The hockey hand-me-downs have served the Shore family of Cherry Hills extraordinarily well.
Twenty-five years after David and Sarah Shore met while attending law school at the University of Denver and chose a Pioneers hockey game as their first date, they will have an anniversary to remember Friday night at Magness Arena.
Junior center Drew Shore, 20, will direct DU’s top line. Sophomore Nick Shore, 19, is the Pioneers’ second-line center. And 17-year-old Quentin Shore, who last month pledged to play for DU beginning next season, will face his future team as a member of the U.S. National Development Program’s (USNDP) 18-under team.
A fourth Shore brother, 12-year-old Baker, an elite hockey player as well, will be in the stands watching the exhibition game unfold with his proud parents.
“It’s going to be a blast,” Nick Shore said of the unusual family gathering. “Growing up, we never really got this opportunity before. Playing with Drew and against Quentin is really going to be fun, especially for my parents. They’ve put a lot of hard work into where we are today, and they’re really going to enjoy watching it.”
When it comes to hockey, the Shores are as All-American as they are all-Coloradan. Drew, Nick and Quentin are destined to become the first three brothers to complete a two-year commitment at the prestigious USNDP, based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Drew joined DU from the program in 2009 and Nick a year ago.
“We’re really proud of them,” Sarah Shore said of her sons. “They’re great kids, and they’ve worked their tushes off to get where they are.”
The thought of sharing the ice with two of his three brothers in a game before a large crowd intrigues Drew Shore. DU’s leading scorer last season is a 2009 second-round draft pick (44th overall) of Florida.
He is expected to sign an NHL entry-level contract with the Panthers after this season. But playing with Nick and Quentin are two big reasons why he might stay.
“I don’t think I could have a better reason if I’m going to return for my senior year,” Drew said.
Quentin Shore is no stranger to the players he will oppose Friday. He has skated with the Pioneers during the past two summers.
“After the whistle guys will try to grab him and mess with him a little bit. But he’s pretty well liked,” Drew said. “That’s one of the ultimate reasons he decided to come here.”
DU coach George Gwozdecky likens the Shores to the Miller family of East Lansing, Mich. Kelly Miller and his younger brothers, Kevin and Kip, starred at Michigan State when Gwozdecky was a Spartans assistant coach in the 1980s.
“It’s a great story from our standpoint because they’re local kids from a local family and their two oldest boys had opportunities to choose pretty much any school they wanted to play hockey at,” Gwozdecky said of the Shores. “They came to DU for a number of reasons, and it’s been a real good thing for our program.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
Shores on ice
Colorado-raised University of Denver teammates Drew and Nick Shore face their little brother, Quentin, and the U.S. 18-under team in Friday’s exhibition at Magness Arena. According to their parents, the Denver-born boys have these personality traits:
Drew: Focused, intense
Nick: Relaxed, slow-pulsed
Quentin: Even-keeled, unflappable
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
