Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
Scott Morrow had the Hershey Bears scrambling.
It was final Saturday night time at Large Heart, the place Morrow’s Chicago Wolves had taken the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Bears to extra time.
First got here Morrow, the 21-year-old rookie defenseman, getting the Bears chasing as he took the puck low to excessive, held the blue line, protected it on his backhand, after which raced previous Hershey protection earlier than driving the web and forcing goaltender Clay Stevenson to make a tough left-pad save.
Later, with Hershey worn down, the Wolves broke free on a 2-on-1 likelihood. Ryan Suzuki sped into the Hershey zone whereas Morrow made himself obtainable for a feed. Suzuki related on that supply, and Morrow redirected the puck previous Stevenson for a 3-2 Chicago victory. The Wolves had their first win of the season, and Morrow had his first professional aim.
The summer time earlier than his freshman season on the College of Massachusetts-Amherst, Morrow was chosen by the Carolina Hurricanes within the second spherical on the fortieth spot within the 2021 NHL Draft, a choose that will already be beginning to appear like a steal. Morrow totaled 94 factors in 109 video games at UMass, and after the Minutemen fell to the College of Denver within the NCAA regional semifinals, Morrow made the leap and signed an entry-level cope with Carolina.
After Morrow made his NHL debut on Apr. 12 at St. Louis, Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour gave him 23:11 of ice time within the Hurricanes’ regular-season finale at Columbus 4 nights later. The group’s blue line underwent important change within the offseason with Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker coming aboard as free brokers. It was clear that the best determination was to start Morrow with the Wolves, the place he might develop and play top-pairing minutes.
Wolves head coach Cam Abbott has stationed Morrow on the best aspect of a pairing with third-year professional Ronan Seeley, who has the contact wanted to play with Morrow however who could be a reliable safeguard for when the rookie opts to hitch the push or pinch or in any other case make a play that carries not less than some calculated danger. It’s these jump-into-the-play-or-not selections that so typically confound and stymie younger defensemen breaking into the AHL. Somebody like, say, Charlotte’s Jake Bean navigated these selections efficiently as a rookie and has gone on to change into an NHL common. For others, although, that wrestle about when – and when not – to push the play may be the distinction between reaching and staying within the NHL.
“You’ve acquired to do it, however you possibly can’t power it,” Morrow mentioned of when these offensive alternatives come up. “You’ve acquired to let the sport come to you.”
In a single sense, there’s additionally much less stress on Morrow now that he’s within the professional recreation. UMass wanted Morrow to crank out factors and offense. A few of the stress for school and junior gamers additionally comes from needing to face out to potential NHL suitors. However the professional recreation is totally different, extra composed and measured. If Morrow leans towards the protected choice on a kind of risk-reward selections, one other likelihood will come his method later.
“You’ve simply acquired to belief your instincts,” Morrow continued. “The largest factor is to not get caught in between. Should you’ve acquired an [opening], you’ve acquired to go.”
However the professional recreation already clearly fits Morrow’s high-end talent nicely. His Chicago teammates are capable of sustain with him, learn him, and play off him, one thing that was not at all times potential on the faculty stage. Morrow additionally got here to Chicago with some understanding of what he could be up towards within the AHL. His father, Steve, performed 69 video games with Hershey between 1991-93, and his uncle Scott spent elements of seven AHL seasons with Springfield, Saint John, Hershey and Windfall within the 1990’s.
The Wolves have had a somewhat gentle begin to their schedule. After their season opener Oct. 12, they went every week off the schedule earlier than this previous weekend’s two-game journey to Hershey. They’ll have one other week between video games in Rockford on Nov. 2 and in Milwaukee on Nov. 9. However the schedule will choose up. It at all times does. And Morrow’s father and uncle have burdened the necessity to adapt to the AHL’s elevated schedule and journey rigors by prioritizing vitamin and restoration.
Morrow performed a pair of preseason video games with the Hurricanes earlier than going to Chicago. He left administration there one thing to consider. His early work with Chicago will add to that as nicely.
“I definitely hope I made impression within the two video games I did get to play on the finish,” Morrow mentioned. “I wished to point out that I might be trusted in all conditions, play offensively, play defensively. I believed I used to be fairly efficient within the video games at making good performs and being reliable, particularly with the puck on my stick. No dangerous turnovers or lapses defensively.
“I simply wished to show that I might be trusted in case one thing occurs, they usually want me up there.”
On the American Hockey League beat for twenty years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally presently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a daily contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
