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Russ Moyer making moves in Sweden

Very few hockey players enjoy professionally pursuing the game they have grown up diligently studying.

 

Very few hockey players enjoy professionally pursuing the game they have grown up diligently studying.

But among the thousands of athletes that give it a go, there are those lucky enough to have found a fitting combination of skill, focus, dexterity and passion for the game.

Russ Moyer is one of those players.

If you want to see how serendipitous a professional hockey career can be, look no further than that of Moyer. At 32-years-old, Moyer has experienced the pro game playing for seven teams on two continents since leaving Acadia University in 2007.

And although his journey continues to be determined one season at a time, it’s almost as though his self-perpetuating hockey career is capable of indefinite continuation.

Playing for Oskarshamm IK in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan league last year, Moyer led all defencemen on the team in scoring with four goals and 14 assists through 52 games.

But after exploring his options in the off-season, he voted in favour of taking his game 160 kilometers down the Swedish coastline to join Karlskrona HK. His current assignment is helping his new team find a way to move up and establish themselves in the Swedish Hockey League, the highest division in the Swedish system.

After moving to the southeast coastal town at the end of August, Moyer says the new setting has a promising outlook.

“I ended up here in Karlskrona since I had heard great things about the organization and they were among the top teams in the league the previous season,” Moyer explained from his new home.

“I am really excited to be back in Sweden and to be with a new organization. Everything has been first class here since arriving and I feel healthier than I have felt in a couple years.”

Last year, Karlskrona finished a respectable fifth out of 14 teams in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan league. In order for the team to have a chance of being delegated to the top tier, they have to finish in the top two in HockeyAllsvenskan.

If they accomplish that, the team must then play in a series called Kvalserien against the SHLs last-placed teams to determine which league the teams will be competing in the next season.

“I would find it hard to believe many people work harder and are more committed to their sport as the players are here,” said Moyer. “The hockey is very fast, but also tight defensively so scoring is fairly low but I enjoy the style more than the North American game. With the bigger ice the skill of players becomes more apparent.

“We are expected to be a middle of the pack team this season but I believe we can challenge for a place to qualify for the SHL,” he continued. “If we could accomplish that it would be an excellent achievement.”

Moyer says Karlskrona brass is expecting him to provide his typical well-rounded game with his offensive capabilities from the backend and a dependable defensive facet as well.

Now, with the team’s regular season getting under way last week, Moyer says he feels more confident than ever about both his own personal game and the club’s future.

“I’m very optimistic for the coming season, both personally as well as team wise; we look to have a good team and should be very competitive,” said Moyer. “I am most excited about getting a fresh start with a new club.

“We are a young team and I will be one of the more experienced players on the team and it will be nice to play more of a leadership role.”

In case you’re unaware of Moyer’s deep hockey history, it’s easy to understand why he has had the capability of continuing to propel his career further and further.

His résumé boasts a visit to the 2001 Memorial Cup as a member of the Ottawa 67s, an AUS Championship with Acadia University, a Danish Cup run with the Aalborg Pirates and appearances with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League.

Still, there’s no denying that Moyer is just as serious about his career now as he was when he first began pursuing the professional game in the 2007-08 season.

He is coming off of a summer of recovery and training at local gym Crossfit 705, where he says the refreshing daily workouts help break the monotony of a traditional workout regimen. As a result, he says he feels healthy and appropriately prepared for the demanding Swedish schedule.

Even though it seems as though Moyer still has a lot to look forward to in his playing career, he admits that life beyond the game is somewhere on his radar.

“I am always thinking about life after hockey, at 32 I know my years will be fewer and fewer,” he said. “When I am finally home for good I would love to return to North Bay and help with hockey there, at what level I am not too sure yet.

“As for a career I have always had a large interest in policing and would love to become a police officer one day.”

But luckily for Karlskrona HK and hockey fans in Sweden, pursuing that vision will be put on hold indefinitely.

Right now, there is still a lot of hockey to be played.  


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Liam Berti

About the Author: Liam Berti

Liam Berti is a University of Ottawa journalism graduate who has since worked for BayToday as the City Council and North Bay Battalion reporter.
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