After a stellar career in the Minnesota high school hockey scene, T.J. Moore was prepared for his year of seasoning in juniors before making the jump to the collegiate level.
That, of course, is not an unusual chain of events for a teenaged hockey player.
However, as Moore settled in to have an impact on the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, he tore his ACL. Already on the shelf, he decided to fix an ailing shoulder as well.
Thus, in total, he managed just five games in his initial USHL season. It’s the kind of season that could kill a career before it starts. Regardless, it was guaranteed to take his life in a different direction.
That direction was farther east. Despite a limited sample, Holy Cross assistant coach Juliano Pagliero felt he had seen enough of Moore to validate recruitment. With a school like Holy Cross always fighting an uphill recruiting battle, he felt a bold move was necessary.
“I actually saw him in Indianapolis at one of those (preseason) USHL events, and I thought he was fantastic,” Pagliero said. “We took (the injury), as opposed to being afraid of it, we took that whole scene as, ‘Well, this is an opportunity because everybody’s forgetting about him.’ ”
The staff had to base more of its confidence on Moore’s high school success, but that era had generated few doubts.
“He was part of one of the best lines in Minnesota high school hockey,” Pagliero said. “They were lights out. T.J. was a big part of that.”
Knowing that his injury-riddled year would scare many big-time teams off — for at least a season — Holy Cross decided to maintain its focus on Moore.
“We just kind of rolled with it,” Pagliero said. “We like the kid. We like his potential. We just had to believe that he was going to rehab.”
With Holy Cross the only school to keep its offer on the table, Moore decided that he would reciprocate the loyalty. In January, in the middle of his double rehabilitation, he committed to moving to Worcester, Mass., the next fall.
"It had everything I wanted,” Moore said, “a Division 1 program, incredible school. I had eight months to really get myself in playing shape. I don’t think I’ve ever really had that much work put in during an offseason.”
Moore walked onto campus feeling pretty good. He had been working hard, something appreciated by the HC staff, and had got himself back to full health. Yet, despite that, one thing could not be overlooked. With the missing USHL season, Moore, essentially, jumped from high school to college. Despite his confidence, the first few games were a difficult adjustment.
“The first few weeks were really hard for me,” Moore said. “I was worried that I was not going to be the hockey player that I was before. I had had a couple bad games. (After one game) I was sitting on the bench just really struggling with my thoughts.”
Pagliero approached him to talk the young forward through it.
“He came over and we talked for about maybe 15 to 20 minutes,” Moore said. “(I was) trying to explain to him, ‘I don’t know if I can do this anymore. I don’t know if I’m going to deliver what I think I can.’ That’s the most disappointing thing I’ve had to deal with.”
Thankfully, Pagliero provided him with a sounding board to talk through it.
“Because of his recruiting process being maybe a little bit more sensitive because of his injury, we bonded a little bit through that,” the coach said.
Pagliero reminded him that he was making a big jump, and that things aren’t going to come easily. That didn’t remain the case much longer. Moore credits that conversation as helping get his mind back to where it needed to be. His play soon followed.
“There were certain games, where he was, the way he was doing it was very impressive,” Pagliero said. “Whether that’s how he was shooting the puck, or his hockey IQ, or his ability to make plays in small areas … T.J. was probably the earliest to blossom of the (freshman) group. Maybe three months into the season on, you knew that you had somebody that was going to be able to contribute for the rest of his time at the school.”
Moore would prove that point. As the youngest player on the 2014-15 Holy Cross roster, Moore still managed to lead the team in goals. By the end of his freshman season, any doubts about his ability to recover or play at the highest collegiate level were erased. Furthermore, the gamble that the Holy Cross staff had taken was paying off.
That offensive prowess would be a constant throughout his four years at the Hart Center. He led the team in goals twice and points once. He never scored outside the top three with the Crusaders. Upon completing his career, he had 47 goals and 106 points. When informed that he had finished as a top-10 scorer in the program’s D-1 history, Moore sounded surprised.
“I’m No. 10? Wow. That’s a big honor,” he said. “There’s some incredible guys who have been in that program. I’m really honored to be on that list, for sure.”
He was humbled but emphasized that it didn’t offset one key factor.
“That stuff’s awesome on a personal level, but I was so disappointed in our effort during the playoffs. We really struggled during the playoffs. Even to this day, it leaves a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth,” he said.
After his last game in the purple and white, Moore played a few games with the Norfolk Admirals of the East Coast Hockey League.
“One of my childhood dreams was to become a professional hockey player,” Moore said. “The reason I ended up signing in Norfolk, specifically, was because I had two of my best friends from high school playing on the same team. They told me I could go down there if I wanted to.”
Moore would play eight games in Norfolk, collecting five points. Clearly, he had the ability to realize that professional dream. Now, he just had to decide where.
“The next summer they gave me a qualifying offer,” he said. “I just kind of weighed my options out. I thought that, for the European market, I saw a lot of positives. That’s why I decided to end up pursuing a career in Europe.”
Making his true professional debut last season, Moore did not disappoint, powering the SønderjyskE offense in the top Danish ice hockey league, Metal Ligaen. He led the team in goals and points, and those numbers, respectively, were good for third and sixth leaguewide. He added another 10 points in the playoffs as the team advanced to the Metal Ligaen finals. Only there was he finally stopped, as Rungsted swept SønderjyskE in the final stage.
Despite the bitter finish, Moore still appreciated his taste of European and Danish hockey. Nonetheless, he wanted to change some of his off-ice dynamics. Looking for more of an urban climate, he took time to evaluate his offseason options.
“I’m like the Kevin Durant of the Danish League,” he said. “I was in discussions with a bunch of teams after last year. I loved my time in SønderjyskE, but the city (is) kind of in the middle of not a whole lot going on.”
In Rungsted this season, Moore continued his strong play. Through 45 games, he had 21 goals and 22 assists. He was a key factor in keeping Rungsted from suffering a severe championship hangover. But he admits the season hasn’t been smooth.
“We’ve been on an absolute roller-coaster ride as a team,” Moore said. “It’s a work in progress over here.”
Even in a team game, Moore knows that pulling his own weight plays a part in the success.
“Being at the top of the scoring list on any team I’m on is my expectation for myself,” he said. “On a personal level, my expectation is to be a leader on every team I’m on, and to really set the tone.”
