After ranking among the top scorers in the American Hockey League at the halfway point of his second full season with the Manchester Monarchs, former Pioneers center Nick Shore (DU: 2010-2013) received his first career NHL call-up to the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 12, 2015. The Kings, who drafted Shore in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, rewarded the Denver native for his stellar play in the AHL when he made his NHL debut on Jan. 17 versus Anaheim.

The 22 year-old Coloradan went on to finish the second half of the 2014-15 regular season in the NHL, recording seven points (one goal, six assists) in 34 games. He scored his first NHL goal on March 26 in a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders. After failing to clinch a playoff spot down the stretch, the Kings reassigned Shore to Manchester on April 19 to help the Monarchs begin their Calder Cup playoff run.

“It was good,” Shore said when asked about his first stint with the NHL club. “We weren’t able to finish the year how we would’ve liked to, but then again I got to go down and win a championship with the team in Manchester, so that was definitely a good experience.”

The Monarchs defeated Portland in their first-round playoff series in a deciding fifth game against the Pirates, followed by a 4-1 series victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Manchester swept the Hartford Wolf Pack in the Eastern Conference Finals before taking on the Utica Comets in the Calder Cup Finals. The L.A. Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate claimed their first-ever Calder Cup Championship on June 13 after defeating the Comets 2-1 in Game 5 and winning the best-of-seven series 4-1.

Shore finished the 2015 Calder Cup playoffs with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) and a plus-12 rating in 19 games. The former Pios standout deserved some much needed rest after playing in 72 regular season games between the NHL and AHL as well as 19 playoff contests.

“I think at the end of it, it’s definitely good to rest and not do a whole lot for a while,” Shore said. “It’s one of those things that not too many people get a chance to experience, winning a championship…it’s something that doesn’t come around too often so it’s really special.”

After taking some time off, Shore participated in the annual DU Pro Alumni Camp, held from Aug. 10-14 at Magness Arena. The week was used to practice and stay/get in shape for the upcoming hockey season as well as reunite and catch up with former Pioneers teammates.

“It’s always good,” Shore said when asked about the camp. “It’s nice having everyone back, especially for the week to get ready for the season and everything. It’s really cool when everybody is able to make it back in the summer. You spend three or four years with all of those guys so it’s nice having everyone back.”

Shore played for three seasons at Denver, recording 18 points during his freshman campaign (2010-11), 41 points in his second season (2011-12) and a team-leading 34 points during his junior year (2012-13) before signing an entry-level contract with the Kings in April of 2013.

As he continues to train in his hometown and prepare for the upcoming season, Shore took some time to reflect on his time here at DU and the memories he created as a student-athlete.

“I would say the whole experience was awesome for me. Coming in my freshman year and spending three years here were some of the best years of my life. I will always look back on them with a smile.”

Story written by Samantha Rogan (@SamanthaRogan)