Patrick Moynihan’s path to college hockey began close to home as he played two seasons in the competitive Interscholastic School League at Noble & Greenough.
However, the Millis, Mass., native’s pre-collegiate career path moved to another level over the last two seasons as he joined a few other Massachusetts natives in playing with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.
The 5-foot-11, 183-pound forward was originally committed to Boston College before changing his Hockey East allegiances to Providence in November. He has five goals and eight assists in 31 games for the Under-18 Team this season after scoring 16 for both the U.S. Under-17 Team last year and Nobles two seasons ago.
In our latest NEHJ Recruiting Q&A, Moynihan discusses his New England upbringing and connections to several current teammates as well as how the NTDP experience has helped prepare him to take the next step to the Friars in the fall.
How would you describe yourself as a player? Are there NHL players you try to emulate?
I'm a 200-foot player. I'd say the biggest part of my game is how hard I work and my work ethic. I'm pretty versatile, can play up and down the lineup, or in any situation. I'm a two-way guy and rely on my shot a lot to score goals.
As far as NHL comparisons, I'd say Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust from the Pittsburgh Penguins as well as guys like Anders Lee (from the New York Islanders) who are in front of the net trying to put pucks home and open up space for other teammates.
Being from Millis, Mass., you grew up pretty close to Providence College. What was the major selling point about that program to you?
It's obviously close to home. Being around Hockey East growing up, it's a top school in the country and academically as well, so it's definitely a team that I watched a lot. Getting on campus, seeing the campus, and the facilities they have there, it was pretty amazing. That sold me right away.
Do you have any memories of the team growing up?
The biggest one is when Providence won the national championship in 2015. It's kind of funny because one of my friends' dads (Tyler Young, son of former Boston University assistant coach and current Penguins director of player development Scott Young) coached at BU at the time, so we were watching them pretty closely and they ended up playing Providence in the final that year. I remember watching that game on TV, and it was pretty amazing to see Providence win the way they did, especially in Boston and against a Hockey East team in the final, so that was definitely a special memory.
What did you take away most from your conversations with Coach Leaman and his staff?
They have a great coaching staff with (head coach Nate) Leaman, (associate head coaches Ron) Rolston, and (Kris) Mayotte. They rely on hard work and guys who want to battle and work hard for the team, not as individuals. I know Coach Leaman expects a lot of out of his players, and I think that only makes everybody on the team better and pushes us to want to be the best on and off the ice.
Was staying close to home important to you in making your decision to attend college?
Yeah, for sure. Especially after being away from home a lot over the last two years, it will be nice to be close to home at Providence. It's only 35 minutes away from my house, so I'll be able to play in front of my friends and family. It will definitely be something special. I also have some friends going to Providence as well and other guys playing around here.
The move to the NTDP obviously takes you pretty far away from home, but there has always been a strong New England representation on both teams. Your team this year is no different. That group of guys has to make the adjustment easier for you, right?
It definitely helped a lot at first. I grew up with (Harvard commits and current NTDP teammates) Henry Thrun (Southborough, Mass.) and Sean Farrell (Hopkinton, Mass.). They're great kids, and I grew up playing against (Boston College commit and fellow Millis native) Matt Boldy. Being out here, it's awesome to have guys you know right away. It's easy to hang out with them at first before you spread out with the rest of the teammates, but they're all great guys and always have my back while I have theirs. It was pretty easy to start out with them. It's an awesome group.
Where did you grow up playing with Henry and Sean?
We played for the Minuteman Flames growing up, out of Marlborough, Mass. We played there for about eight years. We started when we were six and ended in about eighth grade. Matty is actually from my town as well, so I grew up kind of knowing him through playing youth hockey.
You mentioned being from the same hometown as Matt Boldy. How special is that connection for you guys, especially getting to play on a line with him a bit this season?
It's awesome. He lives right down the street from me. It's awesome that a small town like Millis has two guys on this same team. He's a great kid and it's unbelievable playing with him every day.
What were the biggest areas of your game you looked to improve this year?
I'm improved tremendously since last year. Being out here, we work on and off the ice every day. Between the end of last year and now, it's been a huge jump. It's hard to pick one area of my game because I've improved a lot thanks to all the coaches here. Before you play in college, you've got to get the confidence to play with anybody, against any team, and at any moment.
This year, I wanted to work more on the offensive side of the game and my shot. I'll watch film a lot with our assistant coach, Dan Hinote. He helps me a lot where to get open on the ice and get my shot off, so that definitely helps me a lot with me being more confident offensively.
Many expect Jack Hughes to be the No. 1 overall pick this summer. As someone who’s seen him up close during your two NTDP seasons, what makes him so special?
Yeah, he's a special kid. His skating ability is unbelievable. There's nothing like it. The way he can control a game is second to none. He's easily one of the best players I've ever seen play hockey. And he's an unbelievable kid as well, very humble with everyone he does. He's just a remarkable player and it's special for all of us to get to play with him.
Hockey fans know the NTDP for how many future college and pro players it churns out each year. What is one thing about a player’s overall experience there that fans might not know?
We go to school, wake up at 6 a.m. and end at 12 every day. The biggest thing people don't notice is how hard the schedule is because we practice and lift every day. You're with the guys almost 24/7 out here. It really is a brotherhood. It's just a team, but it's a lot more than that when you go behind the lines. Everyone works with one another all the time, so it's a really special bond out here.
