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#53. Derek Morris. Excellent defenseman, excellent person.
Always thoughtful, very considerate, and wellspoken.
He began his young career in Calgary. The Flames drafted
him with their first choice, picking him 13th overall in the 1996 draft. Born in Edmonton, Alberta on August 24,
1978, the 18 year old, 6', 220 lbs defenseman headed out on a prosperous career with the National Hockey League.
Morris played with Calgary for five seasons. After the season
of 2001-02, he was traded to the recent Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche. (Morris, Dean McAmmond, and Jeff Shantz
went to the Avs in exchange for Chris Drury and Stepen Yelle.) He stayed with the Avs for all of 2002-03, nocking
up one of his very best seasons, with 11 goals, and a high plus/minus. But at the end of that next year he was traded
away again, on the trade deadline, going to the Phoenix Coyotes with prospect keith Ballard in exchange for
Ossi Vaananen, Chris Gratton, and a 2004 draft pick. The Phoenix Coyotes ended the year fifth from the bottom in 03-04,
but their future is everything exciting.
With strong, young but experienced players at the core of a growing,
dynamic team, Morris will fit in as one of those guys whom the Coyotes organization can build around. And heck, think
of the Tampa Bay Lightning: six years ago, they were on the bottom of the heap, worst in the league, but they had
youth and promise... and on June 7th, 2004... they won the Stanley Cup. Best team in the league, just
like that (okay, it takes a little more than 'just that'). Point being, GO Coyotes GO!
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