Moore Excited to Prove Himself

BOSTON - Tough, gritty, intimidating. The Boston Bruins have a long, storied tradition and reputation around the National Hockey League. And newly signed Bruins defensemen John Moore is the first one to admit that.
"Woven into the fabric here is the big, bad Bruins," said Moore, who signed to a five-year, $13.75 million deal this offseason. "You always knew there was a price to pay when you played Boston. They're a formidable opponent, so to join this group is really exciting."

The Winnetka, Illinois, native skated with a handful of his new teammates at the first captains' practice of the 2018-19 season on Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena. Wearing No. 27, it was the first time anyone caught a glimpse of the new blue-liner sporting the Spoked-B, and Moore is enjoying settling into his new home.
"For me it was a slam dunk and something I wanted to happen," said Moore. "[Free agency] is a bizarre thing, but when [Bruins General Manager] Don [Sweeney] called it felt right and we just wanted to make it work, and I'm really grateful that we did."

The 27-year-old comes to Boston after spending the last three years with the New Jersey Devils, amassing 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists) in 81 games played during the 2017-18 campaign. He's been commended for his stellar skating abilities by Sweeney and is expected to assist in the Bruins' offensive breakouts and transitions in the neutral zone.
As the veteran Bruins players start to trickle in ahead of training camp, the defenseman is ignoring his recent payday and is instead focusing on proving himself as a reliable blue-liner.
"I'm aware of the numbers here," said Moore, "some really good defensemen on both sides. The dialogue all along was come in and work hard, and it's a competition. You have to prove it every day and, you know, it feels good to be wanted, but I'm hungrier than ever to go out and prove it now."

With preseason competition a few weeks away, Moore will continue to adjust to the Bruins' system and says he's looking forward to working with his new teammates' "elite" skillsets.
"The emphasis on skating and moving the puck and getting the puck up to a really deep, skilled group of forwards is really exciting for me," said Moore.