BY MARK SPECTOR
sportsnet.ca
Even for a 12-year pro like Brendan Morrison, Monday's signing didn't represent your everyday transaction in the life of a National Hockey Leaguer.
Morrison was released by the Canucks on Monday morning, and by day's end had signed a one-year deal with Vancouver's chief rivals -- the Calgary Flames.
"Hockey is kind of a funny business," the 35-year-old began, on a conference call for reporters Monday afternoon. "It's a not like I'm coming to a situation where you're going feel awkward, not feel accepted. Any time you get new teammates you always want to make that guy feel as comfortable as possible."
Still... Calgary?
- Morrison's deal is for one year, US$725,000
- Flames needed skilled distributor like Morrison
- Canucks couldn't make use of him on fourth line
"The weirdest thing will be pulling that jersey over my head. Seeing that Flame down there," he admitted. "We had so many games over the years, so many battles. Coming out of that other side out of the tunnel there (at the Saddledome), that will be strange."
It was a marriage that most people in the hockey world saw coming all day Monday, with the Canucks unable to make use of Morrison's services on their fourth line, and the Flames losing their No. 2 and 3 centres to injury this fall.
The Hockeycentral Season Preview Show airs Tuesday, Oct. 5, 8pm ET (East and Ontario), 8pm MT (West) and 8pm PT (Pacific).Matt Stajan, destined to centre the second line in Calgary, separated a shoulder during the pre-season and will be out for an undetermined amount of time. Daymond Langkow, a handy centre who can play numerous roles, has been unable to start his pre-season due to lingering effects from a neck injury suffered last March 21.
With those two gone, Calgary was short-handed. When wingers Ales Kotalik (knee) and David Moss (shoulder) left a pre-season game in Edmonton last week, the Flames became desperate for Top 6 help.
Cue Morrison, a good draw man whose hands should allow him to distribute the puck to the likes of Rene Bourque and Niklas Hagman on the Flames' second line.
"The thing we think we need to address is to have a player who we think can play in our top six forwards. A skilled guy," said Calgary's assistant GM Jay Feaster. "We need a centre-iceman -- someone who is good on faceoffs.
"Given the injury situation, we don't want to be short," he continued. "We don't want to find ourselves down the road in a few weeks wishing we had done something. Morrison is a guy we feel can fill that role. He can play in our top six."
So, on the day his former club showed him the door, Feaster and the Flames opened their arms to Morrison with a one-year, US$725,000 deal.
"I had a feeling that … things were going to work out (in Vancouver). They wanted to see if I could still skate, if I was healthy," said Morrison, who was a sentimental favourite in his hometown this fall, returning to a team he had played eight seasons for from 2000-08. "But they were going in a different direction."
VOTE NOW: The Hockeycentral Season Preview Show wants to know what you think about the a few of the hot button issues before the puck drops Thursday night. POLLSThey say everything happens for a reason, and for Morrison, the Flames are clearly a better fit.
Vancouver was lacking a gritty, fourth-line centre, while Calgary has plenty of grit. The Flames need a skilled distributor like Morrison has been over the years, to the tune of 547 points in 829 career games.
"It's a great opportunity to step in and prove you can still produce, night in night out," said. "I anticipate coming in and contributing, and when the team gets healthier it will only help … the depth. I'm a versatile player. If needed to, I can play the wing. I can play power play, penalty kill… It's a move that's going to help them in a lot of different facets."
New Jersey drafted Morrison back in 1993, out of the University of Michigan. He played three seasons with the Devils before coming back to his hometown to play for the Canucks, in a trade that sent Alexander Mogilny to New Jersey.
Morrison was a vital part of the Canucks teams that included Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi, good teams that never found their way to greatness. After that came stops in Anaheim, Dallas and Washington before the free-agent offers ran out in a tightening UFA economy this past summer.
The tryout in Vancouver was a nice story, but there is no questioning that Calgary is a better destination for Morrison.
Once he gets accustomed to wearing red, of course.
