Garth Murray

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. 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.

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 — — — — — 1999–2000 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 Regina Pats WHL 62 33 30 63 154 6 2 3 5 9 2001–02 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 4 0 0 0 0 9 1 3 4 6 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 AHL totals 473 55 78 133 1025 73 4 13 17 154 NHL totals 116 8 2 10 131 6 0 0 0 0

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2002 Canada WJC 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.