Not just another ordinary Joe

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/03/2018 (2751 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the Winnipeg Jets acquired journeyman defenceman Joe Morrow with just moments to spare before the NHL trade deadline earlier this week, they did so with the hope of never having to play him.

Morrow, who came over from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the Jets’ fourth-round pick this year, was brought in to provide depth on a sturdy blue line. If all was to go well on the injury front — a big if, of course — it’s certain Morrow would have spent the rest of season in the press box.

But if injuries are anything, they’re unexpected. With Jacob Trouba already out with a high ankle sprain, and the loss of Toby Enstrom, the Jets’ newest defenceman was immediately added to the active roster. Morrow didn’t have to wait long for his chance. He has played in both games since arriving in Winnipeg, creating a situation that is both unusual and familiar for the Edmonton native, who, days after joining the Jets, says he feels an equal dose of enthusiasm and disbelief in his new surroundings.

“I thought I would have been the last person to be shipped out of there,” said Morrow, in a sit down with the Free Press ahead of the Jets tilt with the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. “It’s more an honour than anything to be brought into a situation like this…I’m going to play my heart out for this team.”

Morrow’s surprise at being dealt by the Canadiens wasn’t because he hadn’t been in that same place before. In fact, the Jets are his fifth organization in seven years. And to suggest he’s been around the block once or twice would be a gross understatement. He just figured with Montreal declaring themselves sellers at the deadline, that there would be bigger fish on the club eager to test out new waters.

“For me, I thought it was a situation where I would play out the season and do what I can to leave a lasting impression,” said Morrow, a restricted free agent by the end of the year.

Morrow was once a big fish himself. Although he’s just 25 years old, that already seems like a lifetime ago.

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round — 23rd overall — in the 2011 NHL draft, he returned that year to the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. That season, he finished second in league scoring among defencemen, with 64 points (17 goals, 47 assists) in 62 games, and was named a first-team all-star.

“It’s understandable to think that when you’re selected in the first round that things are kind of going to be a given for you, and that’s not the case at all,” Morrow said. “It’s a cool token to have in your pocket, it’s cool to have that experience of going up on stage on national television and accepting that jersey from a team and being looked at as one of the best players in the world at your age group. But that’s about as far as it goes.”

After that standout season in Portland, Morrow was ready to make the jump to the professional ranks. But his timing couldn’t have been worse, as the NHL lockout stopped any chance of him jumping up with the big club.

With the NHL on hold, Morrow was assigned to Wilkes-Barrie/Scranton, the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate. After posting modest numbers there, he was traded to Dallas later that year — along with a fifth-round pick — for Brendan Morrow (no relation) and a third-round pick. By the summer, he was shipped off to the Boston Bruins as one piece in the blockbuster trade that sent superstar forward Tyler Seguin the other way.

“I’ve definitely had some tough times,” said Morrow, whose dad, Dave, spent time with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA. His brother, Josh, was selected late by the Nashville Predators in 2002. “It doesn’t really have a value on it, to be able to have a family like I have to lean on.”

It wouldn’t be until the 2014-15 season that Morrow would finally make his NHL debut, scoring one goal in 15 games for the Bruins that year. Over three seasons with Boston, he collected three goals and seven assists in 65 games. A smooth skater who can be inserted into the lineup with little notice, perhaps Morrow’s greatest contribution came in last year’s playoffs. After sitting out the first game in Round 1, Morrow averaged more than 22 minutes over the next five, while the Bruins were eliminated by the Ottawa Senators.

“The kind of diverse career that I’ve had — because it definitely hasn’t been a straight-and-narrow path by any means — it just builds you up as a person, and solidifies your desire to play hockey and desire to keep going in this business,” Morrow said. “At 25 years old, I still have a lot to go and a lot to learn, and I really do think my best hockey is yet to come.”

Though he was in and out of the lineup throughout his time in Boston, Morrow must have done something to impress then-head coach Claude Julien. After the Bruins fired Julien in February 2017, he resurfaced with the Canadiens shortly thereafter. The next season, Morrow, a free agent at the time, signed a one-year deal with Montreal.

In an odd twist of fate, Winnipeg had also offered Morrow a contract that off-season, which he respectfully declined in favour of Montreal.

“At the time, I viewed confidence and comfortability in a situation over diving into a brand-new experience,” said Morrow, who echoed his appreciation for Winnipeg in continuing to see something in him. “Ending up on a team like this at the end of the season, it’s always tough coming into a group that has been successful and been together since Day 1.

“You’ve got to prove yourself. These guys want to win, and to be able to slot in and help with that is the only way you kind of get accepted. That’s where my mind is at right now.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.catwitter: @jeffkhamilton