Moore wants to give bragging rights to U.S. at Prospects Challenge

Will Moore wants to take hockey bragging rights south of the border  as the U.S. Under-18 Team centre gets set to battle with the best NHL-eligible prospects from the Canadian Hockey League at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge beginning on Tuesday.

The occasion marks one of the few times the United States and Canada are able to send their best NHL prospects to play each other in a best-on-best scenario, a fact that isn’t lost on Moore.

“I think this is an incredible opportunity for both sides,” said Moore. “We don’t get to see the best out of Canada during the season or much at all. We really only get to see the best out of European teams so now we get a couple of games to show who can really take the crown.”

The United States’ U18 team is a squad that plays and develops together all season. They are a part of the United States Hockey League and play numerous games against college teams and other national teams.

Their main focus is to take home gold at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in April, but the mini-series against the CHL has added a new wrinkle for their focus.

“Our ultimate goal is to win a gold medal but right now our main goal is to win the [CHL USA Prospects Challenge],” said Moore. “We’ve been playing a lot of college games and international tournaments to get us prepped for this. Just be sticking to our process and plan, we’ll have a very good shot [at winning].

Chemistry may become an important factor when the two sides meet on Tuesday. While the United States’ team plays together all season, Team CHL is comprised of the best NHL-eligible prospects from across its three major junior leagues.

The CHL team will only have a few days to get coordinated to take on the United States.

“The CHL team is talented with a lot of top prospects, but we can use the team’s chemistry to our advantage,” said Moore. “All the practices and games we’ve played together have molded us to what we are today and, overall, that will be a clear advantage going forward.”

Moore has connections to both Canada and the United States. He was born in Mississauga, Ont., but has dual citizenship with his father from Ithaca, N.Y.

After playing his entire minor hockey career in Canada with CHL players like Michael Misa of the Saginaw Spirit and Malcolm Spence of the Erie Otters, Moore moved to the United States to join the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“It was definitely a difficult decision and I was only made aware of the opportunity a year in advance,” said Moore. “I had some doubts because people don’t know about the history of the development program and how prestigious it really is.

“From the get-go when first stepped in for a visit, I knew it was the right spot for me to help me get to the next level, which is going great so far.”

This season is important for Moore with him being eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles. The 6-foot-2 centre is leading the U.S. U18 team in scoring this season with eight goals and 17 points in 22 games against college and national teams. He also has two assists in five games early in the USHL season.

Moore finds that there is a lot more of an urgent pace in the USHL compared to what he’s seen of the CHL and believes that the style of play helps him become more prepared to be a professional.

“[The USHL] is a much faster game and there’s a lot more urgency on both sides of the puck,” said Moore. “In the CHL, the top guys go and show off their skill and control the game. But the USHL is ‘go go go’ where there’s always someone on you and trying to take your head off.

“It’s very hard to play against, but it teaches you a lot and gets you ready for pro hockey.”

Moore believes the CHL USA Prospects Challenge provides a great avenue for players in his situation to not only to showcase his talent to fans and scouts, but also measure themselves up against each other and see what they need to improve early in the season.

“Being exposed to the top players gives you a gauge of where you’re at and where they’re at,” said Moore. “You get to compere yourself to them and possibly see what skills you can take from them while figuring out what you need to work on. It’s just a fantastic opportunity and I’m super excited for it.”