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.

Kevin Morrison
Born (1949-10-28) October 28, 1949
Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb)
Position Defenceman
Shot Left
Played for New York Golden Blades
Jersey Knights
San Diego Mariners
Indianapolis Racers
Quebec Nordiques
Colorado Rockies
NHL Draft 35th overall, 1969
New York Rangers
Playing career 19691986

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.

Despite solid offensive ability, Morrison was mostly known as an enforcer who was involved in a number of memorable hockey fights. During his season with the Nighthawks, he tangled with Rochester's J. Bob "Battleship" Kelly in what some, including Rochester coach Don Cherry, have called one of the greatest fights in hockey history. 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 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, as of 2016, lives in his hometown of Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1966–67 Drummondville Rangers QJAHL 30004
1967–68 Drummondville Rangers QJAHL 1011221
1967–68 Drummondville Rangers M-Cup 40116
1968–69 Saint-Jérôme Alouettes QJHL
1969–70 New Haven Blades EHL 48241842136 11471153
1969–70 Omaha Knights CHL 520220
1970–71 New Haven Blades EHL 64114455348 1436967
1970–71 Fort Worth Wings CHL 30000
1971–72 Tidewater Wings AHL 1102218
1971–72 Fort Worth Wings CHL 2621356
1971–72 Rochester Americans AHL 2920249
1972–73 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 7472835154
1973–74 New York Golden Blades/Jersey Knights WHA 78244367132
1974–75 San Diego Mariners WHA 78206181143 100772
1975–76 San Diego Mariners WHA 8022436556 1115612
1976–77 San Diego Mariners WHA 758303868 71348
1977–78 Indianapolis Racers WHA 7517405749
1978–79 Indianapolis Racers WHA 50220
1978–79 Quebec Nordiques WHA 2725714
1978–79 Philadelphia Firebirds AHL 231131415
1979–80 Colorado Rockies NHL 414111523
1979–80 Fort Worth Texans CHL 335162145
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 39182543110
WHA totals 41893224317462 282151722
NHL totals 414111523


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