2025 NHL Draft prospect William Moore on picking NTDP over CHL and playing piano
A quick chat with the Under-18s leading scorer early in the season.
One of the things we are going to experiment here with at Shap Shots, simply because it interests me and this is my site, is more coverage of interesting stories from the prospect world.
(Also a nod to my pal Bob Sturm, who finds ways to balance this all year in the NFL world, so let’s take a page out of his book.)
I don’t know how regularly we’ll do this, but from time-to-time I’ll find an interesting prospect story and dive into it.
This is also going to be more of an interactive space, too. If there’s a prospect/story that interests you as a reader that you’d like to see/read, let me know and we can see how to stick the landing.
To start this off, I wanted to do something on William Moore, who is currently leading the United States National Development Team Under-18s with 17 points in 21 games.
Moore is currently the 22nd-ranked prospect for the 2025 NHL draft by my colleagues at Elite Prospects and as high as No. 9 on some boards. With Carter Amico’s season-ending injury, Moore could be the first NTDP player taken in June.
Moore also isn’t the traditional NTDP player, he was born in Mississauga and grew up in Ontario as a dual citizen because his dad is American. He stuck with the typical Ontario upbringing, playing in the GTHL, before picking the NTDP instead of joining the London Knights who drafted him in the first round of the OHL draft.
(The Barrie Colts have since acquired his OHL rights in a trade last January.)
“Growing up in an area that’s heavily so much OHL crazy, there’s a lot of doubts and the (NTDP) program isn’t really that well respected by many people outside those really in the know,” Moore said. “So I knew my decision was the right one, but based on reputation and things like that, there were lots of people questioning my decision and kind of wondering why. But I think taking the different path, even when people have asked why, it’s really worked out well for me.”
For Moore part of that decision, at the time, was tied to being able to play NCAA hockey — something that has recently changed for CHL players — and focus on adding individual strength to his overall. He’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 161 pounds, so adding muscle to his frame is going to be important at both the NCAA and professional levels.
“I needed to add more mass and power, needed to become harder to knock off the puck,” Moore said. “I think those areas were lacking in my game last year, and I’m able to provide more this year, I’ve generated more power in my stride and that’s been a big thing.”
Moore said he’s been able to get more on his shot this season. He was always an accurate shooter, but he’s added more zip and power to the release, like on this goal against University of Michigan this season.
Away from the ice, Moore is one of the more accomplished musicians in this draft class.
Growing up he was a classically-trained pianist, he would study and take piano examinations growing up and reached a “university level” grade before deciding to focus more on hockey than music with his move to NTDP.
Moore focused more on classical music while taking exams, he liked playing Beethoven because of the emotions involve in the composition, but said it’s now become more of his leisure activity.
“Nowadays I really like to play movie scores, it’s a good way to relax,” Moore said. “A lot of stuff from things like Hans Zimmer, stuff like that, it’s a lot of fun.”
As I noted at top, these prospect pieces are more for me, interesting and typically shorter stories that I find while traveling through the hockey world. Hopefully readers enjoy it, and again if you have any prospect things you’d like us to dive into in the future let me know.