Columbus selects CC recruit Moore with 21st pick

A long wait didn't dampen a huge night for John Moore.

Moore, a defenseman and Colorado College recruit, was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the 21st pick of Friday's NHL draft. The Blue Jackets obviously coveted Moore - they traded the 26th and 37th picks to Anaheim to move up.

If he plays a game for the Tigers, Moore will be the second first-round pick from CC - joining the Boston Bruins' Mark Stuart, who was the 21st pick in 2003.

That's the question now for CC, which will wait as Moore decides between college and junior hockey. Last month, the Kitchener Rangers selected Moore in the Ontario Hockey League's priority selection and hold his rights.

Moore, who played with the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel last season, said earlier this week that he would evaluate his options after the draft. The Blue Jackets don't appear to prefer that draftees play junior hockey, which might be good news for CC.

Other recent Columbus draftees have gone to college. Will Weber played in the USHL, was a second-round draft pick of Columbus in 2007 and is playing for Miami-Ohio. Trent Vogelhuber is another USHL alum who was drafted by Columbus in 2007 and also plays for Miami-Ohio.

Moore was accompanied to the draft in Montreal by his mother, father, two older sisters, younger brother, his best friend from Illinois and his friend's parents.

"Just tremendously honored to be part of a great organization," Moore said in an interview with NHL.com. "Definitely one of the happiest days of my life."

Moore was waiting when the New York Islanders traded for the 12th pick and drafted defenseman Calvin de Haan. Moore was ranked sixth overall among North American skaters and first among North American defensemen in the draft by NHL Central Scouting, and de Haan was ranked 25th overall. That started a bit of a fall for Moore.

The Florida Panthers, who had the 14th pick, were a popular landing spot for Moore among mock drafts. Instead, the Panthers picked Russian defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. That was potentially good news for CC because Florida is a team that might have urged Moore to skip college and play junior hockey.

Defensemen were selected with the 16th and 17th picks as Moore continued to wait. Finally, Columbus traded with Anaheim - getting a pick the Ducks acquired for dealing defenseman Chris Pronger earlier in the day - and selected Moore.

"He's a real good skater, gets up the ice, likes to handle the puck," Columbus general manager Scott Howson said in an interview with NHL.com. "It's something we need in Columbus."

A Blue Jackets spokesman said Moore would attend the team's developmental camp, which starts Monday.