David Morley is one of the stars at HC Pustertal. © det

Pustertal's storm star: an accident turned his life upside down

When HC Pustertal fights against the end of the season in the fourth semi-final against Klagenfurt on Tuesday evening from 19.30 p.m. in the packed Intercable Arena, many eyes will be on David Morley again. The Canadian hit the Wolves like a bomb this year. His career once hung by a thread.

March 26, 2024

What special moment in your career will you never forget? This is a classic question in interviews with ice hockey guest workers from North America, who, as we all know, have always experienced a lot and therefore have a lot to tell. The answers can usually always be assigned to a certain pattern: for some it is a championship won, for others it is a special overtime game winner, some people remember their NHL debut most fondly and for others it will never be forgotten, how he once climbed into the ring alongside Sidney Crosby.

So it's usually the moments of happiness, the highlights, the great moments that leave a deep impression on the players' memories. When we asked Puster star striker David Morley the question mentioned at the beginning, the answer was a little different. “I have experienced a lot of good things in my career. But I also got to know the dark sides,” says the 33-year-old Canadian. “When I was young, I didn't know for a long time whether I would ever be able to play ice hockey again. That was a very difficult time for me.”

Point guarantee for HC Pustertal: David Morley. © Ivan Foppa

Looking back at summer 2011. David Morley is 21 years young, and instead of his current short haircut, he still has a striking head of curls. And he is a striker blessed with a lot of talent. In the previous two seasons, Morley peppered opposing goalies with goals in the Canadian junior leagues, scored more than 70 times and was credited with a total of almost 200 points in the ice hockey databases. So in the summer of 2011, Morley is preparing for the next, logical step, namely a US college where North America's countless rough diamonds will be finely polished. But then the Canadian's life is suddenly turned upside down because: "I had a serious car accident."

“To be honest, I thought that was it for my career.” david morley

The situation was not life-threatening, emphasizes Morley. Nevertheless, the injuries were significant. “I didn’t know if I would ever be able to play ice hockey again. To be honest, I thought that was it for my career,” said the 1,71 meter tall striker from the province of Ontario. It was a hard blow for the young Morley, after all he had loved nothing more than chasing the black hard rubber disc since he was a child - and suddenly the oval ice ring was taboo for him. At St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, the Canadian was now studying business books instead of working on his ice hockey dream.

Two leading players: David Morley (left) and Alex Petan. © Ivan Foppa

But as the weeks and months passed, one thought grew stronger in Morley: “I don’t want to stop like this. This isn't how it's all supposed to end. So I set a goal of playing at least one college game. I didn’t want this chapter to end with a car accident, but rather with a match on the ice.”

The long-awaited comeback

And so Morley worked hard for a comeback and actually made it: On October 12, 2012, he skated for his university for the first time. “After almost two years without playing, I had done it. From now on, my goal was for every match to be followed by another." This motto ultimately turned into a successful career that took Morley to Norway after graduating from college, where he was one of the figureheads of the first division for seven seasons became. Whether in Lillehammer, at the Stavanger Oilers or at Frisk Asker – Morley always scored and scored.

Also popular with young Wolves fans: David Morley. © Ivan Foppa

Nothing has changed at HC Pustertal this year. While the Wolves experienced a number of ups and downs on the way to the semi-finals, Morley was always a constant and was the second best scorer on the team with 52 points. The Canadian has scored nine goals in the playoffs to date - more than any other ICE player. If the many Puster fans have their way, there should be a few more goals this season. Because the season shouldn't end on this Tuesday evening: The Wolves want to extend the series with a win in the fourth semi-final against Klagenfurt.

Can Bolzano equalize the series?

HC Bozen is now looking to make amends after the bitter 3-4 defeat in Salzburg. From 19.45 p.m. the Sparkasse Arena will become a madhouse again in the fourth semi-final, and by Monday evening around 3.000 tickets had already been sold out. The Foxes are down 1-2 in the series and want to fight back. Captain Daniel Frank and Mike Halmo return to the lineup, Scott Valentine will still be missing. Both games will SportNews accompanied with a live ticker.

ICE Hockey League, Semifinal 4 (Best of 7)

19.30 pm
HC Pustertal – Klagenfurt AC
Score in the series: 0:3

19.45 pm
HC Bolzano – Red Bull Salzburg
Score in the series: 1:2