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This article was published 19/4/2016 (1614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Asked for a bit of speculation on who might take a run at the Winnipeg Jets’ roster next fall, Manitoba Moose coach Keith McCambridge showed his enthusiasm for some of the organization’s young prospects by naming several names.

Goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s was the first out of his mouth. Among the others he mentioned were Brendan Lemieux and 2013 first-round draft pick Josh Morrissey, who asserted himself better and better as the 2015-16 season went along.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Moose player Josh Morrissey is one of the players coach Keith McCambridge says has a legitimate shot at the NHL next season.

"I thought the first half of the year I had to get some junior habits out of my game," said Morrissey, the rookie pro who just turned 21 last month. "It was a lot of learning in the first half of the year. As time went on to the second half, I was a lot more confident."

What’s an example of a junior habit?

"Especially when you’re an older player in (junior), maybe because I’m a good skater, I felt like my pace dropped off, my quickness," Morrissey said. "I was playing a lot of minutes but each shift, I wasn’t playing with as much jump, every shift basically more like a long-distance runner than a sprinter, that’s the best way to say it. For me that was the biggest thing, pacing myself instead of sprinting.

"It was something I tried to really work on this year and always has to be worked on and forced into your game. I thought it got a lot better.":

It did, to the point where the Jets made the call for Morrissey in an injury emergency on March 5 and he played his first NHL game.

The positives were many in and from that outing.

"For my confidence it’s been huge," Morrissey said Monday. "Everyone wants to be in the NHL but I think after getting a taste, it makes you want to get there that much more. Playing only one game but being able to play in that game and see what it’s like, to be able to play at home was so special.

"Overall it was an amazing night. At the same time I learned that I haven’t had that confidence before, that I truly believed I belong and I can make the team. And now that I have played one game, albeit just one game, I do feel a lot more confident and like I’m ready to push myself to take that next step. We’ll see next fall.

"A career’s not made off one game but I do feel a lot more confident. Obviously there’s a lot more work to be done... but I believe I can make that next step."

Student of the game

Morrissey, who had three goals and 22 points in 57 AHL games this season, was also able to spend some of his free nights at the MTS Centre being a student of the game.

"I was able to see 10 or 15 Jets games live from the press box, and obviously going to watch some of the best players in the world play and get to watch the Jets D every night and see what systems they’re doing just in case you get the call, but also to watch some players on other teams you look up to or want to see what they do," he said.

Back with the Moose two days after his NHL debut, Morrissey suffered a lower-body injury in a March 7 game and didn’t play again this season.

He said he’s had time to digest a lot of learning this season, including what to take from the Moose’s losing record.

"I think the biggest thing is you don’t want to do it anymore," he said. "It sounds so simple. Losing games on the road, riding the bus after the game to the next city ... I think it’s just not fun. It’s something that no one wants to do and it does affect you, your day-to-day lives afterwards.

"Just developing that hate-to-lose mentality is something all of us can get from this season."

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca