From Jungle to Swamp, Morrison Making Heavy Strides in the ECHL

Twenty-six-year-old Brad Morrison has started off his season with the Florida Everblades strong, recording his first hat trick with the team on January 20th, 2023, against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. In that same game, Morrison had also recorded his 100th professional point.

Before the Swamp

Before Morrison became an Everblade, he was a part of three other ECHL teams. He played seventeen games with the Fort Wayne Komets during the 2019-2020 season, scoring six goals and receiving 13 assists. The following season, after spending the start of his season with the Rockford Icehogs of the AHL, he played just five games with the Indy Fuel, racking in one goal and one assist before the season was cut short due to the risks of rising COVID-19 cases. When hockey returned during the 2021-2022 season, Morrison started off the season in the ICEHL with HC Pustertal before signing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. He spent most of that season in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing fifty games with the Reading Royals, scoring sixteen goals and acquiring thirty-three assists. He continued on after the regular season playing twelve games in the playoffs for the Royals, where he scored three goals in that time and two assists before their Kelly Cup run was stripped by the Newfoundland Growlers in Game 7.

Before Going Pro

The Prince George native was born January 4th, 1997, to retired hockey player Doug Morrison who spent much of his time with the Boston Bruins in the early 80s. Long before Morrison was drafted 113th overall in the 2015 draft by the New York Rangers, he spent much of his youth career playing in the WHL with the Prince George Cougars and Vancouver Giants before he made his professional debut in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. He played fifty games with the Reign during the 2018-2019 season scoring ten goals and receiving ten assists.

Life in the Swamp

Having spent the beginning of the 2022-2023 season in Slovakia, Morrison was ready to make his return to the ECHL, joining the 2022 Kelly Cup champions, the Florida Everblades. Having spent a majority of his last season in the North Division against tough contenders such as the Newfoundland Growlers and the Trois-Rivières Lions, he was no stranger to the intimidating presence of the South Division. As of 2/2/2023, Morrison has played eleven games with the Florida Everblades, scoring six goals and receiving two assists. In just those eleven games, he has pressed off the face-off strong, scoring just fifty-two seconds into the January 11th game against Jacksonville, where the Blades won 7-3.

Morrison and the Florida Everblades are back in action this Friday, February 3rd, against Jacksonville at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for Loki Night.

Stanley Cup Aspirations – Cue’ the Duck Boats Pod

The boys are back after a long break but have plenty to talk about as the playoffs are in full swing. We go series by series, looking at how teams have fared so far and who will come out on top. Thanks for listening! Please rate and review our show on your favorite listening platform. Check out our partner's website at www.insidetherink.com for all your latest hockey news.

1. Stanley Cup Aspirations 44:49
2. The Final Countdown 36:54
3. Here Come the Playoffs 32:42
4. Home Stretch 38:16
5. Kevy Cooks 45:22