In the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, lies West Mifflin, a town with a population under 20,000 and a tight-knit community where it seems everyone knows each other. A town with a rich history and one of the oldest amusement parks in the nation, Kennywood Park. There also lay a young L.J. Mooney who grew up surrounded by hockey, as he was practically born into it. From Sidney Crosby’s Little Penguins program that has helped over 10,000 kids learn the sport of hockey, L.J. was born ready for it.
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Though the Mooneys aren’t the only family in West Mifflin to grow accustomed to the game of hockey, the Cooleys across the street practically share a yard with the Mooneys. Logan Cooley, who’s related and cousins with Mooney, has taken the dreams of a little boy in West Mifflin into a certainty as he has taken the NHL head-on as one of the young stars on the league’s newest team, the Utah Hockey Club.
Mooney grew up with the stars aligning and the path ahead paved, and now, he embarks on the second half of the season with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), focused on turning his dreams into reality.
Sidney Crosby’s Little Penguins Set Mooney Up for Success
Sidney Crosby is one of one, both on and off the ice. The Little Penguins is an organization that helps youngsters ages five through nine understand the game of hockey and how to play. It’s a program with over 13,000 graduates, including Mooney, who grew up with the program.
“It was pretty great growing with that, pretty fortunate,” Mooney said. “They do a lot for you, and it’s a great program also. You’re really young, so getting equipment and all that stuff, I couldn’t ask for a better program.”
Since 2008, the Little Penguins have continued to support players like Mooney and help pave the path to their ultimate goal, the NHL. With assistance from Reebok and DICK’S Sporting Goods, the program can give free equipment, from helmets to sticks to all other needs in the sport, to guide the paths of the thousands of hockey players.
They did that for Mooney, and it’s safe to say that at this point in his career, he took advantage of it.
Getting a Taste of Excellence with the Penguins Elite Youth Team
Amongst one of the country’s best youth/teenage programs, the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite team is where Mooney spent a lot of his time. The Elite Penguins have been known to send players to various junior leagues, including the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the United States Hockey League (USHL), and the NCAA. Mooney was with the program his entire youth and was able to grow into the very player he is today.
“I was there for a long time, like seven, eight years, so I mean, that’s an unbelievable program,” Mooney said. “The gym, the facility, it’s like an NHL practice rink, so pretty unbelievable getting to play games there and calling it your home rink. You go to school, come skate, work out; it was pretty awesome.”
While replicating his game after Pavel Datsyuk growing up, his role model was someone much closer to him: his father, John Mooney, who played a significant role in coaching him at a young age.
“He coached me for my first two years, and that was pretty cool,” Mooney said. “He’s my role model, so just learning from him and everything was pretty awesome.”
Hockey runs deep in the Mooneys as John played with the Colorado College Tigers for two seasons. It also runs deep in the Cooleys, who played a role in helping L.J. grow into the player he is today.
The Cooley Connection
When Logan Cooley was drafted third overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah HC), it marked history. Not only did the Coyotes and general manager Bill Armstrong draft their future first-line center, but it also meant history back home for Cooley. At third overall, he was the highest-drafted player out of Pittsburgh, surpassing J.T. Miller, who previously held it at 15th overall.
“Back at home, we share a yard pretty much,” Mooney said, laughing. “I’ve always been around him and his family, like he has two older brothers also that grew up playing hockey, so they were great to have growing up and just playing hockey against them. I couldn’t ask for a better hockey family.”
“Logan is obviously a great role model for me, just getting with him every summer,” Mooney said. “We have a good group in the summer, so with him, it’s pretty fun; I try to model my game after him a lot, just watching what he does on the ice, so it’s pretty cool having that up close.”
While modeling his game after Cooley may be difficult, he’s already taken the first step as he committed to the Minnesota Gophers, where Cooley attended in 2022.
Committed to the University of Minnesota, Gophers Are Skilled as Ever with Mooney
Head coach Bob Motzko continues his narrative in the college hockey world every season: dominating the competition. The Gophers have been one of the premier destinations for college hockey recruits, and Mooney is one of many to join that long list.
“I mean, just watching them play this year and can’t ask for a better coach or team to go to next year,” Mooney said. “Pretty pumped, and just getting to know him [Bob Motzko] throughout the last couple years, and just watching him as a coach, and watching the guys that come to the program, it’s pretty unbelievable. I’m really fortunate to be able to go there next year.”
With Cooley also already going to Minnesota, it makes all the sense Mooney followed, and it’s a testament to the talent they’ve produced over the years. Including Cooley, they’ve also had guys like Brock Faber, Matthew Knies, and Sammy Walker.
Mooney will have all the resources in the world to succeed under Motzko, as is provided to every player who walks through those doors.
Mooney Ready for the Challenges & Obstacles Ahead
Standing at 5-foot-6, Mooney isn’t the tallest player, and while that may scare many players his size, it’s not scaring him in the slightest as he continues to face the challenges and obstacles ahead. After dealing with an injury for most of the first quarter of this season, he’ll look to flip the script in the second half, and it’ll start in Tempe, Arizona when the USNTDP takes on the Arizona State Sun Devils in a two-game expedition series on Dec. 28 and 29.
