Ken Morrow
![]() | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Ken Morrow | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||||||||||||||||
Born |
Flint, Michigan, U.S. | October 17, 1956||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
Position | Defense | ||||||||||||||||
Shot | Right | ||||||||||||||||
Played for | New York Islanders | ||||||||||||||||
National team |
![]() | ||||||||||||||||
NHL draft |
68th overall, 1976 New York Islanders | ||||||||||||||||
WHA draft |
86th overall, 1976 New England Whalers | ||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 1980–1989 | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Kenneth Arlington Morrow (born October 17, 1956) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and a member of the 1980 USA Olympic Miracle on Ice hockey team. He is currently serving as the New York Islanders' director of pro scouting. A member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 550 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1980 and 1989.
Amateur career
[edit]Ken Morrow was born in Flint and grew up in the nearby town of Davison, Michigan. He is a graduate of Davison High School. Morrow attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio where he was a star defenseman and also represented Team USA at the 1978 Ice Hockey World Championship. His best year as a college player was in 1979 when he was named Central Collegiate Hockey Association player of the year.
The following season, Morrow played for the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that beat the Soviet team in an event known as the Miracle on Ice during the 1980 Winter Olympics before defeating Finland to win the gold medal.
Professional career
[edit]Selected 68th overall in the 1976 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders, Morrow joined the Islanders immediately after the Olympics. He helped them win their first Stanley Cup in 1980, making him the first player to win the Olympic Gold and an NHL championship in one season. He was an integral member of all four Islanders Stanley Cup teams in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983. Although Morrow was never a goal-scorer, during the playoffs the Isles often benefited from his clutch goal scoring at key times. Morrow also returned to the United States national team for the 1981 Canada Cup tournament.
His most individual accomplishment in his professional career was during the 1984 playoff win in game five, his goal beat the New York Rangers[1]
During the 1980 and 1983 playoffs, Morrow had arthroscopic surgeries performed to his knees, and played only days afterward in order to contribute to the Islanders championships, often having fluid drained from his knees between games. He was eventually forced to retire prematurely from the game in 1988–89 due to constant knee problems.
Post playing career
[edit]Morrow, who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995, has been director of pro scouting for the Isles since 1993. He previously served as the Islanders' assistant coach for one season, in 1991–92. He was also co-coach of the International Hockey League's Kansas City franchise in 1990–91 and assistant coach of the IHL Flint Spirits in 1989–90 shortly after retiring from hockey. On December 31, 2011, Morrow was inducted into the New York Islanders Hall of Fame. Ken Morrow is also President of KCIce, an Outdoor Ice Rink Development and Management company in Kansas City, MO.
In popular culture
[edit]In the 1981 TV movie about the 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. Hockey team called Miracle on Ice, he is played by Scott Feraco.
Morrow was portrayed by actor Casey Burnette in the 2004 Walt Disney Studios film Miracle. Before the events of the movie, Burnette played junior hockey for the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League, the Hull Olympiques (now called the Gatineau Olympiques) and the Montreal Rocket, both in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Burnette is clean-shaven in the film, although the real Morrow had a beard at the time the film is set. While most of the players on the team were not allowed to wear facial hair, coach Herb Brooks specifically allowed Morrow to keep his beard, since Morrow had a beard prior to joining the team.
Awards and achievements
[edit]Career statistics
[edit]Regular season and playoffs
[edit]Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1974–75 | Davison High School | High-MI | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1975–76 | Bowling Green State University | CCHA | 31 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1976–77 | Bowling Green State University | CCHA | 39 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1977–78 | Bowling Green State University | CCHA | 39 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1978–79 | Bowling Green State University | CCHA | 45 | 15 | 37 | 52 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1979–80 | United States | Intl. | 56 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1979–80 | New York Islanders | NHL | 18 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | ||
1980–81 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 20 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | ||
1981–82 | New York Islanders | NHL | 75 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 56 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | ||
1982–83 | New York Islanders | NHL | 79 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 18 | ||
1983–84 | New York Islanders | NHL | 63 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 45 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20 | ||
1984–85 | New York Islanders | NHL | 15 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | ||
1985–86 | New York Islanders | NHL | 69 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
1986–87 | New York Islanders | NHL | 64 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 32 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
1987–88 | New York Islanders | NHL | 53 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
1988–89 | New York Islanders | NHL | 34 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 550 | 17 | 88 | 105 | 309 | 127 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 97 |
International
[edit]Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | United States | WC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1980 | United States | OG | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
1981 | United States | CC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
Senior totals | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Maven's Memories: Morrow's Playoff-Clincher vs Rangers". 23 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d "CCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- ^ "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Ken Morrow's bio @ Hockeydraftcentral.com
- 1956 births
- 1980 US Olympic ice hockey team
- AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
- American men's ice hockey defensemen
- Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey players
- Ice hockey coaches from Michigan
- Ice hockey players at the 1980 Winter Olympics
- Living people
- Lester Patrick Trophy recipients
- Medalists at the 1980 Winter Olympics
- New England Whalers draft picks
- New York Islanders coaches
- New York Islanders draft picks
- New York Islanders players
- New York Islanders scouts
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in ice hockey
- People from Davison, Michigan
- Sportspeople from Flint, Michigan
- Stanley Cup champions
- United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
- Ice hockey players from Michigan