PLYMOUTH, Mich. - Greg Moore feels like he is coming home.

He grew up with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, first as a player and then an assistant coach. Moore now returns to the program to lead the U.S. National Under-17 team for the 2023-24 season. 

“I’m thrilled,” Moore said. “This feels like home to me. I have spent so much time here and have formed relationships during that time, both past and present. This level of coaching is extremely rewarding and sometimes, selfishly, very fulfilling. You get to help young men become better people for their communities, not only better hockey players.”

Moore credits his previous NTDP coaches when he was a player that helped instill his love for coaching. They also gave him the idea that he wanted to pursue this route one day.

“It all originated when I was 17 years old with [former coaches] Mike Eaves and John Hynes,” Moore said. “Playing for them and experiencing their coaching styles and philosophies, it really motivated me to want to be a coach someday whenever my playing career came to an end.”

When he was wrapping up his nine-year playing career, Moore came to the realization that he was starting to think about the game differently.

“Don Granato, who I worked with, has had the biggest influence for me in the game of hockey,” he said. “More recently, having the fortune and opportunity to spend time around Sheldon Keefe [current Toronto Maple Leafs coach]. He gave me the opportunity when I was in Toronto to spend time around their staff. It was great to observe and watch him.”

Moore brings a wealth of knowledge to the NTDP. As a former player, he understands just how difficult a transition it can be for players and how lofty the team goals are each season. Those experiences still resonate with him today.

“I remember how hard those two years were — mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” he said. “Until I became a father and head coach, I still looked back at the NTPD as my hardest two years.”

Despite the challenges that those two years brought, Moore is thankful that he had the opportunity to learn as many life lessons as he did while playing for the NTDP.

He can now draw on those experiences to help his players develop.

“The first week is more about getting them adjusted to the pace and pushing them to have pace and be faster than what they have experienced in the past,” Moore said. “We can start to implement some structure and systems that will take time as we start to get into our first game. We need to get good habits and that is important to the staff as they develop skills and tools they can use.”