By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
The National Collegiate Development Conference is proud to announce that South Shore Kings goaltender Ryan Keyes has been named the New England Division Goaltender Of The Year, as voted on by the division’s coaches.
The Merrimack College recruit Keyes, an ‘03 from Fairbanks, Alaska, began his junior career in 2020-21 in his hometown, before first joining the NCDC with the former Philadelphia Hockey Club in 2021-22. The next year, he saw his first big season of improvement in the Mercer Chiefs, putting up a .914 save percentage in 10 wins. This 2023-24 season has seen even better stats from the Alaskan, as the first-year King led the league with 31 wins. He was second in goals against average at 2.00, and Keyes was third in save percentage at .933.
In the playoffs over his career, Keyes has gone 10-1-2-0 with a .944 save percentage, making him the NCDC’s all-time leader in playoff wins, save percentage and goals against average (1.96). This year, he is 8-1-0-0 with a .933 save percentage, and those eight wins are an NCDC single season record, as well.
“I am very grateful to receive this award. First I would like to thank my parents for allowing me to pursue my dream of playing hockey, as well as all the coaches who have put their faith in me and helped me get to this point of my career,” said Keyes, in an e-mailed statement. “I would also like to thank all of my teammates for showing up everyday and pushing me to get better. To all my billets, teammates, and friends throughout my journey thank you for pushing me to be my best and supporting me along the way.”
“Ryan is a special person. He is a true leader and a great teammate. He has been consistent for our group all season long and is a big reason why we have advanced in the NCDC Dineen Cup Playoffs,” said Kings Head Coach Tyler Holske. “His work ethic and attention to detail are elite. This award is well-deserved.”
The NCDC joins the South Shore Kings in congratulating Ryan Keyes for being named the New England Division Goaltender Of The Year.
About The NCDC
The National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) was founded in 2017 as the Tuition-Free Tier II conference of the United States Premier Hockey League, itself founded in 2012. The NCDC consists of 18 teams in three divisions, two on the Eastern Seaboard and one in the Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
The NCDC has sent more than 250 alumni to play NCAA Division I hockey, and more than 900 overall into NCAA college hockey. There were also more than 250 alumni in pro hockey around the world during the 2023-24 season. Former NCDC player Drew O’Connor has become a regular with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, Collin Graf recently signed and has played with the San Jose Sharks, and there have been seven players selected in the NHL Entry Draft from the NCDC.
