Brenden Morrow
Canadian left winger, Stars captain, and Olympic gold medalist.
Brenden Blair Morrow, a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, was born on January 16, 1979. The Dallas Stars selected him in the first round, 25th overall, of the 1997 NHL entry draft, and he spent 13 seasons with the organization before shorter tenures with the Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Morrow played major junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Portland Winter Hawks, helping the team win the 1998 Memorial Cup during the 1997–98 season. He began his minor hockey career in his hometown of Carlyle, Saskatchewan, and in nearby Estevan. Despite scoring 117 goals and 72 assists in 60 games during his final bantam season, he was not selected in the WHL Bantam Draft and instead walked on with the Winter Hawks. In his rookie WHL season, he recorded 25 points in 65 games, and over his final three seasons, he posted 88, 86, and 85 points. He represented the Western Conference in the WHL All-Star Classic three times (1997, 1998, 1999) and was named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team and the CHL Third All-Star Team after the 1998–99 season.
Morrow began his professional career in 1999, splitting the 1999–2000 season between the Dallas Stars and the Michigan K-Wings of the International Hockey League. He made his NHL debut on November 18, 1999, against the Philadelphia Flyers, and recorded his first points (a goal and an assist) on November 22, 1999, against the Colorado Avalanche. He was named the Stars' Rookie of the Year after that season. He played at least 70 games each season until 2006–07, when he missed 33 games due to severed tendons in his wrist. He returned to play all 82 games in 2007–08, but an ACL tear limited him to 18 games in 2008–09. He often played through injuries, including returning to the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs with a broken ankle. He played in the NHL YoungStars Game at the 2002 All-Star Game, scoring a goal and an assist. He recorded his 100th career NHL point against the San Jose Sharks during the 2001–02 season and his 300th against the Chicago Blackhawks in 2006–07. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he signed with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League and played 19 games.
Prior to the 2006–07 season, Morrow was named captain of the Stars after the team asked Mike Modano to step down.
Quick Facts
- Played For
- Dallas Stars / Pittsburgh Penguins / St. Louis Blues / Tampa Bay Lightning
- Position
- Left wing
- Shoots
- Left
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 11
- Weight Lb
- 212
- Birth Date
- 1979-01-16
- Birth Place
- Carlyle, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Draft
- 25th overall
- Draft Year
- 1997
- Draft Team
- Dallas Stars
- Career Start
- 1999
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Morrow played major junior hockey in the Western Hockey League for the Portland Winter Hawks, helping the team win the 1998 Memorial Cup. He was not selected in the WHL Bantam Draft and instead walked on with Portland. In his final three WHL seasons, he scored 88, 86, and 85 points, respectively. He was named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team and the CHL Third All-Star Team after the 1998–99 season.
Morrow began his professional career in 1999, splitting the 1999–2000 season between the Dallas Stars and the Michigan K-Wings of the IHL. He recorded his first NHL points on November 22, 1999, against the Colorado Avalanche. Prior to the 2006–07 season, Morrow was named captain of the Stars after the team asked incumbent captain Mike Modano to step down. Morrow had bypassed free agency to sign a six-year contract with the team. He often played through injuries, including returning to play despite a broken bone in his ankle during the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Internationally, Morrow represented Canada at the 1999 World Junior Championships, winning a silver medal. He played for the senior team at four Ice Hockey World Championships, winning gold in 2004 and silver in 2005. He also played for Canada at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, which Canada won. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Morrow scored two goals and added an assist as Canada won gold.
Reader's Guide
Brenden Morrow's career is defined by his long tenure with the Dallas Stars, where he served as captain and was known for his physical style and willingness to play through injuries. He was drafted 25th overall in 1997 and spent 13 seasons with the organization, ranking 14th on the Stars' all-time scoring list heading into the 2009–10 season. Morrow scored three of the team's last four overtime winning goals in the playoffs. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 2013, then signed with the St. Louis Blues and later the Tampa Bay Lightning. Morrow bookended his career with Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2000 with the Stars and 2015 with the Lightning. He announced his retirement on March 17, 2016. Morrow was inducted into the Winterhawks Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Dallas Stars Hall of Fame in 2024. His international career included a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where he played a larger role on a physical line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry as the tournament progressed.
Did You Know?
- Morrow set a Canadian World Junior record with five assists in one game against Kazakhstan at the 1999 World Junior Championships.
- He was not selected in the WHL Bantam Draft and walked on with the Portland Winter Hawks.
- Morrow is the son-in-law of former Montreal Canadiens coach and former Dallas Stars teammate Guy Carbonneau.
- He scored three of the Stars' last four overtime winning goals in the playoffs.
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