The Buffalo Sabres have hired former Philadelphia Phantoms head coach Terry Murray as an assistant coach, general manager Tim Murray announced. Wait those two guys have the same last name. Is there a connection? Umm, yeah, Terry would be Tim’s uncle.
Hmm, this is interesting. Murray, the former Los Angeles Kings coach – and former coach of many other teams – seemed like he was going to join the Flyers as an assistant coach to new head man Dave Hakstol. He, and former Devils assistant Dave Barr, will instead help new Sabres coach Dan Bylsma. Murray was the head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Adirondack Phantoms – Philly’s AHL team – the last three years.
Per CSN Philly in late May:
Murray, who turns 65 in July, has a proven track record of working well with younger players at both the minor league and NHL level as part of his 31 years in coaching, 15 of which have been spent at the NHL level.
(Flyers general manager) Ron Hextall spoke with Murray in late April during the Phantoms’ exit meetings to gauge his interest in an assistant role once a new coach was named to the Flyers.
“He and I spoke a little bit,” Murray recalled. “He asked me what my thoughts were and where I would like to go and what I would like to do.
“He and I talked about [the Flyers] but there was no way he was going to interview me for the head coaching job. He wanted a younger coach and I completely agreed with that.
While this probably is not exactly a wonderful situation for Philadelphia – since Hakstol is a rookie pro coach in need of an older guiding face – it’s great news for Buffalo. Murray is known as an excellent teacher of the game, which bodes well for the young Sabres, who will be led into the future likely by Jack Eichel, the presumptive No. 2 pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.
Said Bylsma about Murray per Buffalo Hockey Beat:
“Terry is a guy who’s been a head coach in this league. He’s been an assistant coach in this league. He’s been a head coach at the American Hockey League level. He’s coached with and under some other great coaches in other great systems, organizations. Terry’s bringing that to our team. I think it’s going to be a huge part of our development for our players, especially our defensemen.”
The 2012 Los Angeles Kings lobbied to put Murray's name on that Stanley Cup engraving, even though he was fired earlier in the season by the team and replaced by Darryl Sutter.
Said ESPN LA in 2012:
Murray coached the Kings for 3 1/2 seasons before he was fired in mid-December. Using the offensive and defensive systems Murray put in place, Darryl Sutter took over behind the bench and led L.A. to its first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
“To me, we're not here without Terry,” (team president) Tim Leiweke said Wednesday afternoon on the Mason & Ireland show on 710 ESPN radio. “He did a great job of teaching us a system that allowed us to win a Cup.”
So great job by (Tim) Murray – way to use those bloodlines to add an experienced hockey guy.
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