Selected 19th overall and behind Connor Bedard, Moore scored his first goal and added a second assist as powerful Team USA advanced to WJC semifinals with 7-2 win over Latvia.
Oliver Moore, the Blackhawks other first-round draft pick behind Connor Bedard in 2023, scored his first goal at the IIHF World Junior Championship and added an assist as Team USA ripped Latvia 7-2 in the tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Selected 19th overall by Chicago last June, the speedy Moore notched Team USA's final goal in its second straight lopsided win. He also helped set up Drew Fortescue's opening score.
The 19-year-old Moore is a freshman at the University of Minnesota where he rooms with defenseman Sam Rinzel, one of Chicago three 2022 first-round picks.
Moore was positioned as a 13th forward on the high-scoring American squad at this year's WJC, but got more ice time on Tuesday. Gavin Hayes, also a Blackhawks draftee (third round, 66th overall in 2022), saw only 2:26 of action versus Latvia after being ejected for kneeing against Slovakia on Sunday.
Moore, like Rinzel, is from the Twin Cities suburbs. He has a one goal and two assists in five games at this year's WJC in Göteborg, Sweden.
Goalie Adam Gajan, Slovakia Ousted in OT by Finland.
Adam Gajan, drafted in the second round, 33rd overall by Chicago in 2023, was in goal for Slovakia in its 4-3 OT quarterfinal loss to Finland.
Gajan stopped 24 of 28 shots on Tuesday, but was victimized by bad defensive plays on three of Finland's scores. The 19-year-old is the Blackhawks No. 2 long-term netminding prospect behind Drew Commesso, who's with Rockford the AHL.
Two of the the Finns' three regulation goals were from the slot following turnovers by the Slovaks in their own zone. But Slovakia's Filip Mesar scored with 44 seconds left in regulation — and Gajan on the bench for an extra attacker — to tie it at 3 and set up overtime.
Finland's Jere Lassila ended it just 24 second into the extra period. He dashed down right wing from his own zone, then skated untouched between two Slovak players and closed in alone on Gajan. Lassila had all kinds of time and space to make a move and fire a low shot past the sprawled goalie. See the the video: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2024/wm20/gamecenter/recap/42173/21-svk-vs-fin
Gajan finished 3-1-0 in four games with a 2.50 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in his second WJC tournament. He's set to return the to Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, then move on to the University of Minnesota-Duluth next season.
Slovakia center Martin Misiak, also drafted by Chicago in the second round in 2023 (55th overall), finished with three assist in the WJC. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward will return to the OHL Erie Otters.