During arbitration, the Canucks’ lawyer delivered a story that would later become public knowledge. “He says, ‘Mister arbitrator, this is the story of the elephant and the mouse,'” said Burke.
“So he starts talking about the elephant and the mouse walking in the jungle, and they’re walking together,” Morrison recalled. “All of sudden they come upon this raging river and there’s a bridge across but the ropes are broken. The bridge is washed out. There’s no way across the river.”
“And the mouse is too scared,” said Burke. “The mouse, he will not go. So the elephant says to the mouse, ‘I will take you across my friend,’ and he picks up the mouse.” The elephant carried the mouse to the other side.
“And then he says, ‘This is exactly the same as Morrison, Bertuzzi, and Naslund. Bertuzzi and Naslund are the elephant,'” said Morrison.
“‘Mister arbitrator, Brendan Morrison is the mouse!'” said Burke. “It was priceless.”