Photo Credit: Jamey Baskow
Sam Morin he’s always getting, chipper, and has a smile on his face every time you see him. He’s like a walking comfort dog, as it appears he never has a bad day and makes everyone around them feel better about themselves. This is not the news anyone wanted to hear, but Chuck Fletcher provided an update on Samuel Morin this past Tuesday at the season ending presser:
“He won’t be able to return to play. Too many knee injuries. Unfortunately, too much damage to the knee.” – Chuck Fletcher
Fletcher did say the hope is to move him within the organization somehow, but he has to give Sam some time on this. This is just a darn shame, especially after he told me at training camp in 2019-20, “I just have to remain healthy, and work my butt off for a spot. This might be my last shot.” Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, as the number 11th pick in the 2013 draft has to medically retire.
“I gave it everything I had,” said Morin yesterday at his press conference. “I think in life, you kind of need to assert yourself. You look yourself in the mirror every night before going to bed. I think for myself I gave it absolutely everything, absolutely everything. I played hurt for so long, I was really banged up, my knee was really bad, even last year I played hurt. My meniscus was really banged up, almost torn. It was torn actually.”
Morin continued his tough press conference, “I just played hurt. I really, really wanted to be a hockey player, but at the same time, this year when I got hurt again before training camp, I kind of knew it was pretty bad.”
His season came to a halt on October 3, 2018 as a member of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, as he tore his ACL in his right knee. A prized 6’7,” first-round selection was down for the count. Somehow he returned in February, and managed to play in five games with the Flyers in 2018-19. Unfortunately, he managed to tear it again in November of 2019, as he hit a player in the corner while playing for the Phantoms.
The 2013 first round selection in Morin found himself in a log jam at defense last season (Finally healthy), but he managed to play in 20 games for the orange and black in 2020-21. Morin was originally used as a forward, until he played defense again for the Phantoms under the direction of former Head Coach Scott Gordon.
Unfortunately, Morin missed the entire season, as he needed to have a small surgery to clear out some particles in his knee.
“I was telling myself it was going to be fine, but around Christmas, I saw a doctor in New York and he told me to shut it down. I should shut it down,” said Morin. “My knee was really in bad condition. That’s what it is. You just need to look yourself in the mirror and I gave it my all. I’m not ashamed of myself at all, I have no regrets. I’m all good with that.”
“Family is always the background in the career but they’re always here no matter what,” Morin said. “My parents were really supportive of me every time. I know they are proud of me because they know what I went through with the pain and all that stuff because I told them everything. Like I can barely walk it hurts, all that stuff. Same thing goes with teammates. They are around and they know what I went through and I talk to them a lot. My teammates, every single one of them, from junior hockey to my little bit of NHL experience, they have been what I love. I love that brotherhood of going on the road trips, all that stuff in the locker room, joking around. This is something I’m going to miss a lot.”
As mentioned above, the hope is to keep Morin inside the organization somehow. Whether it be a scout, somewhere in player development, a coach, something to keep his mind around the sport he so loves.
“Hockey is my life, it’s going to stay my life. Hockey’s always going to be a part of me.” – Sam Morin
We will always remember on one special night against the New York Rangers on March 27, 2021, Morin tallying the game winner. He received a beer shower following the game for his efforts. Gotta feel for Morin, but he will persevere in the end.
https://twitter.com/FlyersKnitty/status/1375892526197051400?s=20&t=x-Kwoards-aI1NIu8Wn2kg
