While HockeyUSA and the CAHA have youth tourneys, I think the one tourney
for little kids that is most like the LLWS is the big tournament in Quebec
City every year.  I'm not sure how old the players are, but I would say
around 13-14.  Although they may have more divisions now that it is so
popular.  Teams come from all over North America and I think even from
abroad now.  I know that local teams here spend a lot of time raising the
money to get there.  Also the Bruins usually let two teams play a 10 minute
game in between periods of one of their games to help raise interest in the
teams to ease their fundraising.
 
As for the NYC holiday games, having lived down there for a while and with
a brother who went to BU living in college hockey purgatory there, I have
my doubts about the success of this.  But there is only one way to find
out.  I am a little surprised at the teams (assuming the previous posts
were correct).  From HE I would think you would always have to have one of
BC or BU every year.  Also, Maine, UNH, and the UMASS schools, while well
known to all of us, don't have huge percentages of out of state enrollees.
That means to me that not too many of them would live in the NYC area.  And
their alumni base probably isn't that large.  I would think you would need
a BU or BC that has huge numbers of alumni and students living in the NY
area to bring in the HE contingency.  The ECAC definitely has more schools
with a potential fan base there.  It will be an uphill battle though, just
from competition for the sports dollar.  There are a lot of pro teams and
after spending the top dollar to go to those games, the people there might
not be inclined to spend more on this.  I think they better keep the ticket
prices low if they have any hope at all.  It is amazing what people will go
to, put a stupid ball with lights on it and 2 million people will stand in
the cold and freeze their you know whats off.  Put together a decent hockey
game and it might not draw flies.  I'll never understand that city :)  The
big question is, will the Times put a score in the paper the next day?  My
brother loves that one day a week they bother to put a score in.
 
Dave
 
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