Troy Murray

Troy Murray: Chicago Blackhawks defensive forward, Selke Trophy winner, and Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

Troy Norman Murray (born July 31, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Murray was born in Calgary, Alberta, but grew up in St. Albert, Alberta. Before playing collegiate hockey for the University of North Dakota, he was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks as the 57th overall pick in the 1980 NHL entry draft. In 1982, he represented Canada's national junior team, winning a gold medal at the World Junior Championships and returned with the senior team at the 1987 World Championships. He began his professional career with the Blackhawks in 1982 and spent the next nine seasons with the team, winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward in 1986. In 1992, he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets, before returning to the Blackhawks and the stops with the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won the Stanley Cup with his final NHL team, the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 before retiring from playing in 1997. Post retirement, he was the colour analyst on Blackhawks radio and TV broadcasts.

Quick Facts

Position

Centre

Shoots

Right

Played for

Chicago Blackhawks
Winnipeg Jets
Ottawa Senators
Pittsburgh Penguins
Colorado Avalanche

Born

31 July 1962

Birthplace

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Died

7 March 2026

Place of death

Chicago, Illinois, US

Draft

57th overall

Lore & Background

Murray played part of two seasons with the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). He also played briefly in two games with the Lethbridge Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in the 1979–80 season. In his first game with Lethbridge, he scored his only goal of his WHL career. In two games with Lethbridge, he scored the one goal, one assist for two points. Going into the 1980–81 season, the WHL along with the rest of the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League sought to renegotiate the terms of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s entry draft, introducing new rules to players selected out of tier two junior teams, such as those from the AJHL. This affected Murray and where he would play going into the season. He joined the University of North Dakota of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), trying out for the team in September 1980. He started the Fighting Sioux's 1980-81 season centreing the third line, slotted between Glen White and Dan Brennan. He led North Dakota in scoring as a freshman, with 33 goals and 78 points in 38 games, and finished third overall in WCHA scoring. The Fighting Sioux qualified for the WCHA playoffs but were knocked out by Michigan Tech. He was named to the All-WCHA Second All-Star Team and the conference's Rookie of the Year. In his sophomore season in 1981–82, Murray centred the team's number one line between Brennan and Cary Eades. He finished with 22 goals and 51 points in 42 games, second on the team in scoring. The team earned the regular season title and made the playoffs, advancing to the WCHA final where they were beaten by the Wisconsin Badgers to finish second. That second-place finish qualified them for the 1982 NCAA tournament where they beat Clarkson Golden Knights to advance to the Frozen Four. They defeated the Northeastern Huskies to meet the Badgers in the final, over whom they won the championship. He was once again named to the Second All-Star Team alongside teammates James Patrick and Craig Ludwig.

Reader's Guide

Murray was selected by the Chicago Black Hawks in the third round with the 57th overall selection of the 1980 NHL entry draft. He signed a three-year contract with Chicago on April 1, 1982. He made his NHL debut in the 1981–82 season on April 4, in a 4–3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars, playing on a line with Terry Ruskowski and Ted Bulley. The Black Hawks finished fourth in the division and faced the North Stars, who led the Norris division, in the opening round of the playoffs. He made his NHL playoff debut on April 7 in game one of the series. After beating the North Stars, they advanced to meet the St. Louis Blues in the conference semi-finals. With an injury to Ruskowski in game two of the series, Murray and fellow rookie Bill Gardner took larger roles on the team. He scored his first NHL playoff goal on April 19 in a 7–4 win over the Blues. The Black Hawks were defeated in the Campbell Conference Final by the Vancouver Canucks. In total, Murray appeared in seven playoff games over the three series, scoring the one goal. He made the Black Hawks opening day roster for the 1982–83 season, placed on the third line with Tim Higgins and Peter Marsh, with Rick Paterson later replacing Higgins. His first NHL regular season goal came against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 16 in a 3–2 victory. Between March 12 and April 1, 1983, he played only once. He finished his rookie season with eight goals and 16 points in 54 games. The Black Hawks finished atop the Norris division and faced the Blues in the opening round. He made his only appearance of the series on April 10 in a 5–3 victory. He did not make another appearance in the playoffs until the Campbell Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers on May 3 in a 6–3 loss to end the Black Hawks season. In the two playoff games, Murray went scoreless. He began establishing himself as a defensive centre who could shadow top players like Wayne Gretzky but could add in offensively and be a quality penalty killer in the 1983–84 season. On November 25, in a game against the Buffalo Sabres, Murray was checked by Mike Foligno, who struck Murray's knee. Murray was taken off the ice on a stretcher, having suffered strained knee ligaments. He returned to the lineup in January 1984, centreing Paterson and Rich Preston on the third line.