Post by Deleted on May 29, 2015 21:14:31 GMT -6
QUEBEC CITY - Never mind Josh Morrissey just spent five months in gorgeous Kelowna, B.C.
He's ready for Winnipeg.
"I'm used that minus-40 and plugging your car in -- it's not that bad," said the Jets first rounder, who is a Friday night win from reaching the Memorial Cup final at the Pepsi Colisee with his Western league champion Rockets. "I've got a nice Canada Goose jacket from my mom for Christmas a couple of years ago."
The big mystery will be to see if it still fits the 6-foot, 190-pounder.
Last summer, the golden world junior defenceman tried to bulk up before NHL training camp. It didn't help.
"I went in a lot heavier and didn't feel like I had the quickness," the Calgary native said, "so I changed my diet. I've never been this lean. The quicker you can be, the better for me. Having a little more weight is better in battles, but getting away from those big forwards might be my best option (to regular NHL duty)."
He shed six pounds and will report this fall armed with his trusty coconut water -- "it doesn't taste great at first, but you get used to it" -- and cleaner eating habits.
"The toughest is on the road trying to find grocery stores nearby because everybody gets hungry in their hotel room," Morrissey said, "and it's a lot easier to order a pizza than go get some broccoli."
He is, as expected, having a steady tournament with two assists and a plus-2 rating in three games. One of the only poor decisions he has made with the puck was whacking it down the ice in frustration after surrendering an empty-net goal in an opening loss to the host Quebec Remparts.
He was handed a 10-minute misconduct for it.
But the turnovers have been at a bare minimum.
"I try to be calm and I don't get flustered too easily with the puck," he said. "When I was 16, I didn't have the same poise as I do now. Everyone has different strengths. Puck-handling is an area I really enjoy, making nice passes and plays."
When he can, he has been keeping track of the type of player he most admires -- Chicago's Duncan Keith, a former Rocket still alive in the Stanley Cup hunt.
"Sometimes, as an offensive defenceman, people associate that as high-risk," Morrissey said. "He had three assists and didn't (put himself in danger). He just makes the smart play."
His role, since being traded to Kelowna from Prince Albert at mid-season, hasn't changed. He still resembles a quarterback checking for receivers in the pocket while protecting the puck.
He likes the analogy.
"When you're bringing the puck up the ice, you get to see every read," he said. "You look at a Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and they always seem to dissect their passes. I guess I try to do the same thing."
He can only remember being rushed into one delay of game penalty since arriving in Kelowna.
"It was in the playoffs and I hit the puck over the glass," he said, "but I didn't shoot it. I batted it out of the air trying to clear the zone."
Rockets coach Dan Lambert, an offensive defenceman in his playing days, doesn't want his rearguards to resort to off-the-glass and out in his game plan.
"If you have a chance, make the play," he said. "That's Josh's speciality. There's defencemen that should go off the glass, and that's great, but they shouldn't try to be Josh Morrissey."
He will hit that open man, even in the most extreme conditions.
www.lfpress.com/2015/05/28/josh-morrissey-ready-for-the-nhl