Aurora’s Morrison named to Canada U18 team

April 20, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

Cameron Morrison’s rise from Aurora Tiger to elite NHL draft prospect has been a swift and smooth one.

The 17-year old Morrison’s latest accolade is a selection to the 2016 under-18 World Championship tournament, donning the Canadian jersey this week in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

His selection came late last week after an injury to the Calgary Hitmen’s Jake Bean, opening up a roster spot for the Aurora native
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Morrison, who spent the 2015-16 season cutting his teeth with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, is committed to play college hockey with Notre Dame of the NCAA next year. The Fighting Irish receive a big, strong centre who led the Phantoms in scoring this year as a rookie, garnering 34 goals and 32 assists over a 60-game span, good for third in league scoring.

Morrison was also named the OJHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2015, putting up over a point-per-game pace in his only full season with his hometown Tigers.
Playing alongside names like Jacob Chykrun and Dante Fabbro in the World Championships, both expected top-15 picks in June’s NHL Draft, Morrison’s stock can only be expected to rise even higher. He is currently ranked in the top 60 among North American skater prospects by the NHL, possibly good enough for a second or third-round selection.

Though picked as a last-minute replacement, he has seen ample ice time through three games in the U18s, which runs until this Sunday. His two assists are supplemented by a plus-four rating, with Canada picking up wins over Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Keep an eye on this homegrown talent throughout the summer.