All things considered, the Chicago Blackhawks had already won the 2023 NHL Draft as soon as they officially selected Connor Bedard as the No. 1 overall pick Wednesday night. But it got even better for them when Oliver Moore somehow landed on their laps.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson couldn't believe that Chicago did not even need to trade up in order to get Moore.
“We had Oliver way higher than we picked him,” Davidson said of their Moore selection (via Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago). “We were constantly trying to move up for a lot of picks. I was on the phone the whole time, almost from when I got back to my seat to when we went up on stage. I was working the phones trying to get up with him in mind.”
Moore is going to further hone his talents in college, as he is expected to play for the Michigan Wolverines in the next NCAA season. The 18-year-old Moore wowed the Blackhawks and other teams with his ability to get up and down the ice and play creation. He had 31 goals and 44 assists for 75 points in 61 games for the U.S. National Under-18 team. During the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, Moore racked up four goals to go with five assists in seven games.
“Honestly, I was holding back tears,” Moore shared following his Blackhawks selection. “Just sharing that moment with my family, my mom and my dad, they were so excited and I think they were pretty anxious to hear my name called just like I was. It's super emotional. So many emotions. I'm just so happy.”
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