The 26-year-old forward brings size and a 200-foot game to Greenville.
Once a player turns pro, the next step is fitting in with a team that offers the kind of culture that helps him grow.
Reed Morrison believes he has found that club, signing with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for the 2024-25 ECHL season.
After talking with forward Colton Young, who re-signed with Greenville in July, Morrison was convinced the team checked all the boxes. The two know each other well, having grown up and played together in Calgary.
“I’m excited for the year to begin,” Morison said of his decision to sign with the Swamp Rabbits. “My goal this year is to simply take it all in. When you touch the ice in this league, you’re officially a professional, so I want to enjoy this years’ experience as much as possible, learn as much as I can, and help the team win each night I get to put on that jersey.”
Morison becomes the 11th forward and 17th player announced to the Swamp Rabbits roster. He comes to the Upstate after completing his USports Canadian college career with the University of Western Ontario.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound center set career highs in his final season with the Mustangs earning 12 points (6-6-12) in 23 contests.
Swamp Rabbits head coach and director of hockey operations Kyle Mountain is impressed with Morrison’s size and mental skill set, and is eager to see how those qualities translate to the pro game.
“Reed can skate for a big player, and, like the majority of forwards we’ve signed, showcases a full 200-foot game,” Mountain said. “He can win draws, play defense, and makes solid decisions with the puck, showcasing his maturity in the game. This is another great addition to the forward lines with camp only a few weeks away.”
Originally from Calgary, Alberta, the 26-year-old Morison totaled 17 goals, 16 assists, and 33 points in 85 games over four USports seasons. Before going to college, he played five seasons of junior hockey between the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks and Fort McMurray Oil Barons, and the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and Kootenay Ice.
Morison averaged a point-per-game with 74 goals and 82 assists in 156 AJHL contests, and led the AJHL with 41 goals and garnered North All-Star Team honors in the 2018-19 season.
With his first name closely resembling the Reedy River, a tributary of the Saluda River that spans across Greenville and Laurens Counties, Morrison should feel right at home with the Swamp Rabbits.