Bob Murray (ice hockey, born 1954)

Robert Frederick Murray (born November 26, 1954) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He most recently served as the general manager of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Murray played in the NHL from 1975 to 1990 as a defenceman with the Chicago Black Hawks. He played in two NHL All-Star Games and helped the Black Hawks reach the NHL playoff semifinals five times in a nine-year stretch.

Bob Murray
Born (1954-11-26) November 26, 1954 (age 69)
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Chicago Black Hawks
NHL draft 52nd overall, 1974
Chicago Black Hawks
WHA draft 77th overall, 1974
Cincinnati Stingers
Playing career 1974–1990

Playing career

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Junior hockey

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Murray played for the Cornwall Royals of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 1971 to 1974. He won a Memorial Cup in 1972. After scoring 99 points as a defender in his final junior season, he was drafted 52nd overall by the Black Hawks in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft.

Professional hockey

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After playing with the Dallas Black Hawks of the Central Hockey League in 1974–75, he joined the Chicago Black Hawks for the 1975–76 season. After developing a leadership role with the team, Murray served as Chicago's interim captain for two months of the 1985–86 season (November 1985 to January 1986) while captain Darryl Sutter was out of the lineup with an injury. Other than starting the 1988–89 season briefly in the IHL, Murray spent 15 consecutive seasons with Chicago, finishing his career with a postseason loss to the Edmonton Oilers on May 12, 1990.

In 1,008 career NHL games, Murray amassed 132 goals and 382 assists. As a member of the Campbell Conference team, he appeared in both the 33rd National Hockey League All-Star Game in February 1981 and the 35th National Hockey League All-Star Game in February 1983.

Post-playing career

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The Blackhawks hired Murray as their director of player personnel in 1991, and he became the sixth general manager in Blackhawks' history on July 3, 1997. He served as general manager of the Blackhawks from 1997 to December 1999, when he was fired 22 games into his third season with Chicago in last place in the Central Division.[1] Murray briefly worked as a scouting consultant for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim before becoming a professional scout for the Vancouver Canucks from 1999 to 2005.

On July 14, 2005, Murray became the Ducks' senior vice president of hockey operations, working with Anaheim general manager Brian Burke and overseeing all aspects of player development. He won the Stanley Cup in this role with the Ducks in 2007.[citation needed]

Murray replaced Burke as the Ducks' general manager on November 12, 2008, when Burke abruptly left the job to become the Toronto Maple Leafs' general manager and president later in the month. The Ducks made the Stanley Cup playoffs in eight of Murray's first 10 seasons in charge, reaching two Western Conference finals and winning five consecutive Pacific Division titles from 2012 to 2017. Murray won the NHL's Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award for the 2013–14 season[2] after the Ducks finished atop the Western Conference with a franchise-record 116 points.

On February 10, 2019, Murray fired head coach Randy Carlyle for the second time in their Anaheim careers and assumed the head coaching position himself for the final 26 games of the 2018–19 season.[3] Murray returned exclusively to the front office later that summer, hiring Dallas Eakins as the Ducks' new head coach.[4]

On November 9, 2021, Murray was placed on administrative leave by the Anaheim Ducks pending the results of an ongoing investigation.[5] The investigation is reportedly focused on Murray's alleged history of verbal abuse to players and staff members.[6] The following day, November 10, Murray resigned from his position and informed the team he planned to enter treatment for alcohol abuse.[7] At the time of his resignation, Murray was the third-longest[citation needed] tenured general manager in the league.

Less than five months later, in February 2022, Murray reportedly joined the Calgary Flames as a scout.[8]

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1971–72 Cornwall Royals QMJHL 62 14 49 63 88 16 2 6 8 18
1971–72 Cornwall Royals M-Cup 3 1 1 2 6
1972–73 Cornwall Royals QMJHL 32 9 26 35 34 12 1 21 22 43
1973–74 Cornwall Royals QMJHL 63 23 76 99 88 5 0 6 6 6
1974–75 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 75 14 43 57 130 10 2 6 8 13
1975–76 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 64 1 2 3 44
1976–77 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 77 10 11 21 71 2 0 1 1 2
1977–78 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 14 17 31 41 4 1 4 5 2
1978–79 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 79 19 32 51 38 4 1 0 1 6
1979–80 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 74 16 34 50 60 7 2 4 6 6
1980–81 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 77 13 47 60 93 3 0 0 0 2
1981–82 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 45 8 22 30 48 15 1 6 7 16
1982–83 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 79 7 32 39 71 13 2 3 5 10
1983–84 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 78 11 37 48 78 5 3 1 4 6
1984–85 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 80 5 38 43 56 15 3 6 9 20
1985–86 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 80 9 29 38 75 3 0 2 2 0
1986–87 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 79 6 38 44 80 4 1 0 1 4
1987–88 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 62 6 20 26 44 5 1 3 4 2
1988–89 Saginaw Hawks IHL 18 3 7 10 14
1988–89 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 15 2 4 6 27 16 2 3 5 22
1989–90 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 49 5 19 24 45 16 2 4 6 8
NHL totals 1,008 132 382 514 871 112 19 37 55 106

Head coaching record

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Team Year Regular season Postseason
G W L OTL Pts Finish W L Win% Result
ANA 2018–19 26 14 11 1 29 6th in Pacific Missed playoffs
Total 26 14 11 1 29    

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gano, Rick. "Blackhawks Fire GM Murray". apnews.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  2. ^ records.nhl.com. "Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award". records.nhl.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Ducks Executive VP/GM Murray to Assume Interim Head Coaching Position". NHL.com. February 10, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  4. ^ "Eakins hired as Ducks coach". NHL.com. June 17, 2019. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
  5. ^ "Ducks Place EVP/General Manager Bob Murray on Administrative Leave". NHL.com. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Seravalli, Frank (November 10, 2021). "Sources: Ducks GM Bob Murray placed on leave for 'mental warfare,' verbal abuse". Daily Faceoff.
  7. ^ "Bob Murray Resigns From Position as Ducks EVP & General Manager". NHL.com. 10 November 2021.
  8. ^ Stephens, Eric (February 22, 2022). "Former Ducks GM Bob Murray joins Flames as scout: Sources".
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Preceded by Chicago Black Hawks captain
1985–86
During injury to Darryl Sutter
Succeeded by
Darryl Sutter
Preceded by General manager of the Chicago Blackhawks
1997–1999
Succeeded by
Bob Pulford
Preceded by General manager of the Anaheim Ducks
20082021
Succeeded by
Jeff Solomon
Interim
Preceded by Head coach of the Anaheim Ducks
(interim)

2019
Succeeded by