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 at 8:31 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Tuesday that the 26-year-old defenseman’s knee was too damaged to continue his career.
Back in Quebec, Morin met the media virtually, Thursday noon. Sympathetic and smiling as his reputation demands, the native of Lac-Beauport seemed serene. It’s been five months since the doctor told him that his career was over.
I know that I am not the first nor the last. But it’s hard to realize it. It’s around Christmas [que je l’ai appris], so it was hard to accept it. But it’s been a few months, so I feel much better now.
Samuel Morin
“I’m really proud of myself,” he said. 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 year, before tearing it up again.
Morin played 20 games in the National League last season, 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 was not normal to have trouble walking after a game. 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. »
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 remains positive. If some players decide to turn the page on hockey once their skates are hooked up, it’s quite the opposite for Morin.
“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.
Samuel Morin
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 did not have to be asked to praise 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 had,” 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. »
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.
On this subject, Morin said he was open to the idea, but he prefers to give himself time. For the moment, he is simply happy 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. »