NEWS

David Morley celebrates one of his many goals with the Stavanger Oilers in Norway. Morley leads the league in scoring for the first-place Oilers. (Photo: Oddmund Sola)

By Jim Mason/OJHL Communications

David Morley thought his hockey career was over a few times.

Far from it.

The Ontario Junior Hockey League graduate is the leading scorer (41 points) for the first-place Stavanger Oilers (21-2-1) in GET-ligaen, the Norwegian first division.

The former Aurora Tiger was recently labelled the “Points Machine” by the Roglands Avis newspaper on the west side of the Scandinavian country.

The publication recently named Morley as a finalist for its sports person of the year award. The Richmond Hill resident is up against a Tour de France cyclist, a soccer coach and a track star in online voting.

Why?

Morley, 29, has had a fantastic 2019 – 50 points in 35 games during the calendar year.

“Such a score is actually at par with the greatest achievements in Oilers history and worth a nomination here,” wrote reporter Espen Iversen.

Morley is in his second year in coastal Stavanger, after two seasons with Lillehammer in the same league.

Following five years at NCAA Division 1 St. Cloud State in Minnesota, Morley had a cup of coffee with Atlanta in the ECHL. An agent he met during college hooked him up in Norway.

Morley scored the rare double while playing college hockey, earning an undergraduate degree in sports marketing and a masters degree in sports management.

Unable to play his freshman season because of an injury incurred during a car crash the summer prior, Morley redshirted. The extra year of college allowed him to pick up both degrees.

Morley capped off a three-year run at Aurora in the OJHL with a 104-point (42 goals/62 assists) campaign in 2009-10.

The OJHL conducted a long-distance Q & A with the league alumnus. It includes advice for current players in the league and a shout-out to an OJHL coach/GM:

Q: You’ve had a solid run through junior, college and now the pros. Could you have imagined this as a 17-year-old trying out for a Jr. A team?

A: I was always a late bloomer and never played at the highest level throughout minor hockey so by the time I was 17 my goal and dream was really only to try and get a scholarship to play NCAA Division 1 hockey. As I have moved along, I have had moments where I thought my career was basically over (due to injuries) so the fact that I am still playing at 29 has been somewhat surprising to me – but I am very grateful for it. 

 

Q: Describe playing pro hockey in Norway. The facilities, fans and the level and style of play?

A: Playing hockey in Norway has been amazing. The facilities with my team are very nice and comparable to the places I've played back in North America. For the most part, the fans here are more engaged with chants and cheering throughout the game than back home, with the exception of student sections in college. Student sections can be pretty wild and are a lot of fun to experience. The style of play is a lot different than back home. There is more of an emphasis on speed, skill, and trying to make plays compared to the dump-and-chase North American style. It is also less physical overall but there are still big hits every now and then. 

 

Q: How are the Norwegian road trips?

A: The team I am playing for right now has by far the worst travel for our league because we are way out on the west coast. This means we fly to every road game and then have a bus trip anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours after we land to get to the rink. Now that I am adjusted to the routine of it I don't mind it. But early on, it was a big adjustment. 

 

Q: What’s your best advice for young guys currently playing junior hockey?

A: The best advice I can give is to focus on having fun while playing and don't compare yourself to where other players are at in their development. When I was playing, there were lots of players that were better than me, had committed to great schools or had gone off to the OHL. It is easy to see that and feel like you might be falling behind, but as long as you have fun playing the game, all that stuff will work itself out. 

Q: Give us your fondest memories of playing in the OJHL?

A: It was probably playing my first game as a 16-year-old call-up. I got the call from the Aurora Tigers assistant coach Mark Joslin (who is now the head coach/GM of Toronto Patriots) telling me they were calling me up to play a road game in Collingwood. Mark is a close friend of mine, so it was exciting to get that news from him. And I remember him giving me a regular shift, which was much more than I was expecting. We won the game that night and I quickly learned how much fun it is riding the bus home after a win.

Q: What do you think life after playing pro hockey will look like for David Morley?

A: I am currently looking at getting into a firefighting program back home this summer. I would like to get into coaching hockey as well, so I will see if that is something I am able to balance when the time comes to hang up the skates.