CHARLOTTE, NC—Former Checkers stick boy and Charlotte resident Bryan Moore has been selected by the Sarnia Sting in the 2010 Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft.
Moore, 15, is the first ever player from Charlotte youth hockey programs to be drafted into the OHL, a division of the Canadian Hockey League. More than 50 percent of NHL players have developed their skills in the CHL, including Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Sidney Crosby.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound winger grew up playing in various Charlotte-area youth hockey programs before moving to Raleigh this season to develop at the ‘AAA’ level with the Raleigh Jr. Hurricanes (Under-16). He led the team in goals with 35 and ranked second in points (69) and penalty minutes (129). He also posted an impressive +47 rating in 60 games.
Moore was taken as the first pick in the sixth round by Sarnia, whose alumni list includes NHL star Steven Stamkos as well as current Checkers goaltender Ryan Munce and former Checkers forward Dusty Jamieson.
“I was pumped,” said Moore when asked about his reaction to the news. “I was in the Hurricanes’ locker room for their equipment sale and my friends came running in with their iPhones telling me I got drafted.”
Moore’s father Eric is a member of the Checkers’ ice maintenance team and helped Bryan get the stick boy job back in 2004. Bryan would often use his spare time at the rink stickhandling and shooting pucks, while probing the players with questions about professional hockey.
Moore has also participated in the USA National Team camp three times and will find out this week if he earned his way to the tryout this season (U16). He participated in the regional evaluations at Extreme Ice Center this past weekend.
He will await the results of the United States Hockey League Entry Draft next week before deciding where to play next season and said he plans to skate and train all summer with former pros in the Charlotte area.
Season tickets for the Checkers’ inaugural 2010-11 AHL season are now on sale and 40-game packages start as low as $200. Ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com/AHL.
