Justin Morrison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Justin Morrison
Morrison with the Chicago Wolves in 2006
Born	(1979-08-10) August 10, 1979 (age 45) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Lukko (SM-liiga) Frölunda HC (SEL) Modo (SEL) Rapperswil-Jona Lakers HC Dinamo Minsk HC Davos Hamburg Freezers (DEL)
NHL Draft	81st overall, 1998 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	2001–2011

Justin Morrison (born August 10, 1979, in Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a right winger and was known for his scoring ability. Morrison played for many teams around the world, including in Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland. He ended his career playing for Lukko in the Finnish SM-liiga.

Early Hockey Journey

Justin Morrison started playing hockey a bit later than some, around age 11. He saw the sport at a local rink in Los Angeles and quickly fell in love with it. His natural talent was soon noticed. He moved from local teams to playing for the Omaha Lancers in the United States Hockey League.

Representing Team USA

Morrison's skills led him to play for the USA U-17 team. This team took part in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Later, he also played for the United States World Junior Team. This was at the 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He has also been a regular player for the USA Hockey Inline Team. When he was a teenager, Morrison even appeared in the movie D2: The Mighty Ducks. He played a street hockey player in the film.

College and Draft

Morrison spent four years playing college hockey at Colorado College. He played in the WCHA. He scored more than 100 points during his college career. This earned him a spot in the university's Century Club.

NHL Draft Pick

The Vancouver Canucks picked Morrison in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 81st player chosen overall, in the 3rd round. At that time, he was one of the highest-drafted players from Colorado College. Justin Morrison was also the first African-American hockey player from Los Angeles to be drafted into the NHL.

Professional Career

After college, Morrison turned professional. He spent four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and their minor league team, the Manitoba Moose. The Moose played in the AHL. He also played one season with the Chicago Wolves. The Wolves were an AHL team linked to the Atlanta Thrashers.

Playing Overseas

Justin Morrison then moved to play hockey in Europe. His first season overseas was in Sweden. He played for Modo Hockey in the Elitserien. He scored 28 points (18 goals, 10 assists) in 34 games. He helped his team win an Elitserien Championship.

Morrison also played for other teams in Europe. These included Frölunda HC in Sweden. He played for the Hamburg Freezers in Germany's DEL. He also had short stays with HC Dinamo Minsk in the KHL and HC Davos in Switzerland.

Return to Finland

For the 2009–10 season, Morrison returned to the Finnish SM-liiga. He played for Lukko. He was the top scorer for his team that season. He was also among the top scorers in the entire league. He scored 51 points in 50 regular season games. He was even nominated for the league's Most Valuable Player award.

In 2009, while playing for Lukko, Morrison joined USA Hockey again. This time, it was for the Deutschland Cup. This tournament was held in Munich, Germany. Morrison was named Player of the Game against Germany. He scored two goals in that game. He was also the top scorer for Team USA in the tournament. Team USA finished in second place. They lost to the Czech Republic in a shootout.

Morrison continued to play for Lukko in the 2010-11 season. He had another strong year. He was known as one of the league's most exciting players and a great scorer.

Life Outside Hockey

Justin Morrison lives in Portland, Oregon. He lives there with his two sons.

Awards and Honors