Samuel Morin wanted to be a hockey player. And he was. Even if it didn’t last as long as he would have liked.
Posted yesterday at 8:31 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher announced on Tuesday that there was “too much damage” to the 26-year-old defenseman’s knee for him to continue his career.
Back in Quebec, Morin met the media virtually, Thursday noon. Warm and smiling as his reputation demands, the native of Lac-Beauport seemed serene. It’s been five months since the doctor told him he couldn’t put on his skates.
I know I’m not the first nor the last [à me retirer en raison d’une blessure]. But it’s hard to realize it. It was around Christmas that I learned about it, so it was hard to accept it. But it’s been a few months now, so I feel a lot better.
Samuel Morin
“I’m really proud of myself. The physical and mental pain that I went through with all these injuries… I would come back and smile at the rink. I was happy to be there. I’m happy with my career, I gave it my all. It will be the same for the future. I’m going to put my heart into it. »
Morin, the Flyers’ first-round pick in 2013, hasn’t had it easy over the past few years. The setbacks began in 2018, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the first time in the middle of the Calder Cup playoffs with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He returned to the game the following season, before tearing it up again in 2019.
Last season, Morin played 20 games in the National League. But his knee was still hurting him. Even though he refused to give up, he knew deep down that the end was near.
“I knew it wasn’t normal to have trouble walking after a game,” he said. When we were in a nice hotel in Boston or New York, I took advantage of everything that was happening. It gave me a new perspective on how lucky I am to have played in the National League. It is a privilege. The passion for hockey kept me coming back. »
“I’ll be honest, I loved it: the practices, the practices, the gym, being with the guys on the road, going to restaurants. I clung to it all. »
The defenseman, who scored his first and only NHL goal on March 27, 2021, was injured again before training camp in the fall. This is what ultimately sounded the death knell of his career. He hasn’t played all season.
Hockey forever
With his knee “mortgaged for life”, Samuel Morin is no longer able to do certain simple things he used to do, such as running. But he demonstrates an inspiring positivism. He looks ahead. If some players decide to turn the page on hockey once they retire, it’s quite the opposite in his case.
“Honestly, hockey is my life and it will remain my life,” he said.
“I want to stay in the hockey world, I told my parents. I love that. I was injured for a long time, I watched a lot of hockey. In life, sometimes things happen and you have to look ahead. I’m young, I’ll be 27 soon, and there’s so much I can’t wait to experience. For my future job, that’s what I want to do. »
Morin has spent his entire professional career with the Flyers organization. When a journalist asked him to talk about his love for this team, the Quebecer didn’t have to be asked. He praised the respect shown to him by the organization.
“The management, the coaches, my teammates have always believed in me, even with all the bad luck I’ve been the victim of,” he began. I’m a very loyal person and when you’re a Flyers, you’re a Flyers for life. It’s a mentality that I love. »
I was really proud to go there. I would have liked to perform more for them, to show them that they had made the right choice. If you look at the draft and my stats, it’s not very good, but they respected my wishes so much. It is something that cannot be described.
Samuel Morin
This love was obviously mutual. In a press conference, Chuck Fletcher described Morin as “an incredible young man, with a big heart and enormous determination who did everything he could to be a hockey player”, adding that he had spoken with him to see if a position within the organization might interest him.
Morin said he was open to the idea, but indicated that he preferred to give himself time. For the moment, he is simply delighted to finally be reunited with his parents, his little sister and his friends, whom he has rarely seen in recent years.
“I’m going to make the best decision for me,” he said. I think I deserve it. I want to be happy. »