Brendan Morrow feature for HockeyPrimeTime.com

Morrow brings defense, leadership to Canada

features

Written by Denis Gorman

Saturday, February 20, 2010 18:40

It was night of December 29. The Dallas Stars had topped the precocious and potent Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4. The Stars’ captain had recorded an assist and took a two minute hooking minor in 18:40 of ice time. Hours later he was at home and, per usual, Brenden Morrow could not sleep. “I usually don’t sleep well after a game, anyway. There was zero sleep,” Morrow recalled. “There were mice running around (in my) head, wondering ‘what might be.’ It was a restless night.” The next morning Morrow was at Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas, the Stars’ practice facility, when his cell phone rang. On the other end was Doug Armstrong, part of Steve Yzerman’s brain trust with Team Canada. The Stars’ former GM was not calling to reminisce about their five years together in Dallas, which included a 210-109-35-23 record and four playoff appearances. Rather, Armstrong, Team Canada’s associate director, informed Morrow that he would be an Olympian for the first time. “Pretty exciting,” was Morrow’s recollection of the day and his reaction to the news. “I had my phone with me. I was training in the gym and had the strength coach (J.J. McQueen) carrying it around. I was pretty excited for the call.” The Vancouver Olympics mark the seventh international tournament for the native of Carlyle, Saskatchewan. In 34 games prior to these Olympics, Morrow has a goal and 13 points and 24 penalty minutes for Team Canada. Morrow, who was part of Canada’s 1999 silver-medal winning World Junior Championships team, said prior to the Games that playing for his country in his home country will be “pretty exciting” and that wearing the Red-and-White Maple Leaf sweater will be a “pretty amazing feeling.” If being named to Team Canada was a “pretty amazing feeling” for his 22 teammates, it had to be doubly rewarding for Morrow, who was limited to 18 games last season due to a torn ACL in right knee. He has played in 44 of the Stars’ 45 games in 2009-10. “Oddly enough, I think I’m feeling better now than I did at the beginning of the season,” Morrow said before heading off to Vancouver. “It’s a pretty major thing I came off of.” Following the surgery and understanding that Team Canada had a wealth of world-class players to select of the Olympic Team — it’s been said that the players who didn’t make the Olympic Team are so talented that they could medal — Morrow, who was invited to August’s Tryout Camp in Calgary, was not sold that he had a roster slot set in concrete. He told HPT.com “I didn’t know.” Stars head coach Mike Crawford had a feeling that Morrow would make the talent-rich squad and was pleased for his success. “Brenden [keeps] to himself about that sort of stuff. I think it was in the back of his mind, no doubt. It’s a big thrill for anyone. It’s a pretty special opportunity,” Crawford said. “I had a good idea that he was going to.” Crawford noted that GM Joe Nieuwendyk had talked with Steve Yzerman, while he spoke with Mike Babcock. I didn’t talk to Steve. Joe talked to Steve an awful lot. Joe talked to a lot of the managers. The managers were the ones that made the decisions. But I did have a good conversation with Mike Babcock on a number of our players,” said Crawford. “They were pretty thorough in their research.” What they may have learned is that Morrow's game is not about numbers. Never among the league’s premier snipers, Morrow has recorded 416 points (187 goals, 229 assists) in 635 career games. Morrow has totaled 14 goals and 27 points, and is minus-2 with 51 penalty minutes this season. He admitted that those numbers would not make anyone forget Wayne Gretzky in his prime. “Statistically I got off to a good start (but) the points haven’t been as coming as consistently (as they were) earlier in the season,” Morrow said before the Stars played the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 6. “I didn’t think my numbers were deserving of making the team, but you never know what they’re looking for. I think with the intangibles, that was something in my favor.” After a stretch with one point (a goal) in eight games during January, Morrow rebounded with seven assists in eight games leading up to the break. But Morrow is invaluable because of his leadership, toughness and intelligence. He is plus-115 in his NHL career, and ranked 15th among all players in plus-minus (plus-117) the last decade according to The Hockey News. So, yes, it’s an understatement to suggest Morrow is responsible in his own end. While every line other than the San Jose Sharks' trio of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley have struggled to find chemistry, Morrow has been a mainstay on the fourth line. Morrow and Crawford agreed before the tournament that Morrow's job will be to provide a physical, checking presence. “I don’t think there’s any secret about that. Finishing my checks, play strong defense, chip in offensively — driving the net, getting rebounds and getting timely goals — but I think my primary role, as I envision it, is to be (on the checking lines),” Morrow said. Crawford, who won a Stanley Cup as the Avalanche's head coach in 1996, and was the head coach of the 1998 Canadian Olympic team, seconded Morrow’s analysis. “Same role as he has here: He’s going to play a hard-forechecking game,” Crawford said. "He’s a very responsible player, so he’ll be a guy who can skate, hunt down pucks and put back-side pressure. He kills penalties for us. He has the ability to play the net on the power play — he’s very good at it — whether or not he gets the opportunity to do that, there is that ability. “He’s great on the forecheck and he’s great at winning one-on-one puck battles. He wins a majority of the ones he’s involved in.” Unlike the NHL game, fighting is strictly verboten in Olympic hockey. While Morrow most likely won’t drop the gloves for his Team Canada mates, he will stick up for them, evidenced by his 994 career penalty minutes. He will also hit for them, which will play a huge factor in the 200-by-85 NHL rinks as compared to the 200-by-100 European rinks. “With the fact that the game is going to played on North American ice, that plays into his style because he is such a combative, competitive guy,” Crawford said admiringly. For those associated with the Stars, it has not been a watershed season. Dallas has 68 points and a 28-21-12 record, ninth in the Western Conference. “The season has been up-and-down. I try not to focus all on myself. I try to put the team first and worry about them,” Morrow said. Leadership. It’s what Brenden Morrow brings Team Canada. http://www.hockeyprimetime.com/news/features/morrow-brings-defense-leadership-to-canada