In his playing days, Jim Morrison was an offensive defenseman. He came to this style by being converted from centre to defense while playing junior hockey. The style paid off well in junior as he helped the Barrie Flyers captured the 1951 Memorial Cup.
His first professional season, 1951-52, was split among four teams, the highlight coming when the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired him from the Boston Bruins. Morrison went on to play six and a half seasons with the Blue and White. His partners on the blueline during that time included Fern Flamen, Jim Thomson, and Tim Horton.
Toward the end of the 1950s, the Leafs traded him back to Boston for a season. A season with the Detroit Red Wings and 14 games playing for the New York Rangers brought him into the 1960s. For most of the decade, Morrison played in the American Hockey League in Quebec.
Morrison was a well-respected player in the AHL. In 1966, the loop honoured him with its award for best defenseman, and the players elected him president of the AHL Players' Association. In battling for improved playing conditions, Morrison was traded to Baltimore. That move gave him another shot at the NHL.
As his third decade in professional hockey rolled around, he was given a shot to play with the Pittsburgh Penguins in their third season. The veteran picked up where he had left off nearly ten years before. Morrison manned the point on power plays and chipped in three helpers during the playoffs.
Morrison lasted two seasons in Pittsburgh before returning to the AHL. Following his playing career, he coached for Baltimore and the Kingston Canadians of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. Kirk Muller is one player that Morrison guided during his eight years of coaching the club. Jim Morrison recently retired from the Boston Bruins scouting staff following eighteen years of service.
