Frosh Follows Family Trade

Hockey has always been in Conor Morrison’s blood.

His father, Dave, played in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks in the early ’80s. His grandfather, Dave’s father Jim, was a three-time All Star who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers over his 12 season career.

Conor even went to high school in Lake Placid, N.Y., where the most venerated hockey game in United States history–the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”–took place.

It should therefore come as no surprise that the Harvard freshman forward is something of a hockey fanatic himself.

“He just lives and breathes hockey, that’s literally all he does,” his roommate Gavin Pascarella says. “Most kids get distracted by Facebook, he comes back and watches hockey...It’s all he really knows.”

It was an innate passion, one that began almost as soon as Conor could walk.

“The moment we brought a little mini stick home and he could walk he was carrying that mini stick everywhere,” Dave Morrison says. “And every game he had he would transform into a hockey game. He’d play hockey with a backgammon board, using the dice as a puck.”

But as he grew older, Conor’s childhood wasn’t all fun and games. With his father playing professionally in Europe, Conor was constantly moving from country to country as per the demand’s of his father’s career. Born in Switzerland, Conor also lived in Germany and England as a child–something that wasn’t easy on a young boy just trying to find somewhere he fit in.

“Growing up, I didn’t spend a lot of time in one place,” Conor says. “I had to adjust, going to different schools, having to learn a different language in Germany. We’d be back to Ontario, and I’d have my friends there, but I’d have been away for six [or] seven months when my dad was in season...It was tough adjusting to the different social settings.”

Despite this hardship, the traveling also represented an opportunity for Conor, one his father always encouraged him to take full advantage of.

“I’ve always been around hockey, so he’s always been around it,” Dave says. “He’d be able to come to the rink with me, to watch good hockey players play...I think Conor got a lot of his ability from watching other players.”

As Conor continued to watch, his love for his dad’s and his grandfather’s game continued to soar.

“I always loved the game, and I loved being around it,” Conor says. “Before my dad would practice in Europe I’d go out on the ice before the teams skated and skate by myself.”

And as his passion continued to grow, Conor’s talent began to blossom, thanks largely to his family’s tutelage.

“Obviously having both my father and my grandfather helped a lot in terms of my development,” Conor says. “Since they played at the highest level, I’d always have advice coming from both of them. Whenever we watched games they’d give me little pointers on how to make myself better.”

Conor took these pointers to heart, and his game began to show it. In high school, he played two seasons for the Salmon Arm SilverBacks of the British Columbia Hockey League, where he tied for the league-lead in points per game, finishing with 84 points and 39 goals.

In 2008-2009, Conor helped the SilverBacks reach the Conference Finals, where he scored four goals and six points in one game—both team records–and was honored with the conference’s Most Sportsmanlike Player award.

In 2009, Conor was selected to play for the German under-20 team at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships, which were being held in Ottawa, Ontario–his home province.

“That was for me my most special moment in hockey,” Conor says. “I got to play Canada in front of a sold out crowd, and my whole family was in the stands. It was a pinnacle of my hockey career so far.”

His success gained him notice in both Canada and the United States, leaving Conor with a choice. He could take the Major Junior route that his dad and grandfather took on their way to the NHL and begin playing professionally in Canada, or he could go to college.

He chose the latter and came to Harvard, and today believes he made the right decision.

“When I was younger I definitely planned on playing Major Junior,” Conor says. “I know a lot of my friends have taken that route, and it’s worked out great for them, but for me to further my development I think the college route was definitely the better choice.”

As usual, Dave and Jim Morrison were there with helpful advice about the college game, despite never having played in college themselves.

“They definitely told me that the game was going to be played at a higher level, that the guys are going to be bigger and stronger, that the level of play would be a lot faster, [and that] I’d have to make decisions quicker,” Conor explains.

Despite being only a freshman, Morrison has thrived. He is tied for the team lead in goals with 10 even though he ranks eighth on the team in shots attempted.

“The one thing I really admire about Conor is that he’s got a tremendous amount of focus,” his father says. “He’s very dedicated to being the best he can be...He’s never satisfied.”

If Conor can maintain his drive and work ethic, there will be nothing stopping him from following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps to the NHL.

“It’s always been a dream of mine,” he says. “I honestly couldn’t picture myself not playing hockey.”

Despite his rich family history, Conor doesn’t feel any extra weight on his shoulders to keep the Morrison legacy going in the NHL. He knows that no matter what Dave and Jim will always be there for support.

“They never put any sort of pressure on me,” he says. “They just want the best for me, they want me to be happy. Obviously my life-long goal has been to make it to the NHL, and if it happens great, but if not they’ll still be proud of me either way.”

Conor adds that if he had to choose, his dream would be to play for one of his grandfather’s team, the Maple Leafs.

“I just think the hockey market in Toronto is awesome,” he says.

If Morrison is to realize that dream, he will need to impress his dad, who’s currently the Maple Leafs’ director of amateur scouting.

“When I’m scouting, it’s not just the players and how they play on the ice, but it’s also their character, their commitment to becoming the best they can be, and the passion and the drive they have as individuals,” Dave says.

That shouldn’t be much of an issue for Conor, who garners effusive praise from his peers for his disposition.

“He’s a great guy off the ice,” freshman forward Alex Fallstrom says. “A really open guy, very easy to talk to.”

“Personality wise, he’s pretty down to earth,” Pascarella adds. “He’s a really funny, really nice guy.”

Whether or not his playing career works out, Conor can easily foresee himself as part of the game he loves for the rest of his life.

“I think hockey is in my blood,” he says. “I just love being around the game, love being around the rink. After my career is over I hope I’ll be able to step into some sort of management job, maybe in the NHL or in Europe somewhere, but I’d definitely like to stay with the game.”

For now, though, his dad isn’t worried about the long term. He sees his son’s talent and his work ethic and knows with that combination, Conor will be able to do whatever he wants in life.

“He’s got a passion for the game, and I think he’s got a lot to prove, and he wants to continue trying to prove it,” Dave says. “He keeps getting better, and we’ll see how far it takes him.”