Thoughts on Dom Moore and his return to New York
Dominic Moore looks to pass from his knees during the first period. Credit: Paul J. Bereswill, 2006
Always liked Dom Moore, starting with his first full season as a Ranger in 2005-06, and madea point to catch up with him in various arenas on his NHL journey since.
He kept an apartment in Manhattan for awhile after he was traded, and really seemed to have an affinity with this town. Even when we spoke in Tampa at a morning skate two years ago, he asked The Record's Andrew Gross and me about life in Gotham.
I remember telling him once that I saw one of his college jerseys hanging in the Harvard Club, where I had been invited to play squash one evening, and joked that we should play a couple matches the next time he was in town. Yeah, right. As if I would manage a point or two….
So when the word came in January that Moore, a bright, friendly guy, had lost his wife, Katie, who he had met at Harvard, to a rare form of liver cancer, most of the NHL community was rattled, wondering how terrible things continually seem to happen to good people.
Life’s tough road has brought him back here and by the end of training camp, I’ll wager that Moore will be in terrific shape and that he’ll contribute this season: Great work ethic on the third or fourth line, in the faceoff circle, and killing penalties. Have no doubt that fans, young and old, will realize that he’s easy to root for…
Here’s a quote or three from a call with writers today that didn’t make my upcoming story in Newsday:
Asked how he had gotten through the past year: “It’s a question that could probably take a lifetime to answer.”
About when he knew he might play again: “I didn’t really try and get ahead of myself. There’s one thing that the process has taught me, to take one day at a time. That’s basically what I’ve been doing in general, is living one day at a time and not worrying about what’s going to happen too far down the road, what opportunities may or may not present themselves. That’s been good for to just focus on the things I control and my day-to-day routine.”
On Rangers coach Alain Vigneault: “I have seen (the Canucks) play a lot the last few years under his guidance and their success is obvious. They have a pretty specific style of play which is not only successful but fun to watch. I also think will probably fits really well with the kind of team we have, more than a lot of rosters, I think. So there’s a lot of things to look forward to with our group, including the new coaches.”
On Henrik Lundqvist: “It’s funny that he’s the only one still there from our rookie season. We bonded, both being rookies, that year and we stayed pretty close throughout the years. I can’t wait to be his teammate again.”
