Morrison in the Middle (of Growth)

PALM DESERT, CA – Last Friday morning, Coachella Valley head coach Derek Laxdal was answering questions about the surging play of his top-line center Logan Morrison, who currently is top four in the American Hockey League scoring race. Unprompted, Laxdal talked about Morrison’s absence from the AHL All-Star festivities.

“I thought he'd be pretty close to being an All-Star and, in my mind, he was in the end,” said Laxdal. “He's going to be a real big piece to our team pushing forward this year and he could be a real big piece in the [Kraken] organization.”

Morrison has 48 points in 47 games with 24 goals and 35 assists. That’s only fitting given Morrison’s own balanced game. He possesses an elite shot, crashes the net and is a skilled playmaker for 2026 AHL All-Star winger Jagger Firkus and heavy-shot power forward Jani Nyman, who was named to the AHL All-Star festivities last February.

Morrison and Firkus have been on the first line together all season, starting the year with speedy trade acquisition J.R. Avon as their linemate, then transitioning to Nyman when Avon went on injured reserve and Nyman was reassigned from the Kraken to Coachella Valley. Morrison and Firkus enjoy chemistry that Laxdal and assistant coach Brennan Sonne leverages on the first power play unit as well.

Benefit of Being ‘Good Friends Off the Ice’

“A lot of the chemistry with Jagger is natural,” said Morrison after practice last week. “We're two smart players. We both see the ice in similar ways. We can read off each other in that way. But it involves communication too. We're really good friends off the ice. We're not scared to tell each other if we're open or and different plays that we see.”

As the youngest AHL team, the Firebirds are impressively in the hunt for home-ice advantage in the Western Conference postseason and just seven standing points from notching a third conference title in just four seasons.

Morrison is earning high marks from Laxdal for both his leadership and upping his defensive game at the top-line center. His leader instincts kicked into high gear when veteran center Ben Meyers was called up to the Kraken to form an energizer fourth line with Jacob Melanson and Ryan Winterton, both former leaders in their own ways at the AHL level.

Veteran of Sorts – and By Necessity

“I don't consider myself an older guy,” said the 23-year-old now in his third AHL season. “I feel like, I mean, compared to a lot of guys on our team and their age, I feel like I am an older guy. So I did need to take that leadership role [when Meyers was recalled after posting a nine-game point streak with the Firebirds. I have a big role in the team, especially with “Meysie’ doing great in Seattle. I feel like I need to step up and lead the guys.”

Laxdal said Morrison, who has appeared in four Kraken games, is working on executing the smaller details of a pro center’s role. Laxdal speaks from 67 NHL games played, 16 pro seasons in North America and Europe plus three years as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars.

“Mo has done a good job of incorporating some of the things I've been asking him to do on his defensive zone play,” said the Firebirds head coach. “He’s obviously playing well on both sides of the puck, elevating his game offensively. He's putting up points for us. For him to take the next step, it will be about the little things of the game that he's starting to incorporate every night, game in, game out.

“There are areas of games he's got to continue to work on. He will keep working on getting stronger, having that foundation of not getting bounced off puck battles as easy, as it does happen sometimes. I'm pretty blunt with Mo.”

Support Leads to Consistent Standout Play

Morrison agrees with Laxdal’s assessment of holding the undrafted center to an NHL standard: “I do feel really supported. I'm in communication with Lax, doing a ton of video -- a ton. He's on me a lot for stuff. That's just means he cares and wants me to get better. Even with [assistant coach] ‘Sonnes,’ we're talking a bunch about the power play and 5-on-5 offense. The communication has been great there too.”

“I show him clips of D-zone coverage when an opponent is spinning off him [to win a puck],” said Laxdal. “If you're going to win the puck battles here, you have to win them consistently to wind it up in the National Hockey League. It doesn’t matter what team you play for, you have to be able to survive a shift defensively to give you the opportunity to shine offensively ... Oscar Fisker Molgaard, Jacob Melanson, Ryan Winterton, they have to be able to hold a shift defensively so they can be trusted at the NHL level to be put in situations where they can thrive.”

One of the most flattering things a coach can say about forwards is marking a high level of consistency across battle level, high hockey IQ and offensive production.

“Mo has probably been our most consistent player from start to finish this season,” said Laxdal. “When we didn't have Benny Myers anymore, he stepped up his play and offensive production. When Fisker Molgaard was going up and down [with the Kraken and Firebirds] and then playing in the Olympics, Mo stepped up his scoring again.”

While Morrison looks to cut his own path to the next level, he is one of multiple Firebirds prospects who help each other lift their games and potential.

“That's the power of the American Hockey League team,” said Laxdal. “We've got even more prospects coming through this year. We're young. We make young mistakes some nights, but we just try and correct those mistakes and get better for the next game. Our older guys have done a great job helping the younger prospects. I give Mo a lot of credit. He doesn't have a lot of veteran forwards to play with. He's playing with young kids and helping them get better. He's helping ‘Jaggs’ get better. He’s got Jani started up [scoring goals]. He's helping everybody around him get better.”