Adding to the Blue Line: Meet Comets' Defenseman, Etienne Morin
Sep 8, 2026Utica, NY – The trade of Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils to the Calgary Flames captured wide attention across the hockey world this past summer. Defenseman Etienne Morin was one of the pieces that the Devils got in return for Nemec and we recently spoke with the young prospect as he prepares to embark on his second professional season.
Morin grew up about 40 miles southwest of Montreal in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and is set to become the third Quebec native on the Comets’ roster, joining Xavier Parent and Mikael Diotte. Living in a hockey hub and with his family having season tickets to the Montreal Canadiens, Morin fell in love with the sport early on. Now a part of the New Jersey organization, he admitted that his allegiance has quickly shifted from the Canadiens to the Devils.
Morin, 21, said that he is looking forward to a fresh start with his new team, describing his rookie season as a mix of highs and lows. He suited up in 42 games with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) and seven games with the Rapid City Rush (ECHL), registering a combined 10 points (2G, 8A).
We also chatted about his junior hockey career which spanned four seasons and was capped off in memorable fashion in which his team, the Moncton Wildcats, captured the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as QMJHL champions in 2024-25. “It was unbelievable. We had a really special group and it was so much fun coming to work every day. It was an awesome feeling to work that hard and win the championship,” he said. Morin tore it up throughout his career with Moncton and was a force during that playoff run, collecting 20 points (2G, 18A) in 19 games. His best regular season was his second year with the Wildcats in 2022-23 in which he tallied 72 points (21G, 51A) in 67 games, leading all QMJHL defensemen in goals.
Back in Quebec for the summer, Morin has been focused on a mental and physical reset. He has been following a structured protocol of weight training and on-ice sessions five days a week, hitting the gym in the morning and the ice in the afternoon. Morin said that he enjoys staying active even when he’s not training. “I love any type of sports and anything where I can be outside. I love golf like most hockey players, but also like playing tennis and going for bike rides with friends.” Morin added that he didn’t have any major travel plans the rest of the summer and could not be more excited for the start of the season.
The Comets’ Home Opener is set for Saturday, October 10th against the Rochester Americans. Single-game tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now at uticacomets.com/tickets.