Former Stingrays forward Travis Morin flourishing in the AHL

AUSTIN , TX- One of the real pleasures of watching minor professional hockey is seeing the players of the teams we follow advance and succeed at the next level of hockey. One image that burned itself in the collective memory of South Carolina fans was an assist Travis Morin earned in the fifth game of the 2009 Kelly Cup final. His helper came on a behind the back pass into the slot from behind the net, that one if his team mates buried against the Alaska Aces.   The Stingrays went on to win that Kelly Cup final series in seven games.   Morin has gone on to the American Hockey League where he is flourishing. Morin’s two years in South Carolina gave locals a real interest in his career. Accordingly ‘Rays’ fans are pleased to see that the former low country center is having a big impact in the American Hockey League in his second season with the Texas Stars. Currently Morin leads his Texas Stars team in scoring with (13g-15a) 28 points having played in all 32 games to date, in the 2010-11 season. He is also tied for the team lead in plus/minus ratio with a plus eight. The 6’2”, 195 lbs center is currently among the top 20 point producers in the league. The Stars (18-11-2-1, 39 points) are currently in third place in the West Division of the AHL Western Conference. Last season, Morin played in 80 games with the Stars, finishing with 52 points and 21 goals in the regular season. Texas, in its first AHL season surprised the AHL by advancing to the Calder Cup finals before finishing as runner-up to the Hersey Bears. Morin contributed four goals and 12 assists in 24 games in the playoff run.     Morin now age 26 played high school hockey in his home town of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.   After signing a letter of intent with Minnesota State University-Mankato in his senior year in high school, he delayed entry to college for a year to play in the Tier-One United States Hockey League. He was already a ninth round draft choice of the Washington Capitals in the 2004 entry draft at the time.     He went to the USHL to mature a bit before college. The league is similar to the major junior leagues in Canada, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey League, with two exceptions. First, USHL players are not paid and thus retain their amateur status. Second, their career track is geared towards college hockey first and pro hockey later, while the major junior leagues in Canada are pro hockey feeder programs. Morin skated a full four years with the MSU-Mankato Mavericks, members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. He served as co-captain for the team his senior year. Overall, he posted career numbers of 58 goals, 75 assists and 133 points in 151 games. He signed with the Capitals after his senior year and graduated with a degree in management. He was then assigned to South Carolina for his initial professional season.   After   a productive college career, his scoring ability surfaced quickly in the pros, as he finished as one of the leading scorers in the ECHL in his first pro year (34g-50a) 84 points. He followed that season up with a productive second season contributing 26 goals and 62 assists and 88 points in the regular season.   He then produced another 19 points in the playoffs helping lead the ‘Rays to the 2009 Kelly Cup Championship. While skating two seasons in the ECHL for South Carolina, he was named to the ECHL American Conference All-Star team both seasons. The book on Morin is that he is an honest hockey player, giving the same intense effort at both ends of the ice. He works as hard on defense, as he does in the offensive zone.   For example, in college while he led his Minnesota State University-Mankato team in scoring his senior year, he also had a reputation for blocking shots and winning crucial face offs.   Importantly he has also been durable rarely missing games at any level due to injury. Despite his outstanding track record in the ECHL, he didn’t get a real opportunity to play with Hershey, Washington’s AHL affiliate. Both the Capitals and Bears were loaded at the center position and he simply didn’t get much consideration to skate with the Bears. He played in only five games with the Bears over two years.   When Washington did not offer to renew his contract at the end of 2009, he signed as a free agent with Texas after impressing the organization in training camp. Thus the Star’s fans got the opportunity to see the hard working Morin bring his goal scoring, talent for set ups, and defensive work to the Dallas organization. Morin’s two-way play, consistency and durability over three and a half seasons in both the ECHL and the AHL, will no doubt, eventually earn him some time in the National Hockey League. If and when it happens, he will once again, as he did in South Carolina, leave a legion of fans that will root for his success as he moves up.      Contact the author at Phil.Brand@prohockeynews.com