BRIAN MORENZ

BRIAN MORENZ Skull fractures, not once, but twice failed to end the 15year career of Brampton Minor Hockey Association graduate Brian Morenz. His careerthreatening injuries occurred in the rookie seasons with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A league in 1965 and with the New York Raiders of the World Hockey Association in 1972. Just one week following the first skull fracture, Morenz was back skating. He did, however, miss the Canadian Memorial Cup final with teammates, Bobby Orr, Wayne Cashman and Danny O’Shea, when doctors wouldn’t allow him to play in the ’65 Memorial Cup, follow­ing the Generals OHA Junior A championship. After a threeyear career with the Generals, Morenz received a hockey scholarship with the University of Denver in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The Denver Pioneers won the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the WCHA’s titles in 196869, Brian’s rookie season. In the next two seasons, Denver won WCHA crowns and was an NCAA finalist. Morenz captained the Pioneers in his senior year at Denver. With the founding of the WHA in 1972, Morenz joined the New York Raiders. The Raiders became the New York Blades prior to transferring to San Diego where they became the Mariners. After the merger of the WHA and National Hockey League, Morenz played for three more seasons, first with the San Diego Sharks and then with the San Diego Hawks of the Western Hockey League. Brian had five 20goal seasons in the WHA, his best points production coming with the Blades when he had a 54point season. A Morenz goal on Feb. 20, 1976 helped establish a WHA record, the fastest five goals by both teams. San Diego and Toronto Toros traded five goals in a span of three minutes and five seconds, the Mariners outscoring the Toros 41. Inducted November 20, 1991