Bryan Murray

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Lore & Background

Murray compiled over 600 NHL victories in regular season games. In his 13 full NHL seasons as head coach, he took his teams to the playoffs 12 times. He became the fifth NHL coach to achieve 600 victories on February 20, 2007, in a shootout win against the Edmonton Oilers. Despite this impressive number of victories, Murray never won a Stanley Cup. In his most recent trip to the Finals as head coach in 2007, the Senators team that he coached lost in five games to his former club, the Anaheim Ducks.

In Their Own Story

Craig Hartsburg was hired as the new coach of the team in June 2008. After the Senators struggled for most of the 2008–09 season, Murray fired Hartsburg after a 7–4 loss against the Capitals. In 48 games as head coach of the Senators, Hartsburg posted a 17–24–7 record. Cory Clouston, head coach of the AHL's Binghamton Senators, the team's top farm club, was hired as interim head coach. Clouston was appointed as head coach with a two-year contract before the next season. Murray signed a three-year contract extension as general manager on April 8, 2011. He fired Clouston and two assistant coaches on April 9, 2011, following the Senators' last game of the season. The team had been beset by injuries to key players such as captain Daniel Alfredsson and star forward Jason Spezza, leading to a mid-season collapse. Murray made a flurry of trades in 2011, after the Senators had fallen out of contention, and promoted many younger players from the team's Binghamton farm club.

Reader's Guide

Murray began his coaching career with the Rockland Nationals in 1976, winning the Centennial Cup. He later coached the Pembroke Lumber Kings, Regina Pats, and Hershey Bears before becoming head coach of the Washington Capitals in 1981–82. He won the Jack Adams Award in 1984. He served as coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings from 1990, then as general manager of the Florida Panthers from 1994, and as head coach and general manager of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He became head coach of the Ottawa Senators close to his hometown, and on June 18, 2007, was promoted to general manager. He fired head coach John Paddock on February 27, 2008, and stepped in as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2007–08 season. He later hired and fired Craig Hartsburg and Cory Clouston. Murray signed a three-year contract extension as general manager on April 8, 2011, and fired Clouston the next day.

Did You Know?

• Murray was one of ten children born to Clarence and Rhoda Murray in Shawville, Quebec.
• He worked as a gym teacher at Pontiac Protestant High School and later owned a motel and Murray's Sporting Goods in Shawville.
• His younger brother Terry Murray was head coach for the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, and Los Angeles Kings.
• Murray was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in November 2014 and died on August 12, 2017.
• Senators goaltender Craig Anderson wore a mask featuring Murray's likeness for the 2018-19 season.