AHL tough guy Morency puts extra effort into serving his community

Intelligencer Journal

Published: Jun 18, 2008
00:04 EST

Lancaster

By GREG CALDWELL, Correspondent

Pascal Morency is proof that many people are not always the same as they appear.

Morency, 26, an Ephrata resident and right wing for the American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, was named Bridgeport's Man of the Year for his work off the ice this season. He won the award for community service and charitable organizations despite his role as an enforcer on the ice for the New York Islanders' highest level farm team.

The Montreal native, who moved to Ephrata with his wife a few years ago after falling for the area while playing in Wilkes-Barre, is currently rehabbing his right knee from off-season surgery at Lancaster Orthopedic Group and Universal Athletic Club.

Morency suffered damage behind his patella with two meniscus tears. He played with pain through much of the season, but decided to have it repaired this spring.

Rehab started a month ago, with early exercise being very limited due to his pain and extent of the surgery, explained Chris Martin, Board Certified Sports Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer at LOG the last 13 years.

"He is working the knee three days a week," Martin said. "It is going great as he has now taken a more aggressive approach with his treatments to increase his agility. We still have to be careful to make sure he has no more symptoms."

Morency's stats this year showed his role on the team, as he tallied one goal and one assist in 28 games while accumulating 114 penalty minutes. At the same time, he participated in many community service projects, including school readings, hockey clinics, hospital visits and a toy drive. He suffered a broken and infected hand earlier in the season, and made many of his visits to community organizations with his hand in a cast.

"During the season, I had the chance to go to hospitals and see children fighting for their lives. It is hard to see them, but it made me realize how lucky we are. I tell the kids that no matter what their dreams are, if they choose to believe, they can achieve it," Morency said.

The Sound Tigers presented Morency with an etched crystal trophy for Man of the Year before a home game earlier this season. He was in the running for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award for the AHL's Man of the Year, but lost out to Denis Hamel of the Binghamton Senators.

"I was so happy to win this award. Young kids look up to us, and I am glad to have a positive impact on their lives," said Morency. "I hope we can help them see through their dreams in whatever field they choose."

"When I think of Pascal, I think of a player with integrity and character. He is one of the hardest-working players I've ever known," Bridgeport head coach Jack Capuano said. "It is a pleasure working with him both on and off the ice."

Though he just completed his first season in Bridgeport, Morency is already known as one of the most popular players in the team's history for his friendliness to the fans. Even though he is known as a fighter, Morency said he is a completely different person off the ice.

"People expect to see me with a beard and no teeth. That is not me at all. I love to show them this is a sport," he said. "I am not a mean person and I want kids to understand they should never fight at a young age. I walk past guys I have fought in a game and said hello and shook hands with them as we respect each other away from the game."

This was his fifth year playing hockey professionally, and he still dreams of taking the final step to the NHL one day. He has played in a variety of cities across the United States and hopes the next stop is with New York or another NHL team.

"I believe in myself that I will make the NHL. When the time is right it will be my time to shine," Morency said.

He speaks with only a small accent, somewhat amazing considering he spoke no English when he left his family at 16 to start playing hockey. Morency met his wife, a Houston native, in Pennsylvania, and after five years in this country, he said he considers it home. "I hope to stay in the Ephrata area after my career is over," he said.

Morency praised the work Martin and Rick McMillan at Universal's Parisi Speed School have done to help him get back into shape and further improve his skills. "I could barely move my leg at first and Chris did a great job getting me back on track," Morency, who does a variety of strength and balance exercises three days a week at LOG, said.

He said Parisi, which is designed to build up his agility and speed, is a great opportunity. "This is a great opportunity for athletes to improve ability, speed and performance while the trainers analyze your strengths and weaknesses. I only wish I had something like this when I was growing up."

Martin said Morency is such a friendly person with a big smile, but goes into a different mode when the talk is of hockey and rehabilitating his leg.

"A switch goes on for Pascal and he is committed to working hard. He is definitely a guy I would want on my team and not against me."

When the end of his career arrives, Morency said he hopes to coach professionally, but also to keep giving his time to volunteer with children in the community.

Morency expects to be fully ready for the start of the 2008-2009 AHL season.