Moynihan savors win over Canada

PC forward played role in gold-medal performance

PROVIDENCE — Patrick Moynihan has played in many electrifying hockey games over his junior and prep school career, at rinks all across the U.S. and Canada, and with the U.S. National Team and with the Providence College Friars.

But nothing surpassed the electricity in the air on the ice last week in Canada when, as a member of the U.S. Team, the Americans took the gold medal at the World Junior National Championships with a 2-0 victory over Canada in Edmonton.

“Canada had a great team, they had like 20 first-round (NHL) picks, but that was the big thing, the speed of the game,” Moynihan said after returning to Friartown, and Hockey East play. “The atmosphere of it being a gold medal game, everybody wanted to give it their all. It made it feel as if it was at the professional level (NHL). It was great to be in that atmosphere.”

Moynihan played in four games at forward for Team USA during the series, collecting two assists and a plus-one ranking. Team USA won six straight games after a preliminary-round loss to Russia, outscoring its opposition 33-5 with four shutouts.

Entering the title tilt, defending champion Canada had outscored its foes 41-4 and had not trailed once.

For Team USA, which finished sixth in the 2020 tournament, it was the Americans’ 13th medal at the World Juniors with six bronze, two silver and five gold (2021, 2017, 2013, 2010, 2004).

Moynihan, a native of Millis, played two years at Noble and Greenough School before joining the U.S National Developmental Program fulltime, having 46 points with 19 goals over 46 games. During the 201718 season with the under-17 U.S, National Development team, he had 32 points with 26 goals and helped win a gold medal at the 2017 World Hockey Challenge.

“I’ve watched every World Junior tournament for my whole life,” Moynihan said of aspiring to represent America one day. “To wear that USA sweater, to be with the guys for almost a month and accomplish winning the gold, I was so happy that we were able to do it. It’s an honor for us and our country as well.”

Moynihan was playing for US head coach Nate Leaman, who is the Friars coach as well. Leaman became just the third North American coach to win both an NCAA and World Junior title, joining Dean Blais and Mike Eaves. Leaman earned a bronze medal as an assistant coach in 2007 with the U.S. team at the World Junior Tournament.

Moynihan and PC teammate Brett Berard became two of five Friars who have earned a gold medal at the World Junior Championships, joining Mansfield’s Erik Foley (2017), Kasper Bjorkqvist (Finland, 2016) and Jon Gillies (U.S., 2013).

“Going into camp, just trying to make the roster, I just stuck to my game and do what I do well, chip away at it every day and I was lucky enough that I was able to make the team,” the 5-foot-11, 190-pound power forward said. “We made the most of it wearing that jersey.”

Moynihan skated in all 34 games for the Friars as a freshman, having seven multipoint games. He scored 13 goals and took eight assists, ranking No. 6 on the team totals. Impressively, he was an even-rating on the plus-minus ratio for being on the ice when goals were scored.

Moynihan’s forte was on the power play where he ranked fourth nationally among NCAA Division I players with 10 goals, the best number among any rookie. Moynihan scored game-winning goals for the Friars against St. Lawrence and New Hampshire.

“Losing that game to Russia (in the preliminary round), it became short memory for us,” Moynihan said of the lone setback before the medal play rounds began. “Right after the game, it kind of hurt for a little bit, but we were playing Austria the next day and we put it behind us. Beating Canada, one of our biggest rivals, made the moment even better.

“The coaches kept telling us to play our game, do our jobs and things will end up fine. It paid off in the final game. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Moynihan was a sixth-round draft pick by the NHL’s New Jersey Devils in 2019. He was ranked 73 rd among all North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting rankings.

“Coming to Providence College, with the coaching staff here (former NHL coach Ron Rolston is an assistant), it’s awesome, they do a great job with us,” Moynihan said of his development at Schneider Arena. “There are just so many positive things coming out of the PC program. Everybody is pushing each other.

“You know you’re getting better. I’m a whole other person, a whole other player since I’ve been here.”