- Derek Morris (ice hockey)
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Derek Morris 
Born August 24, 1978
Edmonton, AB, CANHeight 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Weight 221 lb (100 kg; 15 st 11 lb) Position Defence Shoots Right NHL team
Former teamsPhoenix Coyotes
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
New York Rangers
Boston BruinsNHL Draft 13th overall, 1996
Calgary FlamesPlaying career 1997–present Derek Morris (born August 24, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, currently a member of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. Drafted out of the Western Hockey League (WHL) 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, he has also played in the NHL for the Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers.
Contents
Playing career
Morris played minor hockey in the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL) with the Red Deer Chiefs and was awarded the Brian Benning Trophy as the league's top defenceman in 1995.[1] He went on to play major junior with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL). After his rookie WHL season, in which he scored 52 points in 67 games, Morris was drafted 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He returned to play a second season with the Pats, improving to 18 goals and 75 points before turning pro.
Following Morris's 1996–97 WHL season with the Pats, he was assigned to the Calgary's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Saint John Flames for the final 7 games of the regular season, as well as 5 post-season games. In 1997–98, he scored 9 goals and 29 points in his NHL rookie season with the Flames, earning NHL All-Rookie Team honours. He continued to improve to 34, then 38 points in his second and third seasons with the Flames before an injury-shortened season in 2000–01 kept him to 28 points in 51 games.
Morris with the Bruins.
In 2001–02, Morris was again sidelined after sustaining a left wrist injury. During the season, he was involved in a tragic incident in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 16, 2002, when an Espen Knutsen slap shot deflected off him and into the stands, striking 13-year old Brittanie Cecil in the temple. She died from the impact two days later,[2] prompting the NHL to implement protective netting at the ends of the rinks at the start of the following season.
Morris completed the season with 34 points in 61 games.
After five seasons with Calgary, reaching the 30-point mark four times, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.[3] Morris made an immediate impact with the Avalanche in his first season, tallying a career-high 11 goals, 37 assists and 48 points in 2002–03.
The following season, however, he was traded for the second time in as many campaigns, this time to the Phoenix Coyotes. Morris was set to become a free agent in the subsequent off-season.[4] Morris completed the 2003–04 season playing in 14 games and recording 2 assists with the Coyotes after being traded. He finished with a combined 32 points. In his first full season with the Coyotes in 2005–06, Morris tallied 28 points in 53 games, then recorded back-to-back 25-point seasons the following two campaigns.
On March 4, 2009, he was again dealt at the trade deadline, this time to the New York Rangers.[5]
He did not re-sign with the Rangers in the off-season, instead on July 24, 2009, Morris signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins worth $3.3 million.[6]
On March 3, 2010 he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for a conditional fourth round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.[7]
Personal life
Derek and wife Jodie have 3 sons; Traiten, Presley and Asher, who was born on May 31, 2007 in Phoenix[8][9]
International play
Medal record Competitor for 
CanadaWorld Championships Gold 2004 Czech Republic Morris has represented Team Canada on three occasions at the World Championships. After appearances in 1999 and 2001, he won his first gold medal with Canada at the 2004 World Championships in the Czech Republic. He contributed 5 assists in the gold-medal effort.
Awards
- Won the Brian Benning Trophy (AMHL Top Defenceman) in 1995.
- Named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1998.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1995–96 Regina Pats WHL 67 8 44 52 70 11 1 7 8 26 1996–97 Regina Pats WHL 67 18 57 75 180 5 0 3 3 9 1996–97 Saint John Flames AHL 7 0 3 3 7 5 0 3 3 7 1997–98 Calgary Flames NHL 82 9 20 29 88 — — — — — 1998–99 Calgary Flames NHL 71 7 27 34 73 — — — — — 1999–00 Calgary Flames NHL 78 9 29 38 80 — — — — — 2000–01 Saint John Flames AHL 3 1 2 3 2 — — — — — 2000–01 Calgary Flames NHL 51 5 23 28 56 — — — — — 2001–02 Calgary Flames NHL 61 4 30 34 88 — — — — — 2002–03 Colorado Avalanche NHL 75 11 37 48 68 7 0 3 3 6 2003–04 Colorado Avalanche NHL 69 6 22 28 47 — — — — — 2003–04 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 14 0 4 4 2 — — — — — 2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 53 6 21 27 54 — — — — — 2006–07 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 82 6 19 25 115 — — — — — 2007–08 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 82 8 17 25 83 — — — — — 2008–09 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 57 5 7 12 24 — — — — — 2008–09 New York Rangers NHL 18 0 8 8 16 7 0 2 2 0 2009–10 Boston Bruins NHL 58 3 22 25 26 — — — — — 2009–10 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 18 1 3 4 11 7 1 3 4 11 2010–11 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 77 5 11 16 58 — — — — — NHL totals 946 85 300 385 889 21 1 8 9 17 International statistics
Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1999 Canada WC 10 0 4 4 6 2001 Canada WC 7 1 1 2 8 2004 Canada WC 9 0 5 5 35 Int'l totals 26 1 10 11 49 Transactions
- October 1, 2002 - Traded to Colorado Avalanche by Calgary Flames with Jeff Shantz and Dean McAmmond for Chris Drury and Stephane Yelle.
- March 9, 2004 - Traded to Phoenix Coyotes by Colorado with Keith Ballard for Ossi Vaananen, Chris Gratton and Phoenix's second-round pick (Paul Stastny) in 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
- March 4, 2009 - Traded to the New York Rangers by Phoenix Coyotes for Nigel Dawes, Dimitri Kalinin and Petr Prucha.[5]
- July 4, 2009 - Signed one-year contract with Boston Bruins as a free agent.
- March 3, 2010 - Traded to the Coyotes from Boston for a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
- July 1, 2010 - Signed a four-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes.
References
- ^ "Brian Benning Trophy - Top Defenceman". Alberta Midget Hockey League. http://www.amhl.ab.ca/awards/defenseman.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
- ^ "Death of a fan". Sports Illustrated. 2002-04-01. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1025415/index.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
- ^ "Flames deal Morris to Avalanche". CBC. 2002-10-01. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2002/10/01/morris021001.html. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
- ^ "Avalanche acquire Salo, Gratton". CBC. 2004-03-09. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2004/03/09/salo_avs040309.html. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
- ^ a b "Rangers trade for Antropov, Morris". http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3952538. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
- ^ "Bruins sign Morris". ESPN. 2009-07-24. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4355003. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ^ "Bruins get 2011 draft pick for Morris". ESPN. 2010-03-03. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4961586. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
- ^ "Coyotes looking for late gems". AZ Central. 2007-06-01. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/0601yotenb0602.html. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ "Phoenix Coyotes 2010-11 Media Guide". Scribd.com. 2010-10-02. http://www.scribd.com/doc/29814321/2010-2011-Phoenix-Coyotes-Media-Guide. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
External links
Preceded by
Denis GauthierCalgary Flames' first round draft pick
1996Succeeded by
Daniel TkaczukCategories:- 1978 births
- Calgary Flames draft picks
- Calgary Flames players
- Canadian ice hockey defencemen
- Canadian people of English descent
- Colorado Avalanche players
- Ice hockey people from Alberta
- Living people
- National Hockey League first round draft picks
- New York Rangers players
- People from Edmonton
- Phoenix Coyotes players
- Regina Pats alumni
- Saint John Flames players
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