Friday is huge for CC recruit Moore

John Moore will be in Montreal on Friday, waiting to hear his name called during the first round of the NHL draft.

That would be a big moment for Moore, and also a pretty important one for Colorado College. Moore, a slick-skating defenseman and prized CC recruit, has a good chance to be the highest draft pick in Tigers history. Defenseman Mark Stuart was selected by the Boston Bruins with the 21st pick of the 2003 draft. CC has had many great players, but Stuart is the school's only first-round pick.

Most mock drafts project Moore will be selected somewhere in the teens.

"It is a big deal for the program, because of the exposure our program will get," CC coach Scott Owens said.

There is some question about whether Moore will officially get in the CC record books. Although he has stressed his desire to play for the Tigers on a few occasions this offseason, this week he said he will weigh his options after the draft. He could go play junior hockey. The Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers picked Moore in the league's priority selection last month.

"CC is a great option," Moore said. "It's something I'll talk to my family about."

The soft-spoken and polite Moore made no proclamations about where he thinks he might be drafted. The first round is held Friday; the remainder of the draft is completed Saturday.

"It happens every year where guys expect to go early and end up going late," Moore said. "I'm going to go in with an open mind and enjoy the experience."

NHL director of central scouting E.J. McGuire said he anticipates Moore going in the top half of the first round, perhaps in the top 10. Moore was ranked sixth overall among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and was the top North American defenseman. McGuire said Moore could be the second defenseman selected, after Victor Hedman from Sweden, a probable top-two pick.

"I think he's one of the best skaters in all of the draft," McGuire said. "Teams will draft him in anticipation of seeing him against older competition at CC next year."

If Moore does enroll at CC in the fall, the question becomes how long he will stick around with the Tigers.

McGuire said he could see Moore leaving to the NHL after one season in college. Stuart played three seasons for the Tigers before going pro. He said he could have left earlier but liked CC and wanted to improve his game.

"Anytime someone is considering leaving college for the pros, it's better to be overdeveloped and over-ready," Stuart said. "But it's different for every guy."

Those decisions are a long way off for Moore. While being a first-round pick Friday would be an honor, Moore isn't dwelling on it.

"If that happens, it doesn't change much," Moore said. "I'll just have to work harder to prove myself."