Blue-liner Morrissey enjoying himself again

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This article was published 02/10/2021 (1437 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Josh Morrissey still recognizes the value of training camp — even as he reaches the midway point of the ninth season of his NHL career — yet, this might be the most important fall session he’s participated in.

He isn’t battling for a job. Morrissey, 26, has distinguished himself as a pillar of what looks to be a vastly upgraded Winnipeg Jets defensive unit for the 2021-22 season.

Instead, Morrissey needed this one from a personal perspective. He needed some enjoyment.

“It’s exciting for me to be back with the guys, to be back on the ice, be around the group and have the fans there,” he said Friday. “Obviously, last year was a tough season with everything going on for me. It was a tough offseason, as well. In some ways, even some of the conversations I had with my dad down the line throughout the summer, ‘Once you go back to the season, go have fun and just go play and enjoy it.’”

His father, Tom Morrissey, died Aug. 8 after a one-year battle with brain cancer. He was 69.

“It feels like there is a bit of a weight off my shoulders a little bit. I can just go play hockey and have fun. I know that’s what I love to do and that’s what he wanted me to do too,” Morrissey said. “It’s definitely part of the healing process, and the community of everyone around it makes that process easier for me.”

Admittedly, he’s having a blast with a new blue-line mate, Nate Schmidt, whose unrestrained charisma and wit have been blessings.

“Yeah, he’s really tough to get to know. You really gotta peel back the layers a bit,” joked Morrissey, of his chatty new chum. “He’s been awesome. He’s been a ton of fun. I think I probably know all there is to know about him, but in saying that, every day he’s got something new. He brings a ton of energy on and off the ice, and as a partner it’s been awesome to vocally hear him all the time.

“One of the first things he told me is, ‘It’s OK if you tell to me to stop talking sometimes,’ because most guys around the league you try to get them to talk more. He’s just so vocal it makes the game easier. So, we’re one pre-season game in but it’s been fun, and I think we’ve been gelling so far.”

Jets head coach Paul Maurice said he’s noticed a more settled Morrissey at the Iceplex.

“I know we’ve had a conversation or two about it. We had spoken a fair amount over his time just checking in to see how he was handling it. He stayed in it and we see it, maybe because of that, that he’s looking forward to playing hockey and this being a really good place for him to start the healing process,” said Maurice. “There’s excitement here. Nate’s here, (defenceman Brenden) Dillon’s here, and we have some new defencemen that we think are going to make us better.

“It looks like it’s a better time in (Morrissey’s) life, and it would make sense that it is. He’s excited to come to the rink professionally. Not that it was a good time personally, but it was something he passed through and he survived. He’s ready to move on.”

Morrissey had an up-and-down 2021 campaign, scoring the fewest goals (four) of his career, albeit in an abbreviated, 56-game season. But his analytics definitely showed he struggled.

The Calgary product had several partners, including Dylan DeMelo and Tucker Poolman, but is anxious to develop a long-term relationship with the offensively minded Schmidt, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in 2022.

“Well, it goes without saying that if you can find the right line and the right pairing and it works, and you can stay with that player for as long as you can, I guess, that’s always a good thing,” said Morrissey, who, early in his career, took a regular turn with another big personality, Dustin Byfuglien.

The 6-foot, 195-pound blue-liner is also three years removed from a terrific on-ice affiliation with Jacob Trouba.

“We’re just one game in but I think we complement each other well, personality-wise and in terms of our game. I think we try to play a very aggressive style of defence and not give opponents much time and space,” added Morrissey.

Schmidt and Morrissey’s games have some comparables. Both use their smarts before their size to keep opponents in check down low, make effective first passes and aren’t shy about joining the rush.

But astute activation — worth exploring aggressively during the pre-season — will be key to the duo’s success.

“You want to execute but at the same time it’s a good opportunity to push yourself… on your gap or on your pinches or on things like that, and find out where that line is for you,” Morrissey said. “So, when you get into the regular season and the lights really get turned on, you’ve sort of pushed that envelope. That’s what we’ve talked about, trying to be aggressive and if you get beat, you get beat. But now you know the next time you give less ice.

“I think when you have the right structure and you have players with right speed — guys that can make plays and the right reads — we have a lot of guys with experience, we can go to spots with speed because you know another guy’s tendencies, and that takes a while to develop,” he added. “So, we’re trying to push the envelope a little bit through camp and that’s how you’re going to figure out how to go faster is if you push yourself to go faster.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell