Justin Morrison

Last updated

Justin Morrison
Justin Morrison.jpg
Morrison with the Chicago Wolves in 2006
Born (1979-08-10) August 10, 1979 (age 46)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Lukko (SM-liiga)
Frölunda HC (SEL)
Modo (SEL)
Rapperswil-Jona Lakers
HC Dinamo Minsk
HC Davos
Hamburg Freezers (DEL)
NHL draft 81st overall, 1998
Vancouver Canucks
Playing career 20012011

Justin Morrison (born August 10, 1979, in Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American former professional ice hockey player who last played for Lukko of the SM-liiga. [1]

Contents

Playing career

Justin Morrison starting playing hockey late in his childhood — around age 11 — after seeing the sport at a local rink. His talent was quickly recognized as he moved from local Los Angeles teams to playing for the Omaha Lancers in the United States Hockey League. Soon thereafter, he became a member of the USA U-17 team that participated in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Morrison has since played for the United States World Junior Team in the 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and has been a recurring member of the USA Hockey Inline Team. As a teenager, Morrison appeared in the movie D2: The Mighty Ducks as a street hockey player.

Morrison's collegiate career consisted of four years at Colorado College playing in the WCHA. He is a current member of the university's Century Club, having tallied more than 100 collegiate points. Morrison was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft in the 3rd round, as the 81st pick overall. At the time, he was the second-highest NHL draft pick in the school's illustrious hockey history. He was also the first African-American hockey player from Los Angeles to be drafted into the NHL.

As a professional, Morrison spent four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL and their affiliate the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Morrison also spent a season with Atlanta Thrashers, playing for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL.

Morrison's first season overseas was in the Swedish Elitserien playing for Modo Hockey. Morrison tallied 28 points in 34 games (18 goals, 10 assists) and helped lead his team to an SEL Championship. Morrison has also played for Frölunda HC in Elitserien, for the Hamburg Freezers [2] in the DEL, and for a short time with both the HC Dinamo Minsk in the KHL and Switzerland's HC Davos. [3]

For the 2009–10 season Morrison returned the Finnish SM-liiga, where he was the top scorer for Lukko and among the top scorers in the league, having tallied 51 points in 50 games during the regular season, and was nominated as league MVP. [4]

In 2009, while playing for Lukko, Morrison again joined USA Hockey, this time for the Deutschland Cup, hosted by the city of Munich. Morrison took home Player of the Game honors against Germany for his 2-goal effort, and was the USA's top scorer for the tournament. Team USA took home 2nd place to Germany after losing in a shoot-out to the Czech Republic.

For the 2010-11 season, Morrison returned to Lukko where he had another productive season, positioning himself as one of the league's most exciting players and prolific scorers. [5]

Privates

Justin Morrison lives in Portland, Oregon with his two sons.

Career statistics

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1996–97 Omaha Lancers USHL 519202944102468
1997–98 Colorado College NCAA 4249138
1998–99 Colorado CollegeNCAA3823153833
1999–00 Colorado CollegeNCAA387192628
2000–01 Colorado CollegeNCAA4121143542
2001–02 Manitoba Moose AHL 64109193771010
2002–03 Manitoba MooseAHL30106161320004
2002–03 Columbia Inferno ECHL 4020355539
2003–04 Manitoba MooseAHL6618183627
2004–05 Manitoba MooseAHL7111102133141568
2005–06 Chicago Wolves AHL5822173938
2006–07 Modo Hockey SHL 3418102838900024
2007–08 TPS Liiga 20110
2007–08 Frölunda HC SHL111346
2007–08 Rapperswil-Jona Lakers NLA 10110
2007–08 Lukko Liiga1648122264260
2008–09 HC Dinamo Minsk KHL 30002
2008–09 HC Davos NLA20112
2008–09 Hamburg Freezers DEL 244591410000
2009–10 LukkoLiiga501833516040118
2010–11 LukkoLiiga562219413440002
AHL totals289716013114835481216

Awards and honors

AwardYear
WCHA All-Tournament Team 1999 [6]

References

  1. "Skating on Strange Terrain : NHL Hopeful Justin Morrison Wants to Set an Example for African American Kids". Articles.latimes.com. October 5, 1998. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  2. "PRESSEMITTEILUNGEN - Hamburg Freezers Presseservice Freezers verpflichten US-Stürmer Justin Morrison - Hamburg, Freezers, Morrison, Lukko, Team, Modo, Ausfälle, Justin, Saison, Leslie, Manning, Peter, Paul, Kontakt, Geschäftsführer, Kilogramm, Meter, Rechtsaußen, schwerDurch, Sarno, Capla, Boris". Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  3. "St.Galler Tagblatt Online - Justin Morrison für drei Spiele zum HCD". www.tagblatt.ch. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Sanomalehti Länsi-Suomi | Sinun kotisivusi | Jääkiekko". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
  6. "WCHA Tourney History". WCHA.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.