Keczmers get family win as Ravenwood takes Predators Cup

ANTIOCH — Dan Keczmer played 235 games in the NHL before retiring in 2000, but he celebrated one of his most special achievements as a member of any hockey team Monday night.

The former Nashville Predator, now the second-year coach of the Ravenwood hockey team, coached the Raptors to the Greater Nashville Area Scholastic Hockey League Predators Cup with a 3-1 win over Montgomery Bell Academy at Ford Ice Center.

It was his son’s final game in a Raptors’ jersey.

“It’s something that’s hard to explain,” said Keczmer, who played for five NHL teams (including Nashville in 1998) during his 10-year NHL career. “We hugged each other at the end of the game and we both had tears in our eyes. It was a very emotional moment.”

While the moment was big for Coach Keczmer, it was even bigger for his son, Christian, a senior defenseman for the Raptors.

“It’s the biggest moment for me,” Christian said. “Being able to do this with him brings us closer. It’s the most amazing feeling; it’s like nothing else I’ve ever felt before.”

Monday marked the fourth time Ravenwood has hoisted the Predators Cup, and first since the 2012-13 season.

The Raptors (5-0) got the scoring started with a two-goal outburst in the first period. Colin Hedge was the first Raptor to find the back of the net with a wrap-around shot he tucked in the bottom corner. Less than two minutes later, Justin Gilbert made it 2-0 Raptors on an assist from Jake Walker.

Walker added a goal of his own with 4:12 left in the second, his eighth of the season. Jake Evans broke the scoring drought for MBA in the third.

The Big Red (4-1) struggled to get anything going on offense, as the Raptors outshot MBA 28-13, despite picking up nine penalties and spending a significant amount of time in the penalty box.

“Tonight we just could not get pucks on net,” said MBA coach Tim Kovick, whose Big Red squad finished runner-up for the second straight year. “We felt that they would come out and play us really hard and they did; they’re bigger and they’re a little bit older than we are. In hockey, that makes a big difference.

Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.