Derek Morris

Derek Morris (born Derek Terrence Morris on August 24, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He was drafted out of the Western Hockey League (WHL) 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

Derek has also played in the NHL for the Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers.

Playing Career
Derek played minor hockey in the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL) with the Red Deer Chiefs and was awarded the Brian Benning Trophy as the league's top defenceman in 1995.

He went on to play major junior with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

After his rookie WHL season in which he scored 52 points in 67 games, Derek was drafted 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He returned to play a second season with the Pats, improving to 18 goals and 75 points before turning pro.

Following Derek's 1996–97 WHL season with the Pats, he was assigned to the Calgary's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Saint John Flames for the final 7 games of the regular season as well as 5 post-season games.

In 1997–98, he scored 9 goals and 29 points in his NHL rookie season with the Flames, earning NHL All-Rookie Team honours.

Derek continued to improve to 34, then 38 points in his second and third seasons with the Flames before an injury-shortened season in 2000–01 kept him to 28 points in 51 games.

In 2001–02, Derek was again sidelined after sustaining a left wrist injury. During the season, he was involved in a tragic incident in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 16, 2002, when an Espen Knutsen slap shot deflected off him and into the stands which struck a 13-year old girl named Brittanie Cecil in the temple.

Two days later, Brittanie died from the impact which prompted the NHL to implement protective netting at the ends of the rinks at the start of the following season.

Derek completed the season with 34 points in 61 games. After five seasons with Calgary, reaching the 30-point mark four times, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

He made an immediate impact with the Avalanche in his first season, tallying a career-high 11 goals, 37 assists and 48 points in 2002–03.

The following season, however, he was traded for the second time in as many campaigns, this time to the Phoenix Coyotes. Derek was set to become a free agent in the subsequent off-season.

Derek completed the 2003–04 season playing in 14 games and recording 2 assists with the Coyotes after being traded.

He finished with a combined 32 points. In his first full season with the Coyotes in 2005–06, Derek tallied 28 points in 53 games, then recorded back-to-back 25-point seasons the following two campaigns.

On March 4, 2009, he was again dealt at the trade deadline, this time to the New York Rangers.

Derek did not re-sign with the Rangers in the off-season. On July 24, 2009, he signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins worth $3.3 million.

On March 3, 2010, Derek was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for a conditional fourth round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Along with Phoenix, Derek went deep into the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. His highlight of the playoffs was a shot from center ice in Game 1 of the Conference Finals that beat Los Angeles Kings netminder Jonathan Quick. The Coyotes lost in five games.

Awards & Achievements

 * Won the Brian Benning Trophy (AMHL Top Defenceman) in 1995.
 * Named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1998.

International Play
Derek has represented Team Canada on three occasions at the World Championships. After appearances in 1999 and 2001, he won his first gold medal with Canada at the 2004 World Championships in the Czech Republic.

He contributed 5 assists in the gold-medal effort.

Career Transactions

 * October 1, 2002: Traded to Colorado Avalanche by the Calgary Flames with Jeff Shantz and Dean McAmmond for Chris Drury and Stephane Yelle.
 * March 9, 2004: Traded to Phoenix Coyotes by Colorado with Keith Ballard for Ossi Vaananen, Chris Gratton and Phoenix's second-round pick (Paul Stastny) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
 * March 4, 2009: Traded to the New York Rangers by Phoenix Coyotes for Nigel Dawes, Dimitri Kalinin and Petr Prucha.
 * July 4, 2009: Signed a one-year contract with Boston Bruins as a free agent.
 * March 3, 2010: Traded to the Coyotes from Boston for a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
 * July 1, 2010: Signed a four-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Personal Life
Derek and wife Jodie have 3 sons named Traiten, Presley and Asher.