September 24, 2020
The Kenston High School Athletic Department has announced the hiring of Tom Moores as its next hockey head coach. The announcement was made by Athletic Director Reid Guarnieri following the approval of Moores’ hire by the Kenston Board of Education at Monday’s monthly meeting (September 21).
Guarnieri and high school Principal Tom Gabram recommended the hire of Moores to the Board of Education in September. Guarnieri said, “When we first met with Coach Moores we were highly impressed by his playing experience as well as his work within youth hockey. From the moment he stepped in the room we could see his enthusiasm for the game. These elements of his background and personality presented us with really a perfect fit for a program that will be rebuilding upon a successful history.”
As a Canadian, hockey has been a way of life for Moores, not only as a young player progressing from the Metropolitan Hockey League to the Young Nationals AAA team, but also when he was drafted at the age of 16 to the Ontario Hockey League to play with the Niagara Falls Thunder, and when he was later invited to the Boston Bruin’s rookie camp.
Moores started to gain even more experience when he moved to the United States as a young adult when he played in the United Hockey League with the Saginaw Wheels in Michigan, and then when he was acquired by the El Paso Buzzards in Texas, where we won the Presidents Cup Championship. When his playing career came to an end in 2000, Moores transitioned into a professional career outside of hockey but has remained involved as a coach ever since.
“I’ve been heavily involved in hockey all my life and my family and I are part of the Kenston community,” Moores said. “There is an amazing sense of passion and commitment here to ensure our kids succeed in whatever they choose and I get to play a critical role in that.”
Since 2013, Moores has served as Director of Hockey at The Pond in Chagrin Falls where he is responsible for all coordination of hockey programing, including identifying growth opportunities and implementing programming to ensure the sport of hockey and its associated young talent are developed.
In 2018, Moores accepted the position of President of the Geauga Youth Hockey Association where he serves as Chairman of the Board creating and executing long-term strategies for the organization and development of youth teams in our county. It is a role that serves as a perfect bridge to leading the Bomber hockey program.
Coach Moores stated, “I am excited about this opportunity to lead the Kenston Hockey team. I understand the importance the role of a coach plays in the lives of young adults and for me it’s about making a connection with the players, inspiring them to do their best, and helping them grow and succeed both on and off the ice.”
The high school team is coming off of a 2019-20 season where it finished with a 12-20 record but also lost two of its best players in the history of the program. Val Carriero and Jason Hildebran graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer and saves leader, respectively, and the team will be looking to identify and enhance leadership roles amongst the returners and newcomers.
With Coach Moores’ familiarity with most of the members of the team though, he is ready to lead them in a new way, remarking, “I recognize that with passion comes hard work and dedication. With this, I will reinforce our ability to work together and will reinforce this regularly with our players. I’m looking forward to leading the team and making an impact here at Kenston!”
Kenston is due to open its 2020-21 regular season at the Gilmour Ice Arena as they will take on Solon on November 22.