Let me start out by saying that I like the games played between teams from different leagues. They are interesting in the fact that you get to see how you stack up against teams you don't see often.

My problem is that the games are not treated the same way by the opponents facing each other. LBCSHL games vs SHSHL count for LB but only the stats, not the win/loss counts for SHSHL. Same for ICSHL vs SHSHL. CP lists the games as non-league and they do not count. I'll use Hatboro's schedule as an example. We played Dallastown at Hatfield last week. They showed up with 6 skaters and 1 goalie. I admire the kids who showed up; they toughed it out but lost 8 - 0. One of our own kids did not show up because the game did not count and he had an early travel game next day. Earlier in the season, we played Coatesville at Iceline at 6:45. Our top 4 players did not bother to make the trip and the ones that did spent 2 hrs on 202 and most of what was left did not get there until after game time.

If we are going to play these games, they should carry the same weight for all teams. <stepping up on soapbox>.

Time for my annual call for a Flyers Cup season long qualification tournament. The crossover games would be organized using teams set up in groups. This is not really any different than what AAA does, except that they have only 1 group. AA and A would have multiple groups with the top x number of teams from each group advancing to the Flyers Cup. The crossover games would be extremely important and would carry the same weight for all teams. How exciting would those games be all year with so much at stake?

Comments anyone?

The Flyers Cup selection committee will have the full season records for all candidate teams available to them, regardless of how the individual leagues maintain their standings. In addition to filling out teams' schedules, one of the primary purposes of the crossover games is to provide a reference point for evaluating the level of play from league to league, since each league organizes and schedules with different philosophies and plays different numbers of games. "Record" games include all league and league cross-over games, but not pre-season scrimmages or non-league games played privately between teams. Christmas tournament results are interesting, but can't be relied on until teams start treating the tournaments a little more seriously (like the HS basketball teams do), playing them with full rosters, "pure" teams, etc.

Mojo brings up a good point. A valid point at that.

As most people know, things are done differently in Western PA (note: WPA has their own set of problems and issues - their system is no where near perfect). All teams in WPA that are "eligible" for the State championships play in the same league (PIHL) - therefore these teams play each other throughout the season with a traditional playoff system to earn the right to play for the 'cup.

EPA, as we all know, has the Flyer's Cup tourney where teams are "invited" to the tourney rather than the traditional playoff system.

The only way to accomplish this in the east is to have a "united league" of some sort. Until HS hockey becomes a priority in EPA over travel hockey (HS is king in WPA), this task is almost impossible....but I like the idea

Finally, I can post a response.

The guys that pick the teams do a pretty good job. It's just that playing it out on the ice would do more for generating excitement in HS hockey. A bunch of guys in a back room making the decisions is not very exciting.

There is a better way.