A Retirement Most Deserved

I am not a big fan of jersey retirements in the UK. I find that many clubs use it as a way of promoting a game, selling another one off jersey and inventing history.

A jersey retirement should be the ultimate accolade a player can receive from a club and to gain that the player must show commitment, longevity and a desire to win even when all looks lost. On Sunday night the Manchester Storm retired Mike Morin’s jersey who as a player and coach showed all that for ice hockey in the city of Manchester.

Morin was one of the longest serving player for the original Manchester Storm, playing all but the inaugural season and few games to start the ill fated 2002 season. Whilst a fan favourite then I will remember his loyalty and commitment as the first player for the Manchester Phoenix. When Rik Brabant left the head coach position of the Manchester Phoenix it was Morin who took the lead and kept the players going and then was a leading light under Paul Heavey.

When it was announced that Morin would be the assistant coach in 2015 it was a great addition and a way to tie the new and old. However it was then head coach Omar Pacha that summed up Morin and why it is right to honour him. “If we have a team with the attitude of Mike Morin, we’ll be a team of winners.”