Imagine being a 21-year-old hockey player, battling it out in the American Hockey League, and you get called up to the NHL for the first time in your career. Now, imagine you get that news you’ve been dreaming of your entire life, and you also find out that one of your best friends and roommates is making the trip up to the big club with you. That’s what happened to Logan Morrison last week, who has played his first three NHL games on a line with his close pal, Ryan Winterton. For his part, Winterton played his fourth, fifth, and sixth NHL games with the Seattle Kraken. 

Morrison and Winterton go back several years, having played together with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL before reuniting with the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

“We hang out a ton,” Morrison said. “It’s not one of those roommate things where you don’t really hang out and talk, we’re always together, we’re always making fun of each other. We have a pretty good relationship, tons of golf together, going out for dinners, and pretty much everything you can think of we do together… So to be called up with him was pretty special.”

The “kids” line with Kartye and the two recent call-ups from Coachella Valley, Winterton and Morrison, looked good in its two games against Anaheim and one against Dallas. Morrison did make a mistake on the second goal against in the Thursday game against the Ducks, handing the puck over to Jakob Silfverberg at the offensive blue line to create a partial breakaway. But coach Dave Hakstol had Morrison right back out there on the next Kraken power play (of which there were 10 that night), and the rookie center did not miss a shift for the mishap.

“It depends on what we’ve seen up to that point in the hockey game from any one player,” Hakstol said on whether he has more patience for missteps from youngsters getting their first taste of NHL hockey. “Those guys were some of our most reliable players, not only [Thursday], but over the past couple of nights. So yeah, absolutely, they’re going right back out.” 

Morrison and Winterton joined a growing group of players that have spent time developing with the Firebirds before making the jump to the big club. Kartye has been with the Kraken for the entire season after getting his call-up during the playoffs last season, while defenseman Ryker Evans has remained in Seattle for most of the season, though he has been scratched at times. Meanwhile, goaltender Joey Daccord, who backstopped the Firebirds to the Calder Cup Finals last season, has emerged as a bona fide NHLer.

“[Morrison and Winterton] have worked super hard to get here and earn the opportunity, so it’s pretty cool to be here with them to experience that,” Evans said. “I mean, they’re great kids off the ice, super laid back, and I love hanging out with them.” 

A script for a buddy movie

Off the ice, Morrison and Winterton’s relationship has only grown since they decided to live together, along with fellow OHL alumnus Tucker Robertson. Winterton said the trio has done a good job of sharing the housework, like washing dishes, and that they all manage as best they can at cooking meals for themselves.

“Tucker is probably the best at cooking,” Winterton said. “Me and Mo kind of just get by, eating the same things every night, mostly steaks, but it’s been good.”

Morrison following Kartye’s path

Morrison is the second Kraken player to reach the NHL after signing as an undrafted free agent, following Kartye, who joined the organization in March of 2022 after a stellar career with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL.

The successes and quick ascensions of Kartye and Morrison are reminders to young players that even if they don’t get drafted, they still can make it to hockey’s highest level, and the Kraken organization is a great potential landing spot for players in that situation.

Morrison implied it was an easy decision to sign with Seattle.

“I think just talking to [director of player development] Jeff Tambellini and how much he liked me and what he was telling me about the organization, and I talked to Ron Francis too before signing, and it just seemed like everything was so first class.” Morrison said. “And it has been, so I couldn’t be more happy with choosing Seattle.”

The Guelph, Ontario, native said that reaching the world’s best league after getting passed on in multiple drafts has only added to the experience of the past couple weeks.

“It kind of makes it a lot more special, honestly,” Morrison said. “The fact that I had to grind a lot to get here, and being passed up three times, it’s something you don’t want to deal with. But I think looking back now, it’s kind of the best thing that happened for me to be able to kind of choose where I wanted to go.

“And Seattle has been unbelievable, everything about it… Coachella… everything’s been great. So yeah, looking back it wasn’t easy at the time, but I think it was the best for me in the long run and to be able to say I’m in the NHL not even a year after signing is pretty crazy.”

Shane Wright also back with the Kraken

When Winterton made his NHL debut with Seattle on Nov. 9 in Colorado, he had fellow youngster Shane Wright with him to show him the ropes. On this current stint, Winterton has been paying it forward to Morrison.

“It was Shaner showing me what to do and making me feel kind of more calm out there [when I made my debut],” Winterton said. “But this time it was me for Mo. But he’s played awesome, and he was ready for it, so there’s not much to tell a guy like that.” 

Now, in an interesting twist, Wright is also back up with the Kraken, giving this late-season version of the team an even younger look. If Matty Beniers, Evans, Winterton, Morrison, Wright, and Kartye all play Monday, Seattle would have six players age 22 or younger in its lineup.