By Cary Shuman
North Shore Stars hockey standouts Ryan Kyes and Michael Moschella are pictured on Saturday before their game at the Cronin Rink.
There was a golden time in Chelsea Youth Hockey when the Moschella, Kyes, and Quatieri families were the standard bearers for the excellence of a program that once had 200 players participating each week at the Cronin M.D.C. Rink in Revere.
Many of the CYH players would continue their careers at Chelsea High School in the old Greater Boston League, later the Commonwealth Athletic Conference. Some would go on to play hockey at private schools.
Saturday morning at the new Cronin Rink, two members of those illustrious hockey-playing local families – Michael Moschella, grandson of Karen Moschella and the late Mark Moschella, former CYH Commissioner and CHS head coach – and the son of Mark Moschella; and Ryan Kyes, son of Kevin Kyes and Linda Kyes, and nephew of Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes, were reunited on the ice as teammates for the North Shore Stars Squirt A team.
Also enjoying the Stars’ game against Winthrop were Michael Moschella’s uncles, former Chelsea star goaltender Scott Moschella and high-scoring forward Bryan Moschella.
“I see some of the speed in Michael that my brother Mark had,” said Scott Moschella, whose father, the late Robert F. Moschella Sr., was a founder and commissioner of Chelsea Youth Hockey in the 1970s. “I was a goalie, so I didn’t have the speed, but my brothers did. It’s always nice to see Michael and Ryan playing hockey together. That’s what it is all about – keeping busy with sports. I see Kevin and Brian [Kyes] all the time.”
Scott recalled when Chelsea High once fielded freshman, junior varsity, and varsity hockey teams. “It’s really changed quite a bit,” he said.
Mark Anthony Moschella may have been the proudest man in the arena. His son, Michael, a speedy 9-year-old forward with an accurate shot, has been skating since he was four years old.
“It’s beautiful,” said Mark. “This reminds me of when I was younger and growing up and my father taking me to the rinks in the mornings. Michael has the talent. I just hope he does something with it.”
Mark Anthony played hockey at Malden Catholic. The father is hopeful that his son will one day skate for the Lancers, who have become a perennial state title contender.
“If my father were alive to see this, he’d be amazed,” said Mark. “Michael and my dad used to watch the Bruins whenever they were on television. He’d sit with his papa. And to see Michael skating with a member of the Kyes family – my father used to tell me about those days when he and his brothers and the Kyes brothers played together.”
Ten-year-old Ryan Kyes has been playing hockey for three years. He skates as a left winger and is having an excellent season as one of the team’s most versatile and skilled players.
Linda Kyes said she never had the chance to watch her husband play high school hockey, “but I’ve heard he was very good.”
“People who see Ryan skate that know Kevin, said he looks just like the way Kevin skated on the ice,” she said. “They can tell.”
Kevin Kyes, co-owner of Today’s Auto Body on Everett Avenue, said he began playing hockey when he was six years old.
“I played through all the divisions of Chelsea Youth Hockey and then on to high school hockey,” said Kyes, a CHS Class of 1983 graduate who skated with Bryan Moschella at that time. His older brother, Brian Kyes, was a CHS Class of 1982 graduate so the two brothers played virtually all of their youth hockey and high school hockey careers together before Brian went on to star at Framingham State.
How does it feel to see the names Kyes and Moschella on the backs of hockey jerseys, friends and teammates once again?
“It’s funny to see the kids back together,” said Kevin, who added that his parents attended his games all the time. “I try to be at all my son’s games and encourage him and give him some tips afterwards.”
Kevin said some of his fondest memories of Chelsea are from his youth hockey days. He maintains friendships to this day.
“You build a bond that you have as kids and you keep in touch,” said Kevin. “It’s good to have the Chelsea hockey tradition rolling.”
Kyes and Moschella, two names that will be forever linked to greatness in the city of Chelsea where ice hockey once ruled.