Gold medal winner from 1980 Olympics lives in KC
U.S. Olympic Hockey gold medalist Ken Morrow met and graciously posed with fans at Dillard’s in Zona Rosa on Tuesday evening.
Morrow didn’t hold back the excitement of what it was like to take home the gold medal during the 1980 Winter Olympics.
“Each time the Olympics rolls around I am reminded of the ‘Miracle of Ice’ game,” said Morrow. “I can recall the final minute and a half of the game against Russia and the medal ceremony held in the arena afterwards.”
Since winning the gold medal, ice hockey has remained Morrow’s life passion, not only as a game but as a career. “I guess you could say that hockey has been my life,” said Morrow.
His 1980s were filled with playing in the National Hockey League. From there, he turned his focus to coaching and left New York to take a job with the Kansas City Blades. After several years of coaching, Morrow’s fondness of the ice and honed skills led him to scouting, which he has done for the past 30 years.
“In this business where people are always moving and chasing jobs, I’ve made one move from New York to Kansas City. I like that living here has provided a lot of stability for my family. In this business, you don’t get that a whole lot.”
Morrow’s advice for aspiring hockey players is to get as much ice time as you can.
Growing up in Flint, Mich., Morrow said he lived on the ice. While he didn’t reside near a pond, all that cold made it possible to create a rink in the backyard.
“We would make a rink and it would stay all through the winter. It was our playground,” added Morrow. “I put my skates on in the morning and wouldn’t take them off until night.”
Morrow is constantly trying to promote hockey and bring ice rinks to the Kansas City area. Recently he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.