LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – History was made during the 2024 NHL Draft — not only as the first sports event held in the Sphere, but also as the first time a Vegas-born player would hear his name called.
Austin Moline was taken in the seventh round, 205th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers.
“The day before I was a little nervous, but when I got there I kind of calmed down and realized I’ve done all I can to get to this point, and whatever happens, I’m going to keep working,” explained Moline.
When Moline was a kid, he played for the Nevada Storm and then later, the Junior Golden Knights.
“I would say right when I got picked my heart was beating a lot, I was obviously excited and ready to get started there. I actually flew out the next morning, they got my flight set up,” Moline told FOX5. “My flight actually got canceled, so I had to stay in Chicago for a night and miss the first day of camp – didn’t miss too much, though!”
Moline says getting drafted was just the first step, now it’s about continuing to evolve his game in hopes of one day making it to the National Hockey League.
He shared, “Once we hit the ice, it was second nature to me. I wasn’t nervous at all. We had two different groups in skating; a group of defensemen, then we’d skate with our team. We’d have select groups of seven or eight guys, and then our team would come out. It was a real experience to see how all these players from around the world developed their game.”
When it comes to developing his own game, Moline says it continues to be on his mind, well after the draft. “I just have to keep working… You have to keep thinking that someone is outworking you, and keep working harder.”
Moline’s next steps include playing a year of junior hockey in Wisconsin for the Madison Capitals, before touring some schools to decide his upcoming college plans.
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