Mark Morris, who earlier this season became the first hockey coach to win 300 games at both the professional and collegiate level, will not have his contract renewed by the Los Angeles Kings. The all-time winningest coach in Monarchs history, Morris departs the organization having posted a record of 338-224-27-39 with the club’s top affiliate.
Said President / General Manager Dean Lombardi, in a statement:
“We appreciate the job Mark has done for us in Manchester. The team’s success on the ice during his tenure and his contributions in helping prepare our young players to be successful at the NHL level have been key contributors to the success of our organization as a whole. These ideals will continue to be a priority for us going forward and we wish Mark the utmost success as there is no doubt he is ready for the next step in his career.”
Of those who won a Stanley Cup in Los Angeles in 2012, 13 players played for Morris in Manchester. Current players on the Kings roster who played for Morris include Kyle Clifford (in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs), Colin Fraser, Martin Jones, Dwight King, Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez, Jake Muzzin, Jordan Nolan, Tanner Pearson, Jonathan Quick, Jeff Schultz, Tyler Toffoli and Slava Voynov.
I have been told that Monarchs assistant coach Freddy Meyer has “decided to go in a different direction,” so Los Angeles’ AHL affiliate will have a brand new coaching staff in 2014-15.
In seven seasons with the Monarchs, Morris posted a record of 338-224-27-39. In 14 seasons with Clarkson University, he posted a regular season record 306-156-42.
From earlier this year: Mark Morris is Mr. 300
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