ACHA and many other over the years. ACHA and CHMA is good hockey, not great. 

Maybe Danner (His kid was an excellent ACHA Player as well) and I will open a business and make lots of money placing kids LOL. 

[Spear and Magic Helmet]

15 minutes ago, hockeyisgreat said:

I have to respectfully disagree!  Maybe the overall depth in the B Division isn't as good as AAA, but the kids who dominate B are not "halfway decent travel hockey players" they are for the most part AAA and AA players just like the rest of the divisions. 

It is just like Quad A football. There are more D-1 players per school but you can still see D-1 players in Single A Football.

I agree with this. There aren't many, but there are good players in the open division. I think you can make the same argument about the A division as well. The bottom isn't great, but the top is good and there are some pretty good players at that level as well.

[Pa Hockey]

Just now, twoboys said:

No way there were considering the A or B division players.  That is just the way it is.  Two kids in A had unbelievable goal totals.  One with 38 and one with 36. 

What about the kid from Meadville who lead AA in points?  He had 33 goals in 18 games.  Unreal.

  

Mahoney is going to Colgate ACHA 

[twoboys]

1 minute ago, Pa Hockey said:

Mahoney is going to Colgate ACHA 

Smart kid.

[Danner27]

There is a reason why four of these kids are from 3A & two are from 2A. The hockey is a different level in those classes. teams are deeper in these classes. 

 

Sure, there are some good players scattered around 1A & B - but the competition is not the same. That kid that puts up 25 goals in B is not going to come close to that in 3A or 2A. It’s just the reality. 

[Danner27]

22 minutes ago, twoboys said:

No way there were considering the A or B division players.  That is just the way it is.  Two kids in A had unbelievable goal totals.  One with 38 and one with 36. 

What about the kid from Meadville who lead AA in points?  He had 33 goals in 18 games.  Unreal.

  

Looking at this meadville player - 33 goals in 2A is impressive. I would have included him in this list. I’m sure politics, etc has a little input *cough* FR ? 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Danner27

[Spear and Magic Helmet]

2 minutes ago, Danner27 said:

There is a reason why four of these kids are from 3A & two are from 2A. The hockey is a different level in those classes. teams are deeper in these classes. 

 

Sure, there are some good players scattered around 1A & B - but the competition is not the same. That kid that puts up 25 goals in B is not going to come close to that in 3A or 2A. It’s just the reality. 

Yes, that definitely true. I was thinking more of a kid who scores 50 or something along those lines. 25 goals in B is definitely not nearly as big of a deal. I think that also hurts the B and the A division too. The hockey is not that great. Most of the other discussions on this forum revolve on what teams are the best and people trying to get on the best teams. In high school, you either play or you don't. You really don't have any choice other than that. No "extra A" in high school. If the team is in a low division, you either accept the low level of play or you don't play. I think that is a factor too, some of the guys who could be good in B or A just don't play, which in turn makes the level lower than it could be.

[hockeyisgreat]

My only point is why not have a Stellar 10 and name 4 from AAA, 2 from AA, 2 from A, and 2 from D-2 or some formula of that.  Ashamed that the smaller Divisions and schools get no recognition when those kids play as hard as everybody else.  And I'm not advocating participation trophies!

[Danner27]

1 minute ago, hockeyisgreat said:

My only point is why not have a Stellar 10 and name 4 from AAA, 2 from AA, 2 from A, and 2 from D-2 or some formula of that.  Ashamed that the smaller Divisions and schools get no recognition when those kids play as hard as everybody else.  And I'm not advocating participation trophies!

We found the everyone gets a trophy person ? 

it is what it is. There are probably 10-20 other players that deserved to be in the stellar 6. 

[Danner27]

26 minutes ago, Pa Hockey said:

Mahoney is going to Colgate ACHA 

I believe Colgate is part of the CHF. 

[BeaverFalls]

If co-op hockey could compete, there would be no such thing as the lmhl in Johnstown. There’s definitely some good individual players, but it’s nowhere near the caliber hockey as average and above programs in pihl. 

[Rancho1]

D2 doesn't count to the PG. The kid from Burrell a few years ago never made it. It is what is, no sense in crying.  

[Saucey]

I find it unfortunate that a post meant to celebrate an accomplishment devolved into a large discussion regarding a complaint. Standard for here. It's ok to want to discuss it. But it's really a tangent to the OP that could be its own post.

I understand the complaint, very talented hockey players don't get as much attention in high school because of where they go to school, something they do not have control over. However, it is true that it is more of an accomplishment to do what the six celebrated here did both because of their talent AND because of the level of hockey they played. It's a reason I completely approve of not basing hockey divisions over size of the school district alone. PIHL's current system generates and encourages the development of good hockey. I would submit that there are opportunities in PIHL to allow kids to get looks from juniors, etc, while not playing AAA. Rare, but the players celebrated here are also rare. It's a celebration of elite talent.

The All Star game is how all the talent at every division is celebrated. Why, exactly, is that not enough? 

Sorry, there isn't much of a comparison between the level of hockey played at  D2 and the stars of AAA. The hockey is almost an entirely different game. The speed, the difference in shot totals, etc. It's just not comparable.

I'm guilty of straying from the OP's topic, obviously, since I just did it.  ?

[hockeyisgreat]

 What is lmhl in Johnstown?  I do congratulate the Stellar 6.  Hopefully I can get out and watch some AAA PIHL hockey next year.  I also am excited for the PIHL decision to have a Girls High School league this year. 6 teams of girls from Western Pa is awesome and will hopefully grow from there.  Games start last week of April.  Sure would be nice for them to get some press.