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Garth Murray

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Garth Murray
Born (1982-09-17) September 17, 1982 (age 42)
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for New York Rangers
Montreal Canadiens
Florida Panthers
Phoenix Coyotes
NHL draft 79th overall, 2001
New York Rangers
Playing career 2002–2012

Garth Robert Murray (born September 17, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and the Phoenix Coyotes.

Playing career

Before being drafted, Murray played hockey in the Western Hockey League, for the Regina Pats. He was never known as a scorer (peaking at 33 goals, 63 points), but made a name for himself for his hard work and willingness to stand up for his teammates, demonstrated by three 150 PIM-exceeding seasons. The New York Rangers took a chance on him, drafting him in the third round, 79th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

He was a part of team Canada's silver medal team at the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships.

He played for the New York Rangers' AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, and was briefly called up for a 20-game stint, where he scored one goal and recorded 24 PIMs. At the start of the 2005–2006 season, he was traded by the Rangers to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for left wing Marcel Hossa.

He began the 2005–2006 regular season playing in the AHL for the Hamilton Bulldogs. He played 26 games, scoring a total of one goal and one assist while racking up 46 PIMs. His perseverance eventually convinced Habs GM Bob Gainey to call Murray up to fill in for injuries, and he would stay there for the rest of the season. He scored only five goals and six points in his 36 games as a Hab, along with 44 PIMs, but impressed the team and fans by his tireless work ethic and tough-as-nails style of play. Many fans believe his success caused Niklas Sundström to be removed from the Canadiens' future plans, taking his spot on the fourth line alongside Steve Bégin and Radek Bonk. Murray began the 2006–2007 season on the Canadiens' starting line-up but eventually lost his spot to the likes of Maxim Lapierre. On November 12, 2007, Murray was placed on waivers by the Canadiens and was claimed by the Florida Panthers. On July 18, 2008, Murray was signed to a one-year contract by the Phoenix Coyotes.

On October 6, 2011, Murray was signed to a try-out contract with the St. John's IceCaps of the AHL. After establishing a role within the IceCaps to start the 2011–12 season, Murray was signed to a year-long contract on December 6, 2011.[1] In his final professional season before retirement he finished the season as the IceCaps leader in penalty minutes and was awarded as the first ever winner of the fans choice award.[2]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1997–98 Regina Pats WHL 4 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0
1998–99 Regina Pats WHL 60 3 5 8 101
1999–00 Regina Pats WHL 68 14 26 40 155 7 1 1 2 7
2000–01 Regina Pats WHL 72 28 16 44 183 6 1 1 2 10
2001–02 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 4 0 0 0 0 9 1 3 4 6
2001–02 Regina Pats WHL 62 33 30 63 154 6 2 3 5 9
2002–03 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 64 10 14 24 121 2 0 0 0 6
2003–04 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 63 11 11 22 159 16 0 4 4 29
2003–04 New York Rangers NHL 20 1 0 1 24
2004–05 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 55 4 5 9 182 5 1 0 1 8
2005–06 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 26 1 1 2 46
2005–06 Montreal Canadiens NHL 36 5 1 6 44 6 0 0 0 0
2006–07 Montreal Canadiens NHL 43 2 1 3 32
2007–08 Montreal Canadiens NHL 1 0 0 0 0
2007–08 Florida Panthers NHL 6 0 0 0 19
2008–09 San Antonio Rampage AHL 64 11 10 21 146
2008–09 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 10 0 0 0 12
2009–10 Abbotsford Heat AHL 80 9 22 31 169 13 1 2 3 34
2010–11 Victoria Salmon Kings ECHL 8 2 1 3 23
2010–11 Manitoba Moose AHL 55 6 5 11 90 13 0 1 1 42
2011–12 St. John's IceCaps AHL 62 3 10 13 112 15 1 3 4 29
NHL totals 116 8 2 10 131 6 0 0 0 0
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 2002 Pardubice

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2002 Canada WJC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7 3 3 6 12
Junior totals 7 3 3 6 12

Transactions

  • Traded to Montreal by New York Rangers for Marcel Hossa, September 30, 2005.
  • Claimed off waivers by Florida from Montreal, November 13, 2007.
  • Signed as a free agent by Phoenix, July 18, 2008.
  • Signed as a free agent by Calgary, July 1, 2009.

References

  1. ^ "IceCaps announce roster moves". St. John's IceCaps. 2011-12-06. Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  2. ^ "IceCaps alumni growing". The Telegram. 2012-10-31. Archived from the original on 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2012-10-31.