Left winger Barrie Moore was one of the more conventional
late round picks, taken in the ninth round, 220th overall by the
Buffalo Sabres, a long shot to make an NHL roster and a longer one to leave a
lasting impression. He followed a conventional path in his development,
spending the last two of his four seasons with the Sudbury Wolves in the
Ontario Hockey League after he was drafted, and playing most of his first
professional season in 1995-1996 with the Rochester Americans in the AHL, where
he won a Calder Cup.
The 20-year old Moore did get a cup of coffee with the
Sabres in that 1995-1996 season, dressing for three games at the tail end of
the regular season. It was an
unremarkable debut, Moore blanked on the score sheet in each of the three games. He got more exposure with the Sabres the
following season, scoring his first NHL goal in his first appearance that
season, a game-tying power play goal in what would be a 4-2 win over the St.
Louis Blues to open the month of November.
It would not be a signal of prolific production to come, though, Moore
going 2-6-8, plus-1, in 31 games. It
would be enough, however, to make Moore attractive enough to include in a trade
package. He was wrapped up with defenseman
Craig Millar and sent to the Edmonton Oilers in mid-March for forward Miroslav
Satan.
After appearing in four games with the Oilers at the end of
the 1996-1997 season he found himself back in the minors for two seasons,
skating with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL for the 1997-1998 season. He moved on to the Indianapolis Ice of the
IHL to open the following season, but by the end of it, he was moving on to a
new organization once more. In February
1999, the Oilers traded Moore to the Caps for forward Brad Church (who almost merits
a story of his own, he and fellow Caps first round pick Miika Elomo appearing
in only two career NHL games; only one first rounder of the 1995 draft
appearing in fewer – San Jose Sharks pick Teemu Riihijarvi never appearing in
an NHL game).
It would take Moore a while to find his way to Washington,
spending the remainder of the 1998-1999 season and almost the entire 1999-2000
season with the Portland Pirates. But there
was that one game in January of that 1999-2000 season. Moore found his way into the lineup of a Caps
team on a four-game winning streak and points in eight of nine games. Nine of 18 skaters recorded points in a 6-3
win in Tampa over the Lightning to make it five wins in a row. Alas, Moore was not among the point-getters,
and he logged just 9:50 in ice time in the win.
That would be the only 9:50 he would skate for the Caps and
the last ice time he logged in the NHL, done at the age of 24. Moore was claimed by the Columbus Blue
Jackets the following summer in the 2000 expansion draft and spent the
remainder of his pro career between playing in the minors and in Great Britain before
ending his career after the 2004-2005 season.
Photo: Hockey Hall of Fame
