Practice got William Moore to Carnegie Hall — and to the top of the OHL draft boards

As difficult as it may be to fathom, a good number of North American-born NHLers are identified as elite players by the time they’re 10 years old, when they play in The Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament, held each summer at the West Edmonton Mall.

Toronto Marlboros Under-16 star William Moore did not play in ‘The Brick’ in the summer of 2017 and it had nothing to do with his hockey ability. It’s because he was otherwise indisposed playing — wait for it — at Carnegie Hall. Yes, the Carnegie Hall in New York. At the age of 10. Earlier that year, Moore had won something called the Little Mozarts International Competition by playing Chopin’s “Polonaise in G Minor” on the piano, which earned him the right to perform the piece at the world-famous concert venue.

Practice, practice, practice got Moore to the Carnegie Hall stage and it’s also made him a top prospect for this year’s Ontario Hockey League draft, as he tries to win back-to-back OHL Cup championships. Moore’s Marlies are the favourites to win the annual tournament, which gets under way Wednesday morning at the Scotiabank Pond, with the final going Monday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Moore won the tournament last year playing a year up with the Mississauga Senators before moving to the Marlboros this season.

“He has exceeded every expectation we had,” Marlboros coach Richard Power said of Moore. “The things you see on the ice with William, and what everyone talks about, are secondary to the things he does off the ice. He’s a complete player and a complete person with huge potential moving forward. He’s dynamic on the ice, but he’s exceptional away from the rink as well.”

An injury in an early-bird tournament robbed Moore of the first month of the season, but since then both he and the Marlies have been at the top of their game. The Marlies recently took the Greater Toronto Hockey League title over the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, with Moore leading the way with nine goals and 18 points in 11 post-season games. In the regular season and playoffs this season, Moore scored 31 goals and 83 points in 42 games and was a key contributor to Team Ontario’s gold medal at the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island.

“I felt like the Marlies just needed one last push to get to the top and I felt like I could be that difference maker,” said Moore while on lunch break at Port Credit Secondary School, where he’s a Grade 10 honours student. “It was really a no-brainer for me to go to the Marlies. I would do anything to win that second OHL Cup.”

Deciding whether he’ll play in the OHL next season, however, is a little more vexing for Moore. His mother, Vanusa, is originally from Brazil and owns two restaurants and a catering business. Moore’s father, Patrick, is a Cornell-educated finance broker who grew up in Ithaca, N.Y., where his own father was a professor at Cornell. That gives the Mississauga-born Moore dual Canadian-American citizenship, and despite the fact he couldn’t attend the tryouts for the U.S. National Team Development Program team because he was still playing with the Marlboros, Moore has been offered a spot in the program. Moore’s parents have left the decision up to him and while where and when he is chosen in the draft will be considerations, Moore has gone on the record as saying he’s leaning toward the U.S. program.

“I guess I’ll be betraying my own country,” Moore said with a laugh.

If not for a twist of fate, Moore might have been a soccer or tennis player instead. His parents were living in Switzerland when Patrick accepted what was supposed to be a one-year job placement in Canada. Vanusa learned she was pregnant with William while they were in Canada and they decided to stay after he was born here. A serious lymph node infection rendered William deaf at the age of two, by which time he was already reading lips. After several operations at the Hospital for Sick Children, William had his full hearing restored by the time he was eight.

“I always have to watch myself because I could go back to being deaf,” Moore said. “For example, water pressure would do it to me, so I can’t go into very deep water.”

On top of frozen water, however, things are just fine for Moore.

Five other players to watch:

Ryan Roobroeck, C, London Jr. Knights: Along with Moore, Roobroeck applied for exceptional status to play in the OHL as an underage player last season. Roobroeck is the No. 1 prospect, in part because his birthday is Sept. 25, which means the team taking him will have him for an extra season before he’s drafted in the NHL.

Matthew Schaefer, D, Halton Hurricanes: Schaefer is certain to be the first defenceman taken and there are scouts who have him No. 1 on their lists. Schaefer captained Team Ontario at the Canada Winter Games, where he scored in double overtime to lead Ontario to the championship over Saskatchewan.

Brady Martin, C, Waterloo Wolves: Martin moved to the wing for the Canada Winter Games on a line with Roobroeck and Moore, where he had six goals and eight points. In a draft chock full of prodigious offensive players, Brady certainly holds his own. But he’s also gained a lot of recognition for his 200-foot game.

Tyler Hopkins, C, Halton Hurricanes: Even though he’s six-foot-three, Schaefer uses his smarts and hockey sense to beat opponents rather than physical play. He has scored 37 goals in 31 games this season, but projects as a top two-way centreman. He’s not as flashy as some of the other top prospects, but will be on the ice in the last minute of a game.

Jack Ivankovic, G, Mississauga Senators: Seen as the OHL’s best goaltending prospect since Benjamin Gaudreau, Ivankovic is certain to be a first-round pick, which is rare for 15-year-old goalies. Scouts say he plays a quiet, controlled game.

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