With the Rangers suddenly strapped for cash against the salary cap ceiling, the future of veteran center, Dominic Moore, remained uncertain. Moore managed to reach an agreement on July 1 with the new York Rangers for a two-year, $3 million contract with a limited no-trade clause to stay in New York.
“It was looking like it wasn’t going to be hard, and it ended up being a little harder than we thought,” Moore said of the negotiations in a phone interview with the Daily News. “But I’m very happy to have it all set and happy to be coming back for sure.”
34-year-old Moore believes he re-signed out of loyalty to the franchise that gave him a second chance after a long year off the ice. However his decision was also influenced by the fact he will continue to lead the Rangers when he was promoted onto a line with Chris Kreider and Martin St. Louis.
“Definitely,” Moore admitted. “There’s a lot to be said for that. The way the season started for me, I did kind of have to work my way up and work my way back into not only a position where the coaches trusted me, but where I trusted myself on the ice. But that’s something that when you put your time in, you want to build on it. I want to win first and foremost, and I’m happy with whatever role I’m asked to play. But versatility is one of the strengths I bring to the table.”
Moore was honored the 2014 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and well deserved; Moore returned to the NHL following the January 2013 death of his wife, Katie, at the age of 32 from a rare form of liver cancer.
For more information read on at http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/new-deal-rangers-center-dominic-moore-charitable-article-1.1878193
