Gord Murphy Explained

Gord Murphy
Birth Date:February 23, 1967
Birth Place:Willowdale, Ontario, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:195
Position:Defence
Shoots:Right
Played For:Philadelphia Flyers
Boston Bruins
Florida Panthers
Atlanta Thrashers
Ntl Team:CAN
Draft:189th overall
Draft Year:1985
Draft Team:Philadelphia Flyers
Career Start:1987
Career End:2002

Gordon J. Murphy (born February 23, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Atlanta Thrashers. He is currently an assistant coach for the New York Rangers.

Playing career

He was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the ninth round, 189th overall, of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. After playing three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Oshawa Generals, Murphy made his professional debut with the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, in the 1987–88 season.[1] In 1988–89, he joined the Flyers. After three-plus seasons in Philadelphia Murphy was traded, along with Brian Dobbin and a 1992 third-round draft choice, to the Boston Bruins for Garry Galley and Wes Walz in January of 1992.[2]

Murphy was selected by the Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft,[3] and he played there for six seasons. The Panthers traded him to another expansion team, the Atlanta Thrashers, as part of a deal made in the 1999 NHL Expansion Draft in which the Panthers acquired goaltender Trevor Kidd.[4] Murphy spent two seasons in Atlanta before joining the Bruins once again for the 2001–02 season. After one season in the Bruins organization, he officially retired on March 19, 2002.[1]

In his NHL career, Murphy played in 863 games. He scored 85 goals and added 238 assists. He also played in 53 Stanley Cup playoff games, scoring three goals and recording 16 assists. He was a member of the 1996 Florida Panthers, who won the Eastern Conference before losing in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Coaching career

He worked as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets from the 2002–03 NHL season[5] until he was fired as a part of an overall coaching change on June 16, 2010.[6] After working for Florida Panthers as an assistant coach, Murphy was fired on November 8, 2013 along with head coach Kevin Dineen and assistant coach Craig Ramsay. He was hired as an assistant coach by the Flyers on June 18, 2014.[7] He was fired on November 28, 2018.[8] On August 2, 2019, the New York Rangers announced the hiring of Murphy as an associate head coach with the Hartford WolfPack, the Rangers AHL affiliate.[9]

Personal life

Murphy and his wife Nicole have two sons, Tyler and Connor and one daughter, Lexi.[10] His son, Connor Murphy, was drafted 20th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes and is a defenceman for the Chicago Blackhawks.[11]

Awards

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
1983–84Don Mills FlyersMTHL65244266130
1984–85Oshawa GeneralsOHL593121525
1985–86Oshawa GeneralsOHL64715225661126
1986–87Oshawa GeneralsOHL567303795246162222
1986–87Oshawa GeneralsMC30339
1987–88Hershey BearsAHL6282028441208812
1988–89Philadelphia FlyersNHL7543135681927913
1989–90Philadelphia FlyersNHL7514274195
1990–91Philadelphia FlyersNHL8011314258
1991–92Philadelphia FlyersNHL31281033
1991–92Boston BruinsNHL42369511510112
1992–93Boston BruinsNHL495121762
1992–93Providence BruinsAHL21342
1993–94Florida PanthersNHL8414294371
1994–95Florida PanthersNHL466162224
1995–96Florida PanthersNHL708223030140446
1996–97Florida PanthersNHL80815235150554
1997–98Florida PanthersNHL796111746
1998–99Florida PanthersNHL5107716
1999–2000Atlanta ThrashersNHL581101138
2000–01Atlanta ThrashersNHL273111412
2001–02Boston BruinsNHL1502213
2001–02Providence BruinsAHL80336
NHL totals86285238323668533161935

International

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NHL Player Search Gord J. Murphy . Legends of Hockey.net . 2010-04-17.
  2. Web site: Galley, Walz dealt; Murphy arrives Veteran defenseman, disgruntled center sent to Flyers for two players, pick . Boston Globe. 1992-01-03 . Jim Greenidge and Nancy L. Marrapese . 2010-04-17.
  3. Web site: 1993 NHL Expansion Draft . Hockey DB.com . 2010-04-17.
  4. News: 1999 NHL Draft Stocking the roster Thrashers draft defense, then execute eight trades . CNN/SI.com . 2010-04-17 . 1999-06-25.
  5. Web site: Gord Murphy Columbus Blue Jackets - Assistant Coach . NHL.com . 2010-04-17.
  6. Web site: Blue Jackets let go of Noel, assistant coaches . TSN.ca . 2010-06-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100618030853/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=324708 . June 18, 2010 .
  7. Web site: Flyers name Gord Murphy to coaching staff . Philadelphia Flyers . June 18, 2014 . June 18, 2014.
  8. Web site: Flyers fire AGM Pryor, assistant coach Murphy . . November 28, 2018 . November 28, 2018.
  9. Web site: Gord Murphy Named Wolf Pack Associate Head Coach | Hartford Wolf Pack.
  10. Web site: Gord Murphy - Assistant Coach - Florida Panthers. www.nhl.com. March 2, 2018.
  11. Web site: Blackhawks acquire Murphy and Dauphin from Arizona for Hjalmarsson. NHL.com. March 2, 2018. June 23, 2017.