The Chicago Blackhawks announced Thursday they signed 21-year-old forward Oliver Moore to a five-year, $21.25 million contract extension. The deal comes with a $4.25 million salary-cap hit and will begin in the 2027-28 season.
“It’s a testament to a lot of people around me,” Moore said. “I take no credit for this. (It’s) my family, all the people who supported me to get to this point.
“It’s a start of a commitment to something long term here that we want to build. What we have here is so special. Wish I could sign for 15 years.”
The deal could become a steal if Moore takes a leap in upcoming seasons. The cap hit is more than $2 million less than that of Hawks center Frank Nazar, whose seven-year, $46.2 million contract begins this season.
Nazar, 22, flung a wad of $20 and $100 bills at Moore as the newly signed forward spoke to reporters.
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The Hawks are invested in seeing the Mounds View, Minn., native grow.
“Grateful for the Wirtz family, the management group here, (general manager Kyle Davidson), everyone who helped get the deal done,” Moore said. “For me to sign this deal and have that security is huge, (but) that comes with responsibility.”
Moore, the No. 19 pick in the 2023 draft, is coming off an up-and-down rookie season. In 51 games, he totaled 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) while shifting across the lineup as both a wing and center. He appeared in nine games in 2024-25, tallying four assists.
He suffered a lower-body injury March 8 against the Dallas Stars that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He returned to hockey for the IIHF World Championship, in which he had three assists in eight games for Team USA.
The Hawks are more inclined to leave Moore at center this season, joining a group that also includes Connor Bedard, Nazar and Anton Frondell. He has centered the third line in training camp with Ryan Donato and Andrew Mangiapane as his wings.
“(Moore) probably gives (Bedard) the most (grief), so that’s an important piece,” coach Jeff Blashill joked Thursday.
“Excited for him. It gives him the understanding (and) the feeling of how important he is to this group. We believe in him as a player, we believe in what he’s going to continue to build as a player, but we also know he’s a huge part of our locker room.”
Blashill has liked what he has seen from Moore during this year’s short training camp. Like the rest of the organization, he’s looking forward to seeing where Moore’s ceiling ends up.
“The biggest thing I would say with (Moore) is when I watched him play at the worlds … I thought he did a really good job of having that tenacity without the puck but being calmer with the puck,” Blashill said Monday. “He’s showing signs of doing a real good job with that.”