MONTREAL - “I don’t feel like I’m smaller than anyone out there.”
That line says everything about John “Little John” Mooney — a 5-foot-7 forward whose game is anything but small.
And yes, Little John really is his name, albeit unofficially. Hard to believe at first, but easy to understand once you get a look at the Canadiens prospect.
“Pretty often,” he said when asked how frequently the LJ question comes up. “When I was in Montreal for development camp, a lot of guys would ask what it means. And when I’d tell them, they kind of laughed; they didn’t believe me at first. Then when I got to Minnesota, the same thing happened. So, it’s pretty funny.”
Funny name or not, there’s nothing lighthearted about the way he plays. Mooney’s compete level is relentless, his edge unshakable, and his elusiveness enough to make even the biggest defenders wish they could move like someone half their size.
“I think I’ve always had that compete growing up. My dad really harped on that with me, not being scared of anyone on the ice,” he said.
That mindset was born in his backyard, where the homemade rink doubled as a testing ground. Just next door lived his cousins — Utah Mammoth forward Logan Cooley among them — and the battles they shared weren’t for the faint of heart.
“We always had an outdoor rink, so we’d be out there skating, or just playing on the concrete with him and his older brothers. They all played hockey, everyone in our family did. So, we were always at the rink together, practicing,” Mooney explained.
Those backyard games against the older and stronger Cooley brothers forced him to think faster and fight harder. It’s where his fearless drive started to take shape. Every puck battle and every shinny duel under the floodlights added a layer to his own game — one built on grit, creativity and confidence.
The 18-year-old isn’t the only one who sees it that way.
“LJ Mooney is someone with a lot of character. He’s a competitor who’s very dynamic on the ice. […] We’re not worried about his size, and that’s why we did it,” said Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting Martin Lapointe of the team’s decision to select Mooney in the fourth round of this year’s NHL Draft.
Habs fans don’t need convincing when it comes to undersized players. Take, for example, Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson. When Mooney appeared at development camp this summer, he quickly won over Montreal’s crowd and media, many wondering if he might be next in line.
For now, the West Mifflin, PA native is focused on the present –– life as a Golden Gopher. Seventeen games into his freshman season at the University of Minnesota, the 162-pound centerman has notched 13 points.
