An In-Depth Look at Morgan Frost's Redemption Arc
In a team laden with admirable qualities, Morgan Frost's resilience, determination, and maturity might be the best ones of all.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports - An In-Depth Look at Morgan Frost's Redemption ArcGrowing up near the hockey capital of the world as the son of radio personality and former Toronto Maple Leafs public address announcer Andy Frost, Morgan Frost has been intimately acquainted with the sport his entire life. Like pretty much every Canadian kid, he had dreams of becoming a professional hockey player when he grew up—but it would be a mentally draining challenge of Frost's character, passion, and work ethic to achieve those aspirations.
At 13 years old, he was cut from the elite AAA side, the York-Simcoe Bantams, for being physically smaller and not as aggressive as his teammates. Despite the disillusionment that came with being cut, he went on to have prolific stints in minor and junior hockey. During the 2017-18 OHL season, he shined for the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds, receiving the team's Top Scorer Award and MVP award, along with being a finalist for the Red Tilson Trophy (the award for the best player in the entire OHL).
In the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Flyers traded Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues in order to be able to draft 27th overall. Then-general manager Ron Hextall gave Frost a glowing endorsement, saying, "There are very few guys where our whole staff likes the guy, and our whole staff liked this guy. He's an extremely intelligent player and reads the ice well. Good two-way player who showed up good in the testing."
However, several injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic hindered his playing during his time with the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. When he was called up to the Flyers to fill out center gaps in the roster, his performances and offensive production were streaky. The abilities were there—that was for certain—but how much longer could Frost fall back on his world of potential, a cushion many young players use to keep afloat when they turn pro until they outgrow it.
The 2022-23 season was a terrible season for the entire Flyers team, but Frost had a solid finish to the season, and showed some major improvements to his game from beginning to end. It wasn't enough. Head coach John Tortorella wasn't a huge fan of how Frost played, and, in typical Torts fashion, wasn't shy about letting the player know that. That entire offseason, Frost's name was coming up in every potential Flyers trade deal. It was looking like he was set to go to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for center Shane Pinto, but the deal fell through after Pinto was slapped with a lengthy suspension for violating league gambling rules.
As a restricted free agent, Frost signed a two-year, $4.2 million contract with the Flyers right before training camp began for the 2023-24 season. He was eager to get back into the locker room with his teammates and start working as soon as possible. Even so, Tortorella ended up healthy scratching him a whopping 11 times in the first half of the season. For some players, that would've been the final straw before forcing a move at the earliest possible convenience. For Frost, it was the kick in the teeth that set his redemption arc in motion.
He went to Tortorella directly to have an open and honest conversation about where he stood with the coach and with the team. It was a make-or-break moment—this could either burn Frost and Tortorella's bridge entirely, or it could be the positive turning point in their relationship. But, in Frost's own words, there were "a lot of things to get off my chest." He marched into Tortorella's office. The first domino fell.
In his first post-meeting game, against the Calgary Flames, Frost had the ideal performance. He got a goal and an assist, and managed to wear the dog mask without contracting a mysterious illness. More importantly, he gained Tortorella's respect, something that the head coach publicly praised.
"It's part of my job to try to bring that from him," Tortorella said of Frost being the one to initiate a conversation. "It's the only way you can find a road to communicate and try to help the player. You might think benching players is fun for coaches...That's not the way we feel. It's trying to get someone's attention. It starts the conversation.
"Frosty's a great kid. He's quiet and unassuming and was probably brought up to not talk to coaches. It's different for me. I need the conversation. He took a big step...I was thrilled he wanted to come in. It's going to help me try to help him. Where it all goes, I don't know. But at least there's a path there."
So far, Frost has been one of the most enjoyable players to watch in a Flyers squad that has turned whatever ice they're on into their own personal playground. They're playing dazzling, fun hockey, and Frost has been a key part of the offense that has been blowing people away.
For starters, his struggles with inconsistency are looking to be a thing of the past.
Refreshingly, he's infinitely more confident in his skating abilities.
In mere milliseconds, he's making passes and seeing scoring opportunities other players couldn't dream up over the course of entire games.
Right now, the Flyers are a legitimate wagon, and Frost is one of the players at the front with a tight grip on the reins.