Thursday, February 17, 2011

Moore Among NHL’s Ivy Infusion

---

Bob Snow of NHL.com caught up with Dominic Moore of the Tampa Bay Lightning, one of a number of Ivy Leaguers making an impact in the NHL.

It is the most exclusive club in college hockey, and an expanding one across NHL rosters.

Ken Dryden started at Cornell en route to making an indelible mark in NHL history during the 1970s; Joe Nieuwendyk, also a Big Red alum, came along in the 1980s. Each went on to win Stanley Cups and Conn Smythe trophies.

Six of the most prestigious academic institutions in any Division I sport — Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown and Dartmouth — are sending more and more players to the NHL, and many are having their names inscribed on the Stanley Cup.

It’s even more impressive when you consider the Ivy schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, while most NCAA teams provide up to 18 tuition-free opportunities.

Moore, for one, isn’t surprised at the impact of players from his alma mater, Harvard, and elsewhere in the Ivy League and college hockey.

“Best of both worlds,” said the Tampa Bay forward, who captained the Crimson in his senior season and was a Hobey Baker nominee that year (2002-03). He helped lead Harvard to two NCAA tournaments before graduating.

“Ivy was not a prerequisite, but it seemed to make the most sense in terms of those two worlds (education and hockey),” said Moore. “My family stressed being well-rounded (and) that included a passion for hockey and sports and our upbringing about school.”

About what about that expanding Ivy base in the NHL?

“It’s a reflection of college hockey in general being so much stronger and Ivy teams being a part of that,” Moore said. “The quality of players has gotten better and the powers that be are not afraid to give these players a chance. We have 11 college guys on our team right now; 10 years ago you’d never see that happen.”

Click here for the rest of Snow’s story, including a Beanpot recap, on NHL.com.