‘It’s definitely something I want to be a part of’ Jets’ Morrissey determined to solidify spot on Olympic roster By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 4:17 PM CDT Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025

CALGARY – Josh Morrissey is back to full health and has taken his rightful spot among the best players in the country as Hockey Canada gathers for its Olympic orientation camp.

With folks converging from the men’s, women’s and Paralympic teams this week, Morrissey was proudly sporting Team Canada gear as a media session was held at a downtown Calgary hotel — several months after a knee injury knocked him out of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

During a one-on-one conversation, the Winnipeg Jets defenceman reiterated that he was fortunate the injury wasn’t worse after he got tangled up in Game 6 of the second-round series against the Dallas Stars.

“Everything is great,” said Morrissey, who is one of 13 blue-liners in attendance on the men’s side. “It was bad timing (for the injury to occur), but a good result, in that the injury wasn’t too severe.”

Morrissey had dealt with a similar injury during the 2023 playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights to his other knee, which meant he already had the road map for the rehabilitation and road to recovery.

“It’s a dream come true playing for Team Canada on the international stage at the highest level of competition you can play.”–Josh Morrissey

“I knew the protocol and I knew the plan,” said Morrissey. “I’ve been skating for two months now and it feels as good or better than it did before.”

Morrissey finished fourth in Norris Trophy balloting last season after producing 14 goals and 62 points in 80 games while averaging north of 24 minutes per game of ice time — further cementing his status as one of the top D-men in the NHL.

Paired mostly with St. Louis Blues defenceman Colton Parayko, Morrissey showed incredibly well as Team Canada captured the gold medal at the 4 Nations Face-Off, which was held in Boston and Montreal in February.

Unfortunately, for Morrissey, he was hit with a serious virus that knocked him out of the gold medal game with the United States — forcing him to watch the dramatic overtime victory from his hotel room.

So while he was thrilled to be part of the experience, Morrissey is even more determined to solidify his spot on the Olympic team to have another opportunity to chase gold in Milan in February.

“It’s a dream come true playing for Team Canada on the international stage at the highest level of competition you can play,” said Morrissey. “It’s been nice to reconnect with the guys and reminisce about 4 Nations and to get to know some new guys and learn a little bit about the Olympics and what we have to look forward to.”

Morrissey has never been one to get ahead of himself, but it’s hard not to let his mind wander to what it would be like to have the chance to become an Olympian in a few short months.

“It’s pretty crazy,” he said. “I think back to some of my favourite hockey memories as a fan — the 2002 Olympics (in Salt Lake City), when I was six years old. Olympic gold in 2010 (in Vancouver) and 2014 (in Sochi). For me, as a kid who dreamed about winning a gold medal at the Olympics and winning a Stanley Cup, to think that the Olympics are right around the corner and the potential for me to be there, it’s pretty exciting.

“It’s definitely something I want to be a part of.”

Morrissey’s drive is what has allowed him to continue to push the limits as a player and he’s spent the summer fine-tuning things as he prepares for his 10th full season with the Jets.

“Looking at last year, I liked how well-rounded my game was,” said Morrissey. “Offensively and defensively, my game was in a really good place. For me, I’ve been looking to add a few more skills in. I’ve been working on some specific things for the power play and things like that.

“I’m just trying to continue to evolve my game and come into training camp in the best condition I can and try to continue to push the envelope. If you can do something eight times out of 10, work to do it nine (times). That’s the goal. More consistent execution. I feel great on the ice and feel like I’ve made some big gains this summer.”

With Jets teammate Mark Scheifele spending a good chunk of time in Calgary this summer, Morrissey has relished the additional time they’ve been able to spend together both on and off the ice.

There are also benefits to the on-ice relationship as well, given how much time Morrissey and Scheifele spend at both even strength and on the power play during the season.

“He’s one of the best centres in the NHL and one of the best players in the NHL,” said Morrissey. “Having him here helps me. We push each other and make each other better. We think the same way and we like to nerd out a little bit and dive into stuff, talk about the body and all of these different things that we can improve. So, that’s been great.”

Given what Scheifele has gone through in losing his father, Brad, to cancer in May, Morrissey has been able to share some expertise on dealing with the death of a parent.

While navigating the grieving process is different for everyone, Morrissey recognizes the value of having someone to lean on who has been through something similar.

“We’ve been spending a lot of time together and especially with what he went through, a lot of times, not much needs to be said,” noted Morrissey, who lost his father, Tom, to cancer in August of 2021. “Just being a friend and being there with him.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld