It’s a long way from Flin Flon to Buffalo - but then again, now-former Flin Flon Bomber forward Caleb Moretz isn’t exactly phased by long journeys. The Fairbanks, Alaska native is back home following an invitation to an NHL development camp with the Buffalo Sabres.
Moretz, who played two seasons with the Bombers and tallied 51 points in 41 games with the squad last season, received an official invite in June to come to the camp. He is slated to join the NCAA’s Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tigers next season, located about an hour’s drive from the KeyBank Center, the Sabres’ home rink.
Moretz first found out he was on the Sabres’ radar following a chance encounter with a Buffalo scout during one of the Bombers’ notorious southern Saskatchewan road trips.
“He said he saw me the second game of the road trip and something stuck out, so he followed me the next game - I believe it was Estevan,” Moretz said.
“He watched me play again there and then went all the way to Notre Dame for the fourth game of the road trip and watched me again there. That's where he talked to me - it was in Notre Dame. He just kind of said, 'Something stuck out that caught my attention and I wanted to keep watching you.'”
When Moretz got a formal invitation to come to camp, the team took precautions in bringing him to New York state.
“They flew me out two days before camp, because obviously New York is a little bit of a hike away from Alaska, so they didn't want to risk anything. I went two days earlier in case something went wrong.”
Once he got there, Moretz was bowled over by the camp experience.
“[The Sabres] basically bring all their staff in, all the time. So you kind of get a day in the life of what it'd be like to play for the Buffalo Sabres. You get up in the morning, you go get breakfast, you go work out, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, we did a little of everything,” he said.
“It was awesome, but basically, it was like, ‘This is what we do here.’ It's very professional, everything's very well done. It was a great time, especially with the amount of staff that they have. They've always got somebody there to help you.”
This was the first time Moretz had taken part in such a high level event. There were some jitters at first, but Moretz said his roommate, a more experienced player, helped him calm his nerves.
“I was talking to my roommate about it. I asked him if this was his first camp and he's like, 'Well, no, it's my fourth camp,' which was kind of impressive. He was saying how nervous he was the first time and then he told me, 'At the end of the day, it's just hockey. Everybody here, we're here for a reason. We're all here because we can play at a high level, so you might as well go have fun playing with guys with similar talent.'”
The camp ended in disappointment for Moretz, as he was unable to get in a final skate with the team due to a lingering injury. Moretz will not be joining the Sabres’ training camp this summer, as doing so would jeopardize his scholarship with RIT.
While down in New York, Moretz got a chance to meet up again with RIT coach Wayne Wilson, a 20-year veteran who came to Buffalo to see his soon-to-be freshman forward.
“I went on a campus visit during the season last year. I've been there and I know what it's all about. My coach actually came up there to watch me during camp but I didn't get a skate, so I got to chat with him a little bit about school, Moretz said.”
Only a few months removed from his time as a Bomber, Moretz already has fond memories of his home away from home.
“The community, I think that was the biggest part - walking down the street and somebody says, 'Hey, good game last night.' You're getting something at Walmart and someone says, 'Nice goal.' Right on! Everybody knows who you are and it just makes you feel welcome right off the bat,” he said.
Moretz also brought up his biggest moment as a Bomber in last season’s playoffs. In game four against the Battlefords North Stars, with the Bombers down 1-0 and facing elimination, Moretz scored in the third period to tie the game. Brandson Hein scored later to win it for the Bombers in overtime, sparking three straight wins against the Stars to go from 3-0 down to force a game seven.
“The place just went nuts, like you could feel it skating on the ice. That's just the atmosphere that the Whitney Forum brings,” he said.
Moretz is biding his time back in Alaska, working out and skating a few times a week to prepare for college hockey. Moretz has even picked up a summer job - loading bags for United Airlines at Fairbanks International Airport.
“Training and hockey. That's the routine, skating a couple times a week. I'm working out every day pretty much. I work for United Airlines and I throw bags - I kind of get a little workout there, too,” Moretz said chuckling.
