Josh Morrissey has a new nickname that says a lot about his season with the Winnipeg Jets: “Norrissey.”

The 27-year-old set a new career high with 39 points, first for the Jets. His 33 assists is also a personal best, and he has had an assist in 26 of the Jets’ 33 games this season. His assist in a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday allowed him to record an 11th straight game at least one point (one goal, 13 assists), making him the ninth defenseman in NHL history to go on such a long streak.

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He’s one of the main reasons the Jets (21-11-1) are second in the Central Division.

Morrissey attributed his success to an off-season discussion with Rick Bowness, who was named Jets coach on July 3.

“From the first call I had with him, he challenged me to do more, to push myself and take my game to the next level,” Morrissey said. I remember hanging up the phone thinking, that’s exactly what you want in a coach. You want him to trust you and play against you, but you also want to feel like people believe you can improve your game.

“That motivated me for the rest of the summer and the start of the season. He encouraged me to be more aggressive as he is with the rest of our defense. He wants us to be more involved in the game.”

Morrissey is one of three Jets players with a game-high 14 power play points (forward Kyle Connor and Pierre Luc Dubois are the other two). He’s averaging 1.18 points per game, ranking third among NHL defensemen behind Eric KarlsonSan Jose Sharks (1.24) and Rasmus DahlinBuffalo Saber (1.19).

We speak of him as a contender for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL’s top defenseman, hence the nickname.

“Our team fans seem to have really embraced it. I think it’s funny, Morrissey said. It’s an honor to have his name mentioned in this category, whether it’s just for fun or even when people really mean business. »

His teammates believe in it.

“They contribute at both ends of the ice and he’s playing big minutes,” said the rookie forward Cole Perfetti. “His defensive play speaks for itself, but it’s also difficult for a defender to blacken the scorer list in this league. His stats are pretty impressive. It’s great to have a player like him on the team. He is offensively gifted and runs so well. He can attack and retreat defensively first. He’s fun to play with and looks easy on the ice. »

Bowness challenged Morrissey because of what he saw as a 2018-2021 coach and assistant coach with the Dallas Stars and 2013-2018 as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“As I told him, I remember when we came here for a couple of years he was part of our game plan as an opposing team. […] His skating is elite, as is his grasp of the game. He’s got really good skills and I wanted to see those things,” Bowness said. I told him I wanted to see that Josh Morrissey against whom I was successful for a number of years and who had impressed me very much.

“I know he’s out there somewhere and we’re going to work together to get him out. »

The changes in Morrissey’s game were also noticed by Jets opponents.

Video: OTT@WPG: Morrissey maneuvers long in front of goal

“Compared to the few encounters he has seen, he’s very aggressive, he’s not afraid to come forward and put pressure on the wingers to keep the puck in the offensive area and he’s very effective at that,” said the forward of the Chicago Blackhawks. Patrick Kane. “He seems to be doing a really good job on the power play in the first session. We were talking about him the other day. It really looks like he has taken another step as a player. »

Producing offensively is nothing new for Morrissey. He set a career high with 12 goals for the Jets in the 2021-22 season and had several strong offensive campaigns with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Prince Albert Raiders. He had a remarkable 73 points (28 goals, 45 assists) in 2013-14 after being drafted 13th overall by the Jets in 2013.

“He needed me out of the picture. Maybe that’s the key for him,” joked the New York Rangers defenseman. Jacob Trouba. The latter and Morrissey formed a defensive pair for most of Trouba’s seasons with Winnipeg (2015 to 2019).

“We talked after the games and tried to learn from each other. It’s important for young players to have a teammate and partner who is going through the same thing as you, Trouba said. It’s fun to see. We have waited a long time for this from him, because he has all the talents and skills. I’m glad the pieces of the puzzle fit together for him. »

Morrissey is gaining more and more attention, which could earn him some individual credit at the end of the season. But the main prospect doesn’t even think about Norris.

“My philosophy hasn’t changed,” he said. I try to improve every day. We started the season well as a team, which helps everyone on an individual level. There is still so much time left in the season and there are so many things I need to keep working on to get better. Being in that conversation and having that goal is a good thing. I have to motivate myself to reach that level of play.”

*With contributions from NHL.com independent correspondent Darrin Bauming.