MINNEAPOLIS – Bob Motzko had a track record of bringing some great players from Minnetonka to his rosters at St. Cloud State. Players like Andrew Prochno and former NCHC most valuable player Jimmy Schuldt are Huskies legends. After the first wave of future college commitments in August, it looks like Motzko is establishing a notable Minnetonka to the Minnesota Gophers pipeline.
On Monday, Aug. 8, sizable forward Javon Moore announced his commitment to Motzko’s program, becoming the third player with Minnetonka ties to commit to the Gophers since the NCAA window opened on Aug. 1.
Moore, who is already 6-foot-2 at 16 years old, had a monster sophomore prep season for the Skippers, putting up 17 goals and 20 assists in 27 games.
“Anyone that has watched Javon knows that he’s one of the more dynamic players in high school hockey,” said Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy. “He’s got a lot of offensive instincts and a lot of God-given talent, from his skating to his vision to his ability to finish a play. We’re pretty excited about his opportunity to go play for Bob at the U of M.”
Like many Minnesota kids, Moore was on skates when he was three years old, and came up through the ranks of the Chaska/Chanhassen youth hockey system before starting prep hockey last season. He did a far-and-wide exploration of college options before picking the team he had followed since childhood.
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“Being from Minnesota, I had always dreamed about being a Gopher, going to games since I was young,” Moore said. “On my visit there it seemed like home. From the Athletes Village to the dorms to the academic part, it all seemed like what I was looking for, so it made it pretty easy to say yes.”
Drafted by the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede, Moore went to their camp this summer and plans to play his junior season of prep hockey, then possibly join Sioux Falls in March. Not surprisingly, he said the sizable frame is a plus when he has the puck.
“I think I’m a good 200-foot player. I like to use my size to my advantage and I like to shoot the puck as much as I can,” he said.
His choice of the Gophers comes after John Whipple and Beckett Hendrickson , both from the Minnetonka system, committed to Minnesota earlier this month.
“This is a special group of players,” Goldsworthy said. “We could be looking back 10 years from now and giggling about all the potential we saw in them at 15 or 16 years old.”
⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️Minnetonka Skippers Hockey is proud to announce powerhouse Javon Moore has committed to the maroon and gold of the University of Minnesota! We are so proud of you! @GopherHockey
— Minnetonka Skippers Hockey (@TonkaBoysPuck) August 8, 2022
⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️⚓️#Skippers#Tonkaforwards#Moorseylooksgoodingold pic.twitter.com/TmARwnzI15
