Gophers hockey commit Javon Moore, 18, created a poster in first grade detailing his dream to play in the NHL. 

Moore’s mother, Stephanie Harkless, said the poster was created in class where Moore learned about the past, present and future. The first grader wrote in red marker, “I’m an NHL player” with the year 2027 over it in the future column. Little did he know, 12 years after creating the art, the dream would come true.

Moore grew up in Carver, Minnesota, and his mother said his first interaction with hockey was watching the Minnesota Wild on television. But it was the Ottawa Senators who selected him as the 112th overall pick in the NHL Draft on July 29. 

“Looking back at that knowing he knew what he wanted and over the trials, tribulations, different teams, different adversities,” Harkless said. “He’s still pursuing what he knew when he was five or six years old. It’s crazy.”

Moore played hockey at Minnetonka High School and helped his team win the Minnesota State High School League championship in 2023. Before that season started, Moore committed to the Gophers.

Moore said he felt at home when he stepped on the University campus. He added the program develops great hockey players, and for him, that meant becoming a better power forward.

“It’s pretty rare in the NHL, so if you could have that kind of impact to a game or that ability as a player it’s huge and helps drive offense,” Moore said. 

Gophers head coach Bob Motzko and staff would help Moore develop into a power forward, utilizing his 6-foot-3-inch frame to impose himself on both ends of the ice.

Developing into an NHL draft pick and a Gopher hockey commit does not happen alone. Moore said one person who has been by his side the entire time is his mother.

Harkless said she grew up playing basketball and softball, but traveling for hockey is on “another level.” She said it takes a village to be a single mother raising a hockey player and her parents were supportive by helping to drive her son to the rink and attending his games.

Moore described himself as a “momma’s boy.” He said she has been his number one fan supporting him at his games.

“It’s been a fun journey with her and to share all my moments with her is special too,” Moore said.

The miles and hours dedicated to providing Moore opportunities to play and improve his game paid off when he heard his name called in the fourth round of the NHL Draft.

The Senators were excited with the pick, as one of their amateur scouts, Dan Boeser, said Moore has tremendous upside.

“I’ve seen him play a lot,” Boeser said. “He’s a really big kid and he’s still growing — we were told today he’s grown about half an inch since the combine. We didn’t think he’d be there (when we picked), we were extremely happy to get him where we did.”

Following his selection in the draft to Ottawa, Moore attended development camps with the team and other drafted players. One player from the Senators roster who welcomed Moore to the team after his selection on draft night was right-winger Drake Batherson.

Moore already started to use his platform to help the next generation of athletes before the draft. In May, he helped lead an event run by the Mosaic Hockey Collective to help the next generation of players of color in hockey by teaching them skills on the ice and being a mentor.

Before Moore wears the block M across his chest, he will head back to Sioux Falls to play another year for the Stampede in the United States Hockey League.

Harkless said her preference is to be at every game, but she will have to miss some while her son is in South Dakota for the next eight months.

“I’m going to miss a lot of games, and that’s not normal for me to not being able to be there,” Harkless said.

Harkless knows that in the end, it will “all be fine” because Moore is going to be a Gopher. She will see her son wearing the Gophers hockey sweater as she plans to become a season ticket holder when Moore is on the team.