This first entry is from Jessica F. Here's what she had to say about meeting Brendan:
I've met Brendan once, at the Okanaghan Hockey school. He was helping out with my cousin's class. I was too shy to talk to him when he was in the hallway, with all the younger kids, signing autographs, but I did get a chance to meet him in the parking lot, when he was done. He had to go to some lunch thing, but I said good-bye, and he waved as he was leaving the parking lot. I didn't ask for his autograph, because I already had one, and because I had no pens.
I sort of met him again at the Air Canada Championship Pro-Am thing, but I just said hey, so that doesn't really count.
Here's another entry from Kim Shearon. This really proves that Brendan is the nicest person!!:
My friend and I went to the ACC Pro-Am tournament that included the likes of Todd Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin, Harold Druken, Trent Klatt, Ed Jovanovski, Donald Brashear, Josh Holden, Marc Crawford, Jack Mc Ilharty, and .... drumroll please.... Brendan Morrison! We went to the Canucks yicket holders party before the tournament to meet some of the players and to listen to a couple of speeches by John shorthouse and Brian Burke. It was great! Markus, Brendan, Todd, Ed, Donald, and Harold were sitting at this long table and alot of people got up to get their autographs. We stood in line for what seemed like forever! So by the time we got to the table, the only one still signing autographs was Markus Naslund, Captain extraordinaire. The rest of the guys had to leave to warm up for the golf tournament, and Markus decided to stay for longer to get to everyone since he wasn't golfing. (He wsn't golfing because he said that a lot of people were there and he didn't want to embaress himself because he isn't very good golfer.) So them we went to see the guys warming up on the practice putting green and the driving green. Everyone was there golfing, and It's amazing how far these guys can hit the ball, well they are hockey players, but wow. They are so strong!
Anyways I hear this little kid yell out Bertuzzi, and I turned around to see Todd Bertuzzi himself walking away from the driving green. There was a whole swarm of kids chasing after him. He was walking with his caddy and signing autographs. We started running after him and so I got in front of him and got his autographs before seeing Markus Naslund back at the driving green talking to reporters. I started running back the other way and joined the mob that surrounded him and got his autograph again. Then Out of the corner of our eyes we see Brendan Morrison headed off in the other direction, all alone. He was making a getaway while his fellow teammate was stranded still signing autographs fro a good 10 minutes! So we chased him down and waited patiently as he talked to some guy in what I think was a canadian Springs trailer or something. Anyways we got his autograph and talked to him for a bit. He was really sweet and he is so incredibly polite and well spoken! He was wearing an Adidas cream coloured top with black stripes across the shoulders and these brown shorts that had a check or plaid type pattern on them. He was also really tan, had gotten a haircut and was wearing a white roots baseball cap. Later on we saw him again and I gave him a poem that I wrote in cooking class one time.
Brendan Morrison is the Canucks quick and crafty centre,
With the New Jersey Devils, the NHL he did enter.
Speed, skill, and smarts, he does feature,
And he glides over the ice like a fleet-footed creature.
In 1997, he was the Hobey Baker winner,
And I often wonder what he eats for his pre-game dinner.
With a bachelor's degree in economics,
I don't think he used hooked on phonics.
Okay, I know that probably sucked and was corny, but he appreciated it. He was so adorable! First when I gave it to him, he was all surprised and said "For Me?" in the funniest voice with the most comical expression on his face. Then instead of stuffing it in his pocket, like i thought he would, he actually walked beside me and my friend while he read it. He laughed as he read it and said thank you when he was done. Then we got to talk to him for a bit more while he walked with us to his next hole. We wished him goodluck and asked him about his new wife and his ankle. He was really sweet and accommodating and answered all our questions and asked us about ourselves. He was so funny and said thank you like seven times in the amount of time we spoke to him. He's also not a bad golfer, despite what Andrew Cassels may say! (Andrew said on a radio interview that Brendan is "such a sandbagger. He always finds a way into those bunkers, but he makes enough birdies to let everyone else know that he's good.")
We got to talk to all of the players and coaches and I got a letter back from Brian Burke. In it, he said that "I work very hard at my job, and once in a great while I receive a letter that makes my day, yours made my week!" So many things happened during that day. It was one of the best experiences in my entire life. But really words can't describe him and the entire experience. If you have the chance you should go for sure. Seriously, if you spend the whole day there, you'll have enough memories to last a lifetime. All of the guys were really nice and funny too. It was so nice to see them after the offseason, especially Markus Naslund walking around like he usually would. I am still in shock over what happened,and this happened months ago. It was so amazing, these guys are the greatest you'll ever meet of anyone, not just hockey players, but of everyone you'll ever meet. They are so fantastic, and it's the way they totally treat everyone with respect that makes their fans love them even more. It's just so unbelievable that they are so cool! It easy for them to lose touch with the real world b/c of all the money they make, but these guys haven't. They are all really down to earth and considerate!
I know I 'm a dork, but seriously next year, if you have the chance, GO! It's the experience of a lifetime. it's really nice to see that not all pro athletes are complete egotistical jerks, and that the really care for the communities they play for and care for and appreciate their fans. (unlike *cough* NBA players *cough*)
This new story, added April 27th, was brought to you by Brian.
We heard on the announcments that morning that the principal said a Canuck was coming (I had NO idea it was Brendan) and I was so stoked I screamed so loud :O. That afternoon my vice principal, knowing that I am a big hockey fan called me down to the office. When I got down there I asked if I was in trouble and he said no way man! He told me to come into his office, so I did. Then he had me guess what Canuck was coming and I said Nazzy then he was like no. Then I said Todd Bertuzzi and again he said no. Finally I said Mo then he nodded his head and I jumped up and down so much that my head touched the roof. My principal said that I could give him a t-shirt and I was screaming so much I needed to hold my hand over my mouth so no one else could hear. Then it hit me...I'M GOING TO MEET THE CENTER OF THE BEST LINE IN THE NHL!!
At the assembly, Brian presented Brendan with a t-shirt, and Mo took it from him and thanked Brian and his school.
To mail me with YOUR encounter, just click on the mailbox!!
