Moore’s friends, family make long trip to catch NHL debut

These aren’t ordinary jerseys you can pick up at a store, which makes them even more special.

Anaheim Ducks rookie Ian Moore had some special faces in the crowd at his NHL debut on Sunday at Honda Center. Moore’s friends and Harvard University teammates showed up to the game wearing homemade jerseys to show their support.

The special sweaters are backwards Harvard hockey sweaters, with “Moore” written on the nameplate.

Moore, a Concord, Mass. native, had lots of other friends and family make the cross-country trip along with his college teammates.

“I can’t believe they made the trip all the way out here,” Moore said on the ESPN broadcast. “They surprised me too. I’m so thankful for them and for my family, to have them here is so special.”

The Ducks signed Moore to a two-year entry-level contract on Saturday, with the rookie taking the ice for the first time on Sunday. He was selected by the team in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft.

He played four years of collegiate hockey at Harvard, spending two of them as a team captain and helping the team to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023.