Beyond the ‘C’: The Story of Brenden Morrow
AGE |
33
HEIGHT
6’
WEIGHT
209 lbs.
POSITION
Left Wing
DRAFTED
25th Overall in 1997
Brenden Morrow is the captain of the Dallas Stars. He followed a great captain, Mike Modano and has been captain ever since. Whether he is playing in the NHL, CHL, or the WHL, Morrow can put up some pretty decent numbers. This is Beyond the ‘C’: They Story of Brenden Morrow.
This man started out strong in the younger years in his hometown of Carlyle, Saskatchewan. Even though he put up 117 goals and 72 assists in 60 games in his final year of bantam hockey, he wasn’t selected for the WHL Bantam draft, and went to play for the Portland Winter Hawks. This led him to his junior career. In his rookie season, he put together 13 goals and 12 assists for a total of 25 points in 65 games. In his last 3 seasons for Portland, he scored a total of 259 points. This showed everyone that he had developed from his rookie season quite well. He helped win the Memorial Cup in Portland in the 1997-1998 season.
Morrow started playing in the professional league in 1999. He jumped back and forth between the Dallas Stars and the Michigan K-Wings (IHL). He played 9 games for the K-Wings scoring only 2 goals and earning 18 penalty minutes. He played 64 games in Dallas scoring 14 goals, 19 assists, and earning 81 penalty minutes. He became the team’s Rookie of the Year. After his rookie days, he played at least 70 games a season until the 2006-2007 season. He had missed 33 games due to a severed tendon in his wrist. In the 2007-2008 season, he sprung back. He played in all 82 games. It’s sad that the same isn’t true for the 2008-2009 season. He was limited to only 18 games due to an ACL tear in his knee. But he has played through injuries before. Does anyone remember when he returned to the game after breaking a bone in his ankle during the playoffs in 1999-2000?
During the NHL lockout, Brenden Morrow did what every smart player did, he signed with a different league. He played in the CHL with the Oklahoma City Blazers. He only appeared in 19 games, scoring 22 points. Before the 2006-2007 season, the Dallas Stars requested that Mike Modano step down as captain so Brenden Morrow could be the captain. The team was rewarding him for commitment after signing a 6 year deal instead of joining the free agency train. The Stars also said they wanted the younger players to hold the leadership roles.
Brenden Morrow Fun Fact: He has a great love for scoring goals. He has scored the last 3 out of 4 overtime winners in the playoffs for the Stars.
Editor’s Corner:
Austin Waldron, editor of Blackout Dallas, gave me a big statement on the captain of the Stars. Here it is.
“Morrow has in the past been the captain the Stars needed. His talent and leadership-wise took the team through the transition from the glory years with the faces of the franchise to a team recently trying to rebuild without blowing up the team. He merged the poise, grit, and strength that the fans in Dallas love to see with talent. But after having a couple of his best offensive seasons since being named captain, Morrow might now be the part of another transition. One where he is now closing in on the end of his days in Dallas, as a new core featuring the likes of Eriksson, Benn, and Lehtonen takes over the team. The high mileage and physical style that Morrow normally plays with are starting to take their toll. He spent this last season in a weird spot between either not playing, or just looking like half the player he used to be in his prime. While his heart is still there, the body might not be. And that has turned one of the biggest fan favorites over the last decade into a common rumor target. With only one season left on his contract and his 34th birthday coming up during the coming season, Morrow will need to pull it all together and lead this team again (like he has been more than capable of in the past), or his time wearing the “C” in big D will likely be over.”
I have to agree with Austin. Morrow isn’t really what he used to be. He got older and the team brought in younger guys. It’s going to be sad for his family when they ask him to step down as captain like they did Modano for him.
Another Brenden Morrow Fun Fact: Brenden married the daughter of former Stars teammate and former Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau. He married Anne-Marie in July of 2002 and they have 3 children. He has a daughter Bryelle, and twins; son Brody, and daughter Mallory.
Closing Argument:
Brenden Morrow, as Austin stated in Editor’s Corner, has only a number of games left before the team decides to take his captaincy away. There are trade rumors that he wants to go somewhere else. If that happens, I don’t see the Stars taking long to name a captain of the team. This should be an easy decision for them.
That is it for Brenden Morrow. You’ve heard his story, now it’s time for some feedback. You can always get a hold of me on Twitter (@NardoneDylan) and tell me what you think. On Monday, one of the biggest names in hockey is going to be talked about. Hold on tight, ladies and gentlemen. On Monday, you get to read Beyond the ‘C’: The Story of Alexander Ovechkin.