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Larry Legend's avatar

As usual another great article! Would you say that GMBA is one of the easiest & best interviewes that you've talked to over the years of covering the Yotes/Utah?

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Craig Morgan's avatar

Yep, he's a natural with media.

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Ethan Henry's avatar

Another great one, Craig!

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Craig Morgan's avatar

Thanks, Ethan.

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AJ's avatar

Wow fantastic insight here. Thank you!

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Craig Morgan's avatar

Thank you.

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Jeff Lane's avatar

Craig, thanks for the info we've been longing for. One question I have: Do you know if Maccelli and Matthews built up any rapport from pre-Utah offseason training in Scottsdale?

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Craig Morgan's avatar

Probably a little bit, but Matias wasn't one of the players who was here for the majority of the summer. He liked to go back to Finland so he didn't skate with Matthews as much as guys like Keller & Crouse.

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Robert's avatar

Man I miss this team.

I’m going back to Southern Indiana to the 50th anniversary local town 5k

37 years ago this race was my personal best 5k time. (17:06)

Now, my lower back and legs are so bad that it takes me nearly 13 minutes to run a mile.

I should have more dignity but I’ll be shuffling it…

My training was unusually brutal for nearly a half a century

I’m gonna wear either a howling Coyote t-shirt or the “ off my back” Crouse jersey for warm up and cool down and I heard I’m one of the 50th anniversary former animals that they are gonna introduce on the starting line.

But first things first.

As soon as I get there, I’ll buy a dozen roses, drive to Green Hill Cemetery and visit my buddy..

It’s near the race site.

The last two times as soon as I lay the flowers down, I step back and to the best of my ability, I sing two lines from the great Merle Haggard.

“ The first time we met is a favorite memory of mine;

They say time changes all it pertains to, but your memory is stronger than time;

I guess everything does change, except what you choose to recall;

There’s a million good daydreams to dream on but baby, you are, my favorite memory of all”

Nobody said it like Merle.

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Craig Morgan's avatar

Love this.

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David Cosand's avatar

I agree with you about Maccelli possibly being a great fit in Toronto. What caused him to drop so low on the Utah depth chart anyway? Was he really that bad last season?

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Craig Morgan's avatar

He logged almost 3.5 minutes less of ice time and he was in a different role. This was a natural and expected progression of the club as the younger prospects improved and demanded more ice time. Lawson Crouse went through the same adjustment. I just don't think Maccelli ever adjusted and André Tourigny even said at times that he didn't seem engaged.

I talked to someone who knows both well (sorry, can't name this person). The suggestion from this source was that Maccelli accepted being out of the lineup without putting up enough of a fight. Not even sure if that's true, but he is more of a passive, soft-spoken guy. It's something at least worth exploring for Toronto media.

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