He may not have hit any remarkable millstones or lifted a Stanley Cup, but it’s hard not to admire Brenden Morrow‘s career.
The gritty winger officially announced his retirement Thursday and opened up about some of his experiences in a post in The Players’ Tribune.
“When the Dallas Stars called my name at the draft, I really couldn’t have been any happier,” Morrow wrote. “I knew I was stepping onto a really great team. But I could have never imagined at that point how big of an impact the organization would have on my life. Some of my best memories that I’ll treasure my entire life happened while I was wearing a Stars uniform.”
Morrow went on to tell stories about a game he and his Stars teammates would play called “donkey ball,” the time he feared for his life when he chirped Chris Simon and getting up to some wild antics with Marty Turco.
Read the full post in The Players’ Tribune.
Morrow scored 265 goals and 310 assists in 991 career regular-season games, the vast majority of which were recorded when he was with Dallas. He also spent some time with Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Tampa Bay in his final three seasons.
“I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish with the Stars and how I represented the franchise,” Morrow wrote. “I’m honored that Doug Armstrong and Dave Tippett believed in me the way that they did during my career. Giving me the honor of being the captain of the team is something that I’ll always be thankful for. I never took that responsibility for granted.”
His success with the Stars resulted in him being selected to represent Team Canada during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics where he earned a gold medal.
Following the 2010-11 season, the Carlyle, Sask., native’s numbers began to decline and he realized the end was nearing.
“I’d wake up in the morning and struggle to get my socks on. For a long time, I ignored that stuff because I knew what it meant. I can still think the game at a high level, but I just can’t keep up with the speed anymore. It’s amazing how much it’s changed since I came into the League. But I can tell you, my body might have deteriorated, but my passion never did.
“You know, looking back on my career, a lot of the time I spent on the ice is a blur. The goals and the records are all things that might fade from my memory. But I’m always going to remember the times when I was sharing a laugh with my buddies while playing the game that I love.”
Morrow explained that growing up his favourite player to watch was Brett Hull. When he joined the Stars he became teammates and eventually linemates with his idol. The two remain close friends to this day.
The 37-year-old was a guest on the Marek Vs. Wyshynski podcast Thursday and told a funny story about how they bonded while emptying their bladders one night at Hull’s loft.
Listen to the full podcast HERE.
