“Bryton’s obviously been playing pretty well. He’s been contributing offensively for us, and it’s been great to have,” says Colin Minardi, Princeton Posse head coach-general manager. “It’s been great to also watch as a bit of a fan too — some of the things that he can do are impressive.”
In 12 games, Morrow has 24 points, including 12 goals – numbers that have him tied for the lead in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL).
“I’ve definitely arrived with a little bit of confidence and swagger, which really helps my game a lot,” says Morrow. “I have a lot of highs going, so it’s just easy to go out there, have fun, and play my best.”
Morrow credits the Posse’s new head coach for creating a strong environment that’s helping his confidence.
“I had great relationships with Mark Readman and Torrin White, but just the comfortable conversations I had in the summer, and then coming to the rink with all my best friends – I’ve been with some of them now for three years – it’s just a close-knit group that is fun to be a part of every day.”
“Behind the scenes, Bryton’s worked on some personal things as well, and I think it’s really shown in his play,” says Minardi. “He’s come a long way mentally, and when you pair mental toughness with his skill set and ability, there’s going to be a level of success. I’m proud of him for focusing on what he needs to, and I’m excited to see where he can get to this season.”
At the start of the season, Minardi talked to Morrow about game details.
“He was already a super talented player,” says Minardi, a KIJHL alum (Grand Forks, North Okanagan and his hometown Summerland Steam). “It was about the mental side – staying focused on the next shift and what he can control. That’s what’s helped him become more effective.”
Coming into this season, Morrow had played 79 career regular season games and recorded 35 goals and 56 assists for 91 points. He hit 100 career regular season points on Oct. 1 with a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over the Osoyoos Coyotes. The Ardrossan, Alta., native has only been held off the scoresheet once this season.
“When you go through a game and Bryton’s got four assists or four goals, you’re thinking, ‘OK, well this is clearly working,’” says Minardi. “He’s got size (6-5, 210-pounds), he can skate, and what he can do with the puck is high level. He’s always had a lot in his bag of tricks – it’s just about putting all the pieces together.”
Minardi says practices have focused on awareness and composure, and he’s noticed Morrow is more present on the ice.
“I would say he’s probably enjoying this year a little bit more than last, just based on the conversations I’ve had with him,” Minardi adds.
That enjoyment and composure have fueled not only his production, but also his ambitions beyond junior hockey.
Morrow, who is motivated to play collegiately and hopefully professionally, already has programs from three collegiate leagues expressing interest.
Rockets’ Iron Shirt called up by WHL Giants
Hayden Iron Shirt has been called up to the Vancouver Giants as head coach-general manager Jed Houseman says the organization’s have been talking about the rookie from Lethbridge, Alta.
“Hayden is a dynamic offensive player,” says Houseman, as the Rocket has four goals and 10 points in 11 games. “Vancouver wants to get to know him a little bit better and give him an opportunity. We think it’s very exciting news for the program here and obviously exciting news for Hayden. Hopefully he makes the most of this opportunity.”
Iron Shirt netted his first KIJHL hat-trick on Sept. 27 and Houseman says the 6-0, 140-pound forward has a relentless work ethic and won their first Player of the Month award.
“He’s been outstanding for our group and we’ve been thrilled to have him,” adds Houseman. “Through his hard work and relentless checking, he leads the team in puck recoveries and takeaways.”
Thunder Cats’ Rotar called up by WHL Hurricanes
Rotar got called up by the Hurricanes, who have a goalie playing in the U17 World Challenge. Head coach-general manager Geordie Wudrick anticipates Rotar being with the Hurricanes for a couple of weeks.
Rotar played in relief on Wednesday against the Edmonton Oil Kings and stopped 13 of 14 shots in 29:37 of action.
“It was an awesome experience, it felt good to finally get out there and play,” says Rotar. “I felt playing with the Thunder Cats helped me get prepared for that.”
Rotar is 4-2-0 with a 2.31 goals against average and .932 save percentage with the Thunder Cats. He won his last start with a 38-save performance as the Thunder Cats defeated the Rockets 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 25.
