(All photographs courtesy of Photos André)

Locked Up

Twenty- four months. The words echoed in Sean’s head as he said goodbye to his family and was led out of the courtroom. “The Sheriff” Sean McMorrow was now in the custody of the state of New York and their sheriffs. He was shackled and transported by van to Seneca County Jail, located about an hour east of Rochester. From there he was transferred to a unit in Ohio for five weeks, as they evaluated his security level. “My mind was racing and the waiting was the hardest part- I was going to spend the next two years of my life in prison, not a county jail”, explains McMorrow. Due to the fact that his charges did not involve weapons and that he was a first time offender, Sean was ordered to serve his time in Pennsylvania, at a low security prison.

Sean McMorrow’s entire world was crumbling before his eyes. He had planned to return home and continue playing hockey, but now was headed to live with criminals for the next two years. “I can remember thinking that this was a real fork in the road for me”, Sean describes, “I can go in here with a bad attitude and a chip on my shoulder or I can take this time to better myself”. However, it wasn’t himself that Sean was most worried about but more so the other inmates who he would be living with. “Just like getting mentally ready for a game, I had to get mentally ready to go to prison and be aware of what might happen while I’m in there”, says Sean, “I knew that I might have to protect myself and I was ready for that”. Sean McMorrow arrived at The Moshannon Valley Correctional Institution on May 24th, 2012.

When Sean stepped off the bus in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, he was pleasantly surprised with what he saw. “Moshannon Valley is set up almost like a college campus with dorm style living arrangements”, says Sean, “There was no outdoor rink but we had separate bunks and individual showers- people always ask about the showers”. Even though Sean was surprised by the accommodations, he still recognized that this was prison and he needed to keep his guard up. The former heavyweight champion of the OHL also always kept one other thing in mind, the promise to himself that he would stay on the straight and narrow. He was here to serve his time, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try and better himself while there.

After getting settled into his new living arrangements, Sean immediately sought out different activities and programs that he could enroll in to occupy his time. He began taking college classes, meditating daily and trying to keep his body as pure as possible. It also didn’t take long for McMorrow’s, “good teammate” mentality to kick in and soon he was teaching GED classes, along with working as a personal trainer with some of the inmates. “Nobody ever challenged me to fight while I was in prison and I only saw about six or seven tilts the entire time I was in Moshannon”, Sean recalls. However, that didn’t stop prison guards, counsellors and other inmates from looking up the fights Sean had on YouTube. “I would have guards coming up to me and asking about this guy or that fight”, says McMorrow, “I would make time to talk with them or the other inmates, as I always wanted to maintain that level of respect”.

McMorrow would continue his good behaviour throughout his stay in Pennsylvania and was released four months early, having only served twenty of his twenty-four months. His family who had supported him throughout the whole indictment, made over twenty trips down to Moshannon during Sean’s stay. “My family was behind me the entire time and really encouraged me to maintain that positive mentality which helped to make sure I stayed out of the shit while I was inside”, Sean describes. “The Sheriff” Sean McMorrow had served his time and was free to leave, with a criminal record only in the United States. He could move on with his life and use some of the things he had learned from the college courses to enter the workforce. However, “The Sheriff” had some unfinished business on the ice.

Back In Town

On July 17th, 2014, the Marquis de Jonquiere signed Sean McMorrow to a contract to play for the LNAH powerhouse in the 2014-2015 season. The Marquis had kept in contact with Sean and his family during his incarceration and when Sean expressed interest in returning to the game, they signed him immediately. “What hurt more than having to go to prison, was the way that the media portrayed me”, Sean explains, “Yes I did mess up but I wasn’t a monster and there was one thing I always prided myself on-my interaction with the fans”. McMorrow needed to show his fans that he had not been broken and he was still the same player who would stay for hours after games signing autographs.

The singing of O Canada is winding down at the Palais des Sports as players from both teams start cheering, putting their helmets back on and getting a last few hard strides before puck drop. Amidst the yells and tapping of sticks, you can see Sean McMorrow standing in complete stillness waiting for the end of the anthem. “The Sheriff” is back and is forever grateful to be with the Marquis, who sit among the top of the league standings. As the last lyrics end and his pregame meditation comes to a close his eyes open and a smile creeps across his face. Even though he will go on to fight Samuel Duplain of Saint-Georges in the first period of this game, Sean is at peace. He is back with his family, back with his fans and back playing the game he loves.

Writer’s Notes: I did not know Sean before I interviewed him but I feel like I know him now. Sean is not perfect and has made mistakes- that much is evident. However, throughout the process of interviewing him and corresponding via e-mail, phone and text, I have come to a conclusion of my own. We define champions by the awards they win or the records they break but it shouldn’t stop there. You hear people say, “It’s all in the journey” and I believe that in every sense, whether that journey was from last place to first or underdog to favourite. Sean McMorrow was at the top, playing under the lights of the Air Canada Centre. He was also at the bottom, rock bottom, paying his debt to society in prison. Sean has taught me that champions don’t always hoist trophies and aren’t always found standing on top of a podium. Champions never give up on their dreams or themselves. Champions fall down nine times and get up ten. Sean Mcmorrow is on his own journey of redemption and in my books, a champion.

For more information on Sean McMorrow please visit: www.sheriffseanmcmorrow.com