Playing hockey in Minnesota isn’t just a hobby. It’s rarely even considered “just a game.” For many locals, it’s simply second nature.
Seventeen-year-old Sean Moore was born with that passion for life on the ice; he just wasn’t born in the right state for it. He changed that.
Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, 6-foot senior Moore never played high school hockey. It wasn’t available at Wakefield High School, a frustration for Moore. In fact, there were only five hockey rinks available to Moore in North Carolina’s capital city.
After nearly a decade of house leagues and traveling teams, Moore told his parents he had one dream: to play high school hockey in Minnesota.
He completed his junior year at Wakefield, then enrolled at Forest Lake High School for the 2015-16 season.
Moving to the Midwest
No one in Moore’s family played hockey. It wasn’t a big sport in Raleigh. But when he laced up his skates, there was no getting him off the ice, according to Moore’s dad, Timothy.
“I have no idea why he was so taken with hockey,” Timothy Moore said. “His mom got him ice skates and he just liked it. He skates every day, 365 days a year if he can. Hockey is his heaven.”
The teenager began playing in house leagues around Raleigh before joining the East Coast Eagles Hockey Association in 2012. Moore was a good player, a key contributor on the squad, despite standing at just 5 foot 5 and 140 pounds.
He trained harder, practiced more, and then a series of opportune events occurred that opened the door to Minnesota hockey.
Two years ago, Moore competed with his Eagles teammates at the AAA Bauer World Hockey Invitational in Chicago, where the Raleigh-based club went up against teams around the world.
“I was going up against high-level players, and I was doing well,” Moore said. “I remember one game I had two nice assists and then two goals and an assist in another.”
The performance gave Moore the idea that maybe he could compete in Minnesota. His coaches, specifically head coach Bill Horn, agreed. Horn and other coaches started fine-tuning Moore’s game, from better positioning to more effective back-checking technique.
“Those coaches were amazing; they helped me so much,” Moore said. “I love everyone in that organization. They’re truly great people.”
Within that same year, Moore grew 7 inches and put on 35 pounds, making his on-ice presence more noticeable that ever. He was ready to make the move.
In March 2015, the Moores contacted Forest Lake activities director Aaron Forsythe and boys hockey head coach Jon Loo about the process of enrolling in the district and becoming eligible to be a Ranger for his final year of high school.
Since Moore’s dad spent years commuting from Raleigh to the Twin Cities as an employee at H.B. Fuller, Moore traveled with him to participate in Forest Lake’s summer training program before the two settled into a new house in Lino Lakes. Moore chose Forest Lake, as it was close enough to his dad’s work and, after doing some research, “it sounded cool.”
Loo said he was excited at the newcomer’s skills even before the season began.
“He’s a big kid, he can skate, and he can handle the puck,” Loo said. “Having those three qualities is always promising.”
His talent landed him a spot on one of the top scoring lines for the Rangers alongside points leader senior Jack Doherty and senior Derick Johnson.
“He brings a nice, fresh perspective, having played on the East Coast, where it’s more difficult to get playing opportunities,” Loo said. “He doesn’t take anything for granted and always brings a positive attitude to the team.”
In Moore’s first five games of high school hockey, he earned one goal and two assists before coming down with mononucleosis, aka mono, which kept him off the ice until attaining medical clearance to play again last Tuesday. Both Loo and Moore anticipate his contributions to the Rangers’ success the remainder of the year. As for Moore’s dad, he’s pleased to say he could make his son’s wish a reality.
“I’m happy doing it; he’s living his dream,” Timothy Moore said. “He’s my only son, so naturally I’d do anything for him.”
Moore now has access to more than 100 indoor hockey rinks in the Twin Cities alone, not including a multitude of outdoor facilities. Less than a minute after the conclusion of his interview, Moore left to play a pick-up game of pond hockey with his Ranger teammates.