Kevin Morrison

Kevin Gregory Joseph Morrison (born October 28, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 418 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and 41 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1973 and 1980, scoring a total of 97 goals and 235 assists.

Career

Morrison was scouted while playing high school hockey for Sydney Academy and junior hockey for Saint-Jérôme Alouettes. He was drafted in the third round of the 1969 NHL entry draft by the New York Rangers. After two seasons in the Eastern Hockey League and Central Hockey League, he advanced to the American Hockey League (AHL), playing for the Rochester Americans and Tidewater Wings, scoring two goals for the former. Morrison spent the following season with the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL, tallying 7 goals and 28 assists.

Morrison was mostly known as an enforcer who was involved in many memorable hockey fights. During his season with the Nighthawks, he tangled with Rochester's J. Bob "Battleship" Kelly - both combatants fought furiously until exhausted, had a brief respite, then continued until neither man could punch anymore.

Morrison spent the next five seasons, from 1973 to 1978, exclusively in the World Hockey Association. He scored better than 20 goals in his first three seasons in the league and was selected to the one WHA All-Star game. He was involved in another memorable fight during the 1978–79 season against Steve Durbano of the Birmingham Bulls. In this skirmish, even after Morrison was assessed a penalty and was standing in the penalty box, Durbano continued to go after him. Durbano broke free of the linesman holding him back and took several wild swings at Morrison, who himself broke free of the other linesman and decked his opponent with a clean right that sent Durbano crumpling to the ice.

Splitting 1978-79 between the AHL and WHA, Morrison recorded the only assist on Wayne Gretzky's first professional goal on October 20, 1978, against Edmonton Oilers goalie Dave Dryden. Morrison spent half his final year in pro hockey playing in the NHL for the Colorado Rockies. In 41 NHL games, he scored 4 goals and added 11 assists.

Personal life Morrison retired from senior hockey in 1986 and, , lives in his hometown of Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1966–67 Drummondville Rangers QJAHL 3 0 0 0 4 — — — — — 1967–68 Drummondville Rangers QJAHL 10 1 1 2 21 — — — — — 1967–68 Drummondville Rangers M-Cup — — — — — 4 0 1 1 6 1968–69 Saint-Jérôme Alouettes QJHL — — — — — — — — — — 1969–70 New Haven Blades EHL 48 24 18 42 136 11 4 7 11 53 1969–70 Omaha Knights CHL — — — — — 5 2 0 2 20 1970–71 New Haven Blades EHL 64 11 44 55 348 14 3 6 9 67 1970–71 Fort Worth Wings CHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1971–72 Tidewater Wings AHL 11 0 2 2 18 — — — — — 1971–72 Fort Worth Wings CHL 26 2 1 3 56 — — — — — 1971–72 Rochester Americans AHL 29 2 0 2 49 — — — — — 1972–73 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 74 7 28 35 154 — — — — — 1973–74 New York Golden Blades/Jersey Knights WHA 78 24 43 67 132 — — — — — 1974–75 San Diego Mariners WHA 78 20 61 81 143 10 0 7 7 2 1975–76 San Diego Mariners WHA 80 22 43 65 56 11 1 5 6 12 1976–77 San Diego Mariners WHA 75 8 30 38 68 7 1 3 4 8 1977–78 Indianapolis Racers WHA 75 17 40 57 49 — — — — — 1978–79 Indianapolis Racers WHA 5 0 2 2 0 — — — — — 1978–79 Quebec Nordiques WHA 27 2 5 7 14 — — — — — 1978–79 Philadelphia Firebirds AHL 23 1 13 14 15 — — — — — 1979–80 Colorado Rockies NHL 41 4 11 15 23 — — — — — 1979–80 Fort Worth Texans CHL 33 5 16 21 45 — — — — — 1981–82 Stephenville Jets NFLD-Sr — — — — — — — — — — 1982–83 Stephenville Jets NFLD-Sr — — — — — — — — — — 1983–84 Stephenville Jets NFLD-Sr — — — — — — — — — — 1984–85 Stephenville Jets NFLD-Sr — — — — — — — — — — 1985–86 Stephenville Jets NFLD-Sr 39 18 25 43 110 — — — — — WHA totals 418 93 224 317 462 28 2 15 17 22 NHL totals 41 4 11 15 23 — — — — —