The 24-year-old has showcased his versatility and intelligence at the NHL level in less than 50 career games.
As a young player coming into the NHL, there’s often a bit of an adjustment period. The Ducks have seen it in recent years with players like Jackson LaCombe and Cutter Gauthier. After four seasons of collegiate hockey at Harvard, Ian Moore looks to be accelerating through his.
The 6-foot-3, right-hand shot uses his skating ability and hockey IQ to break up plays and create scoring chances for his teammates. Lately, he’s been doing that from the front rather than the back.
A natural defenseman, Moore has been deployed as a forward by head coach Joel Quenneville during this most recent stretch of games. Moore has been skating alongside Ross Johnston and Tim Washe on the Ducks’ fourth line and has even been getting time on the penalty kill as a forward.
“We use him in the front and in the back, and he looks like he's a forward when he plays forward, looks like a defenseman when he plays defense,” Quenneville said. “I think his intelligence probably puts him in a position where it's tough to keep him out of the lineup. You use him up front killing, and you use him on the backend killing, too. So that speaks a lot of how he sees the game. He does a lot of good things. He's got some size, got some skill and sees plays.”
Dec 15, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Brett Berard (65) controls the puck against Anaheim Ducks defenseman Ian Moore (74) and goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images“I think our kill is set up in a way (that) as a forward, you're kind of playing a similar role to the side of a D,” Moore said. “So it's not too different playing forward or D on the kill.”
Moore was recalled from the AHL on Oct. 17 and made his season debut against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 19, acting as a forward in an 11 forward, seven defensemen lineup deployment from Quenneville. While Moore spent the next set of games as a blueliner, he’s now been pushed back up front with the forward corps a little light due to injuries.
“On a need basis, I think, going up there,” Quenneville said. “I think earlier on in the year, we still had the ability to put him back on the backend, but technically, he plays the system to a T. I think he's got a good presence of where he has to be positioned. He’s got a great stick. Got some quickness, got some offense to his game. That reliability is why his usage goes up as (far as) going along with him up front. Played him in overtime and played him killing penalties up front. That versatility is very useful when you’ve got a guy that has a role, and I think he knows it. He can help you out in a couple different ways.”
“It’s a little different,” Moore said on playing as a forward versus playing as a defenseman. “I did it before in Chicago the first time. It’s a different position, but mindset's kind of the same. You’re still playing the same system. Kind of seeing the game a little different as a forward, but just trying to rely on my teammates and kind of bounce ideas off them. At the end of the day, trust my instincts, skate hard and just always make sure I'm playing a reliable game up front.”
Not only has Moore swapped between forward and defense, he’s also played his off-side at times when he’s been back on defense. It’s a role he’s familiar with from his playing days at Harvard and a role he also filled during this past training camp.
Jan 13, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Ian Moore (74) moves in for a shot against Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith (1) ahead of Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images“(Playing on your off-side) could be a challenge in certain situations,” he said. “Especially when the puck's on the boards, I think it can be a little difficult, just making sure you're getting shoulder checks and seeing the ice before you get the puck. I think that helps a long way when you're on both sides, but especially on the off-side, just so you know what you're going to do with the puck before you get it. So I think the biggest challenge is sometimes those pucks on the wall and just trying not to get kind of handcuffed by them.”
“I've been really impressed with his patience with the puck,” fellow Harvard graduate Alex Killorn said. “A lot of young guys, especially when they come into the league, the game's really fast and they don't want to hold onto the puck too long. They want to get it out of their hands. I think with him, he has the ability to kind of slow things down and he's got so much confidence with the puck that he's able to hold onto it for a second and plays develop because of that, and he ends up making a great play, Whether it's like a breakout pass or getting a puck through to the net, it's been pretty impressive.”
“Just so confident, so poised,” Ryan Strome said. “I think he's really mature beyond his years. I think he's a sponge. Every time I see the coaches say something to him or the systems we play, he just soaks it up. He does it so quickly. He's a quick learner. It’s tough, he’s playing his off-side in the NHL as a young player. It's not easy and I think that some people may not notice how tough he gets in some positions with the puck, and he's making really good plays with it. I’ve got great admiration for him.”
“I think just the more reps you get and the more time you get with a group, you get more comfortable,” Moore said. “You see things over and over, certain situations on the ice, but you also get to know guys better. So I feel last year was a great opportunity to just kind of see what it's like and get to meet some guys. And then this year, just kind of sticking to that same thing. The more time I'm with this group and out there, I think I'm getting more comfortable with certain situations and the group, too. They've been awesome.”
Dec 13, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Ian Moore (74) during the third period against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images“I think I'm learning a lot, just kind of recognizing different situations and seeing them over and over again. Kind of learning when to pick my spots, when I can be active and when I might have to make a different, simpler play. I think that’s something I'm learning, just seeing different situations over and over again, it's kind of helping (me) recognize (them) a little bit quicker.”
“He’s at that age where he gives us something to consider every single time when we don't play him,” Quenneville said. “I think that his file is only getting better every day by when he does come in. He handles it the right way, and he's ready to play and make an impact on the game where (he is) really taking advantage of this opportunity. So he's on the right path to showing that he cannot just play and get more when he does get in.”
Moore said that he didn’t play much forward growing up, mostly playing defenseman and also briefly playing goalie at one point. He pointed to the strong communication from the Ducks’ veterans and coaching staff alike being what gave him the proper guidance when he found himself in unfamiliar situations.
“It's easy,” he said. “I just kind of listen well, I guess. They're communicating all the time with me. It’s not too tough on the bench. You’ve always got to be ready, watching both sides of the puck if I have a shift up front or a shift on D. Just kind of watching for the guys to make sure I'm changing for the right guys and stuff like that. They’re pretty loud and vocal on the bench, and it's easy to know where I'm going.”
Jan 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) and defenseman Ian Moore (right) celebrate a win after defeating the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images“He’s very useful every time we’ve played him up front,” Quenneville said. “(The fourth line), usually, at the end of the night gives us a lot of safety and predictability. He generated some chances. He sees the play. Not just ‘cause he went to Harvard, but he’s a smart player. I don’t know where he got it from, but he knows technically how we have to play, whether he’s a defenseman or a forward. He uses those different tricks he has as a defensemen. He uses them against those defensemen on the other side. He’s useful, and you can trust him.”
“You kind of know what bothers you as a defenseman, with other forwards. So you kind of try and use that, especially just being hard on forechecks,” Moore said. “I think as a defenseman, taking hits back there can kind of wear up, wear over time. So just stuff like that. You kind of know where they might be looking to pass it. Everyone kind of sees that too, but I think I try and use some things that bother me as a defenseman to my advantage on forward. And it's fun forechecking. Every once in a while, you get a stick on one, you keep it in the zone and it feels pretty good.”
With right-handers Jacob Trouba and captain Radko Gudas currently set to be unrestricted free agents this summer, a full-time position on the blue line could open up for Moore next season. Until then, he continues to ply his trade as the Ducks’ Swiss Army knife.
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