When Reilly Moran was pondering where to play for the 2019-20 season, he looked at several junior leagues and teams before choosing the Powell River Kings in the British Columbia Hockey League. The forward from Milton, Mass., felt living on the western side of the continent, especially at 19 years old and before college, would be a rewarding experience for him as a person and as a player.
He was right on both accounts.
Moran finished the season tied with Michael Abgrall for first among Kings rookies in scoring with 37 points (16-21-37) in 58 games, and he recorded a goal and an assist in five playoff matches.
“I didn’t know what to expect going into the season, but once I arrived in Powell River I realized that this was something I could do,” said the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder who celebrates his 20th birthday on April 24. “I’ve had the edge my whole life of trying to prove people wrong. I’ve never been the top-caliber guy on my team, and I wanted to insert myself into the lineup, play big roles every night and make an impact like I knew I could. I was given a great opportunity to do well, and I feel like I did that and exceeded expectations in a way.”
Moran’s favorite moment was scoring his first BCHL goal, which he did in the second contest of the campaign when the Kings hosted and defeated the Alberni Valley Bulldogs at Hap Parker Arena.
Reminisced Moran: “The rink was packed. We were playing one of our Island Division rivals. And since it was the first weekend, there was a huge buzz in the air around the rink.”
Away from the arena, Moran also compiled a treasure trove of memories that he’ll never forget, starting with the experience of living in a serene environment and picturesque setting on the Pacific Coast.
“It was unbelievable,” Moran said. “Living in British Columbia for a year 3,000 miles away from home is a special thing to be able to have done and is something I’ll look back on. It helped me mature and clear my mind. Powell River is a small and beautiful city on the water with extremely friendly people and a place where there are no distractions, so I could focus on hockey, take some online college prep courses and have the best year I possibly could.”
Moran particularly relished the bus rides to and from road venues. Not only did the trips allow him and his teammates to connect with each other, they also offered some spectacular scenic views.
“Being able to see all these places that I would’ve never seen without going to the BCHL was great,” Moran said. “And from the beginning of the year to the end, it was clear to see that friendships grew and bonds became stronger, which was special.”
Moran already was friends with one of his teammates, PJ Garrett (Duxbury, Mass.), before the season started. They had played together at Thayer Academy.
“The original plan was for me, PJ and Ryan Stevens (Duxbury, Mass.), who I grew up playing with on the South Shore Kings and Cape Cod Whalers and against in prep school, to go out to Powell River,” Moran explained. “We had a nice package deal going, but unfortunately Ryan couldn’t go because of injury.”
The reason Moran decided to skate for Powell River instead of a different BCHL club was because he trusted Kings head coach and general manager Tyler Kuntz and his plan for success.
“We talked a few times on the phone and he sent me an extremely detailed PDF, which outlined his coaching style, what he brings to the rink every day, the effort with which he attacks the game and how he looks to develop players,” Moran revealed. “And you could see from the beginning of the year to the end, every guy on our team took huge steps in their game. That’s kudos to him.”
Moran described Kuntz’s coaching style the same way he did his PDF — detailed.
“We watched a lot of video and did breakdowns of each game in terms of hitting, turnovers and other details,” Moran said. “He held us accountable to those details. It’s a game of inches, and with his style the devil is in the details.”
The toughest challenge for Moran was acclimating to the faster pace of play and playing with and against bigger players. It didn’t take long, though, for him to hit his stride.
“Only a few weeks,” he said. “It’s a step up from prep and I feel like I transitioned well.”
Kuntz agreed, calling Moran “very reliable and a real pleasure to coach.
“Reilly is kind of quiet,” Kuntz elaborated. “He goes out, does his job and works hard. He’s a good skater and has a really good shot. He certainly gives his best every shift. He played with our youngest player (Abgrall, who turned 16 in October) and our fastest player (Jack Brackett) at the start of the season, and that was our best line for the first few weeks of the season. But then Jack got hurt and we had to make some adjustments. Reilly shifted over and played center for a while and did a good job there. He killed penalties. He played on the power play. He played center on our top line. He was a jack of all trades and played in every game.”
While Moran upgraded all aspects of his skill-set over the course of the campaign, Kuntz feels the right-handed shooter’s play without the puck improved the most.
“We focus a lot on play without the puck,” Kuntz explained. “If we possess the puck, you have to work with energy to a spot to get it, and if we don’t have it, you have to work with energy to a spot to get it back. His stick details were good as far as him keeping his stick on the ice. He was good with takeaways, forechecking and hunting the puck when he didn’t have it, which for young kids is hard to hammer home. His hockey IQ took strides, too.”
And as valuable as Moran was for the Kings on the ice, his impact in the city also will be remembered, as he won the team’s Community Award, given to the King “who has actively been involved in community events throughout the entire season, who was always willing to go the extra mile to make an impact in Powell River.”
Said Kuntz: “This team is very active in the community with going to schools, visiting senior centers and working in soup kitchens. Reilly, hands down, won it. He’s a wonderful kid. He has a great family. His character, how he treats his teammates, how he respects his coaches and how he communicates is outstanding. He’s a good hockey player, but he’s a way better person.”
The next team that will benefit by having Moran as a member of it will be the St. Lawrence Saints, whom Moran is committed to play for starting next season.
“St. Lawrence University offers the perfect combination of academics and hockey,” Moran said. “I feel like I can flourish there on the ice and in the classroom. The team has a staff that you can tell is hungry to win. They want to change things up around there after the past few seasons, and they are capable of doing that. It’s the perfect fit for me.”
Just like Powell River was the ideal place for Moran this past season.
