BRENDAN MORRISON - ANOTHER BERTUZZI VICTIM

by Mike Vogel, Dump and Chase author and Nikale1


THE MORRISONS - NICE ADDITION TO THE CAPITALS FAMILY

Do you remember the Bertuzzi's hook from behind on Steve Moore? Silly question, just to start conversation. Sure you do. So how many victims did this stupid move bring as result? One (Moore who never played again)? Two (Moore and Bertuzzi, who never was himself after that)? Or four including Naslund and Morrison? I think the last version is correct. Markus never reached his level again forced to retire this year and Brendan disappeared from the hockey horizon for years.
This summer he moved to Capitals trying to get new life with young and ambitious Washington 'Ovechkinized' team to replace the significant hole that occurred after Fedorov and Kozlov departure to Russia and Nylander miserable last season performance.
Below is an article written by Mike Vogel the author of Dump and Chase excellent Capitals blog.

- Less than two months after he signed a one-year deal with the Capitals as an unrestricted free agent and just two weeks shy of his 34th birthday, center Brendan Morrison visited the District this week. Along with wife Erin, the newest Capital is house-hunting for a place for his family, which includes four children aged 7, 5, 4 and almost 1.

Morrison also took time out to have a workout at Kettler Capitals Iceplex and to spend some time chatting up the media. We had a chance to sit down with Morrison for a video interview which you'll see on Caps365 sometime next week. He spoke at length about winning the Hobey Baker Award, winning an NCAA championship at U. of Michigan, playing on the West Coast Express line with Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi, his lengthy consecutive-games-played streak, and more.

I've always found it interesting to look back on old scouting reports of young players years later to see how accurate those first impressions tended to be. Here's what the Central Scouting Bureau had to say about Morrison back in the summer of 1993, when he was drafted in the second round (39th overall) by the New Jersey Devils:

Personal Profile: Brendan is a student at Pentiction Secondary whose childhood hero was his dad, and who ranks Wayne Gretzky as his favorite NHLer because he's an "unselfish team player with great skills and a true ambassador of the game." Brendan has been awarded a full athletic scholarship to the University of Michigan, and hopes to both achieve a university degree and to start his own business one day. He lists the Kelowna Spartans of the BCJHL as his toughest hockey opponents. Away from the rink, he enjoys leisure sports such as golf and tennis, and he also likes to read about all types of sport.

Career Highlights: has been offered a full athletic scholarship to the University of Michigan.

Coach's Comments: Coach Garry Davidson says, "Above average skills with great offensive vision (read and react). Has improved his defensive game immensely in 1992-93."

Central Scouting Report: "Strong skater with balance and agility ... hard to knock off his skates ... excellent scorer with excellent selection of shots, hard and accurate ... clever around the net ... makes the big play ... very good passer, hits the open man ... fast, accurate passes to either side ... good stickhandling and puck control ... solid positional player ... can forecheck and backcheck ... uses size and strength to best advantage ... good stamina ... plays aggressively within the rules ... never gives up ... plays when hurt ... excellent team player ... a game breaker ... understands and adapts to the play."

Morrison was listed as being 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds in those days. He is still listed at 5-foot-11 but has thickened up to 181 pounds some 16 years later.