MILWAUKEE -- Friday, March 28 was not a normal day for the captain of the Michigan hockey team, Brendan Morrison.
He had been told the night before that he would be honored with the Hobey Baker Award -- presented annually since 1981 to the nation's top collegiate hockey player.
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But despite his disappointment after losing the game, Morrison put on a good face and graciously accepted the honor.
Michigan fan Kevin Ebner, a School of Architecture junior, fully endorsed the selection.
"I think he deserves it," Ebner said. "He's been a fantastic college hockey player for four years. I went to the game (Thursday) and it was very disappointing, but I'm glad he won."
The award, sponsored by the Decathlon Athletic Club of Minneapolis, was voted on by a select number of panelists from around the nation.
Morrison, a center for Michigan, is the first Wolverine to win the award. "It's good to bring a lot of recognition to the school," LSA first-year student Rick Kowal said.
When his name was announced as the award recipient, Morrison, along with Michigan coach Red Berenson, emerged from behind a curtain to accept the trophy.
Morrison's selection was hardly a surprise to the large crowd assembled in a ballroom at the Hyatt Regency, but the roars of approval were significant nonetheless.
Fans waved signs and displayed their Michigan paraphernalia with pride, as much an endorsement of the selection as a show of support for their fallen heroes.
But this was Morrison's honor and his comments to the crowd were typical of the soft-spoken senior.
"It's a great honor to receive this award on behalf of the University of Michigan," he said. "It truly is humbling to be recognized for such a prestigious award."
He then thanked the coaches and the training staff before turning his attention to his four-year family.
Morrison then showed his leadership as captain, publicly raising the spirits of his disappointed peers.
"Most of all, I would like to thank my teammates," he said. "I know some of you guys were disappointed with the outcome of the game last night, but we have nothing to hang our heads about. We have to be proud."
The withdrawal of the curtain also revealed Morrison's teammates, and the ceremony, which began as an award presentation, turned into a Michigan pep rally as fans sang "Hail to The Victors!" following Morrison's speech. Morrison had been down this route before.
He was a Hobey finalist during both his sophomore and junior years, both seasons leading the nation in scoring, but had not won the award.
Now it was his turn. But it was far from how Morrison had imagined the day.
All season long, whenever he was questioned about the Hobey, he said he hoped the presentation -- if he were to receive the award -- would take place as he prepared for the national championship game played Saturday -- after the Hobey presentation.
Unfortunately for Morrison, the day did not go as planned.
And he let the crowd know his feelings about Thursday's heartbreaking loss, 3Ñ2, to Boston.
"We did all the little things along the way," Morrison said. "And sometimes the best team doesn't win."
The scene in the room was unlike any previous Hobey ceremony in terms of attendance.
While chairs were laid out for 600 people to witness the presentation, fans filled the ballroom, pushing the estimated number of people to nearly 1,000.
Most Michigan fans traveled five hours from Ann Arbor to see the award ceremony, but there were a few who traveled a little longer. Morrison's parents and sister attended the presentation. They flew in from Pitt Meadows, British Colombia, Morrison's hometown.
Morrison's career has been highlighted by ups and downs, but as Berenson said, it was four years to remember.
"He not only had a Hobey Baker season," Berenson said. "He had a Hobey Baker career. When I first saw him he was a scrawny kid ... he had something special in him that made him want to be better than the average player."
And his unparalleled career at Michigan bears that out.
In his sophomore season, Morrison led the nation in both points and assists and began to climb the Michigan record books. Despite being hampered by a knee injury at the outset of his junior campaign and a broken wrist for the second half of the season, Morrison tallied enough points in his reduced schedule to win the scoring title at the end of the season. He also scored the winning goal in overtime of the national championship game last year to secure Michigan's first national title since 1964.
And this was the season Morrison hoped would be his best. He set career highs in points with 88, assists with 57 and goals with 31 -- including one in the national semifinal. He also set Michigan records for points and assists in a career, but fell short of his ultimate goal -- a repeat championship.
Morrison concluded his remarks in typical fashion.
"It has been an honor to play for the University of Michigan," he said.
Teammate Mike Legg summed up the emotions of his teammates and added to Morrison's remarks when discussing the captain.
"It has been an honor to play with Brendan Morrison," he said. "It was like we were accepting it with him."
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