GLASGOW CLAN’S Craig Moore may have been born in Kirkcaldy, but he speaks with an unmistakable North American twang mixed in with his Scottish accent.
The 24-year-old spent the bulk of his childhood in Scotland but in his mid-teens, he moved to Canada where he finished high school and played for the OHA Maroon Mavericks Midget AAA, before heading to America to play for Ogden Mustangs for a couple of years.
It is an experience few Scottish teenagers could even dream of and Moore, who has been back in Scotland for four years now, believes was integral in making him into the hockey player he now is. And while it was almost an entirely positive experience for Moore, he admits the one downside is the accent he has now ended up with.
“I’m not proud of this accent,” he laughed.
“It’s come from living away for quite a few years. When you’re speaking to Americans every day, it’s very hard not to pick up the accent, and they also find it really hard to understand a Scottish accent so you kind of have to change!
“My time abroad really helped me as a player – I spent my last two years of high school there and I graduated there so for that period, hockey and school were my life.
“I lived with hundreds of other guys and we just lived hockey. It was fantastic and I was really lucky to have had that chance. Without that, I don’t think I’d be where I am today.”
Being a Scot, Moore is most certainly in the minority in the Glasgow Clan dressing room as he is surrounded by Americans, Canadians and a mix of Europeans. But the diversity of cultures seems not to have harmed the Clan one bit this season, with the Glasgow side having ensured they have not lost their grip on the top few places in the EHIL for a number of months.
And Moore is quick to emphasise that the range of nationalities is actually a huge positive for him as he develops his game.
“There’s only a few of us Scots here but when you’re in the locker room, it really doesn’t matter where you’re from,” he said.
“Especially this year, with the group we’ve got, there’s such a mix but it doesn’t matter. It’s great to have the chance to play with these guys though and hear the experiences they’ve had.”
Moore has had the unique experience of playing for all three of Scotland’s professional clubs. He began his pro career in the UK with Dundee Stars before having a stint with Fife Flyers last season. Having signed for Glasgow early this summer, he is able to compare the three clubs – and while he is quick to emphasise the merits of all three clubs, one does nudge ahead in terms of being his favourite.
“I’m enjoying my time in Glasgow a lot,” he said.
“Dundee was great because they gave me my opportunity and that’s where I spent my first couple of years as a pro but I feel like Glasgow’s my favourite at the moment and I’m having a great time here.
“Things are going great for me here – it helps coming in and playing well. It’s been pretty good so far so hopefully it keeps going in that direction and I can keep improving my game.”
The Clan face Nottingham this evening at Braehead before Cardiff Devils in Wales on Sunday evening but Moore insists his side pay little attention to their opposition as their form means they are confident they can defeat whoever they face this season.
“We totally believe we can be right up there at the end of the season,” he said of their chances of winning the EIHL.
“We’ve not had a full roster all season so when we get a couple of our injured guys back, it’ll be even better. Now we’ve shown that we have the ability to mix it with the big teams and that we really have the ability to win silverware this season. That’s what every team wants to do and we look like we’re going in the right direction.
“It doesn’t matter who we play, it’s just another game and we go into it with the same mentality of trying to win it.”
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