{{Short description|Canadian-Italian ice hockey executive and player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Use Canadian English|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox ice hockey biography | name = Rick Morocco | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|2|14|mf=y}} | birth_place = Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 10 | weight_lb = 185 | position = Left wing | shoots = Left | played_for = Alleghe Hockey<br />HC Merano<br />HC Devils Milano | ntl_team = ITA | career_start = 1987 | career_end = 1993 }}
'''Rick Morocco''' (born February 14, 1963) is a Canadian-Italian ice hockey executive, and former professional player. A native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, he played junior ice hockey in Ontario, before winning a national university championship with the York Lions. During six seasons of professional hockey in Italy, he also played for the Italy men's national team at the World Championships and Winter Olympics. After his playing career, he served as an executive for Ontario University Athletics, the Professional Hockey Players' Association, the Canadian Junior Hockey League, and the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He was inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in 2005.
==Early life== Rick Morocco was born on February 14, 1963, in Niagara Falls, Ontario.<ref name="hockeydb">{{cite web|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=32065|title=Rick Morocco Hockey Stats and Profile|website=Hockey Database|access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> He played ice hockey as a youth, and won an Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship in 1973.<ref name="NSWOF">{{cite web|url=http://swof.niagarafallsheritage.ca/?pg=detail&rec=1199|title=Morocco, Rick (Athlete)|year=2005|website=Niagara Falls Heritage|publisher=Niagara Falls Public Library|access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref>
==Playing career== Morocco played hockey as a left winger, and was a left-handed shooter. He was listed as {{convert|5|ft|10|in}} and {{convert|185|lbs}}.<ref name="hockeydb" /> He began playing junior ice hockey in the 1978–79 season with the Fort Erie Meteors at age 15. His team won the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League championship, and he won the league's rookie of the year award.<ref name="NSWOF" />
During the 1979–80 season, Morocco played for the Aurora Tigers in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, and scored 24 goals and 26 assists in 38 games.<ref name="hockeydb" /><ref name="NSWOF" /> After the season, he was offered a hockey scholarship to Boston University, and was selected fourteenth overall in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft.<ref name="NSWOF" /> During three seasons in the OHL, he played for the Kitchener Rangers, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Niagara Falls Flyers, and North Bay Centennials.<ref name="hockeydb" />
Attending York University, Morocco played three hockey seasons for the York Lions from 1984 to 1987.<ref name="hockeydb" /><ref name="NSWOF" /> With the Lions, he won three Ontario University Athletics titles, and the CIAU University Cup as national champion in 1985.<ref name="NSWOF" />
Morocco played six seasons of professional hockey in the Italian Hockey League first division from 1987 to 1993, which included tenures with Alleghe Hockey, HC Merano, and HC Devils Milano.<ref name="hockeydb" /> He also played for the Italy men's national team at the Ice Hockey World Championships and the 1992 Winter Olympics.<ref name="NSWOF" />
Morocco was inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in 2005.<ref name="NSWOF" />
==Executive career== After his playing career, Morocco served as executive director of the Ontario University Athletics, director of player relations of the Professional Hockey Players' Association, and managing director of the Niagara Falls International Marathon. He was named the first executive director of the Canadian Junior Hockey League in February 2014.<ref name="SIJHL-2014">{{cite web|url=https://sijhlhockey.com/cjhl-appoints-rick-morocco-as-executive-director/|title=CJHL Appoints Rick Morocco as Executive Director|date=February 27, 2014|website=Superior International Junior Hockey League|access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> He served in the role until September 2016, when succeeded by Brent Ladds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sijhlhockey.com/brent-ladds-named-president-of-the-cjhl/|title=Brent Ladds named President of the CJHL|date=September 27, 2016|website=Superior International Junior Hockey League|access-date=July 9, 2022}}</ref> Morocco later served as the director of business development and events for the Ontario Junior Hockey League as of 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/local-news/blues-pitch-bubble-hockey-tournament-in-collingwood-2735603|title=Blues pitch bubble hockey tournament in Collingwood|last=Engel|first=Erika|date=September 23, 2020|work=Collingwood Today|access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morocco, Rick}} Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Aurora Tigers players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Italy Category:Canadian Junior Hockey League Category:Canadian sports executives and administrators Category:HC Alleghe players Category:HC Merano players Category:HC Milano players Category:Ice hockey people from Niagara Falls, Ontario Category:Ice hockey players at the 1992 Winter Olympics Category:Italian ice hockey left wingers Category:Kitchener Rangers players Category:Niagara Falls Flyers players Category:North Bay Centennials players Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Italy Category:Ontario Junior Hockey League Category:Ontario University Athletics ice hockey players Category:Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds players Category:Sports labor leaders Category:York Lions players