Ron Murphy
Born (1933-04-10)April 10, 1933
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Died March 6, 2014(2014-03-06) (aged 80)
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for New York Rangers
Chicago Black Hawks
Detroit Red Wings
Boston Bruins
Playing career 19521970

Robert Ronald Murphy (April 10, 1933 – March 6, 2014) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins over the course of an 889-game National Hockey League (NHL) career between 1952 and 1970.[1]

Playing career

Murphy played the better part of 18 years between 1952 and 1970, most notably on a Bruins line with Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge, which broke the league record for scoring by a forward line in the 1968–69 NHL season with 263 points. The record was subsequently broken two years later by Esposito, Hodge and Wayne Cashman. 1968–69 represented a comeback year for Murphy, who had missed most of the preceding two seasons following multiple operations on a chronically bad shoulder, and he initially retired after that season. His health improving over the summer, Murphy rejoined the Bruins for the beginning of the 1970 season, but recurrences of his chronic injuries reduced him to spot duty over 20 games, and he retired for good in March 1970.

Murphy's career was nearly cut short late in the second period of a New York Rangers' 31 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden on December 20, 1953. During a stick-swinging incident with Montreal's Boom Boom Geoffrion, the then-20-year-old left wing sustained a broken jaw and concussion after Geoffrion took a two-handed swing and made contact with the left side of Murphy's face. Murphy was suspended for five games for his role in the incident, but the injuries cost him the remainder of the season. Geoffrion was banned from all matches between the two teams for the rest of the campaign. The incident was recorded on black-and-white film used by Rangers coach Frank Boucher. The footage was discovered in 2011 when MSG Media moved its film and videotape archive out of Madison Square Garden while the building was undergoing renovations.[2]

Post-playing career

After his retirement he coached the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. He was with Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Black Hawks in 1961 and the Bruins in 1970.

Murphy died on March 6, 2014, at the age of 80.[3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1949–50 Guelph Biltmores OHA 10002
1950–51 Guelph Biltmores OHA 5444448838 42132
1951–52 Guelph Biltmores OHA 51585811636 1087152
1951–52 Guelph Biltmores M-Cup 12137204
1951–52 Cincinnati Mohawks AHL 10000
1952–53 Guelph Biltmores OHA 4539428152
1952–53 New York Rangers NHL 153140
1953–54 New York Rangers NHL 2713420
1953–54 Saskatoon Quakers WHL 2475122 61232
1954–55 New York Rangers NHL 6614163036
1955–56 New York Rangers NHL 6616284471 50112
1956–57 New York Rangers NHL 337121914 50000
1956–57 Providence Reds AHL 2112112314
1957–58 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 6911172832
1958–59 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 5917304752
1959–60 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 6315213618 41010
1960–61 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 7021194030 122130
1961–62 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 6012162841
1962–63 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 6818163428 10000
1963–64 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 701181932 70118
1964–65 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 5820193932 50114
1965–66 Detroit Red Wings NHL 321071710
1965–66 Boston Bruins NHL 20110
1966–67 Boston Bruins NHL 391116276
1967–68 Boston Bruins NHL 120114 40000
1967–68 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 62242
1968–69 Boston Bruins NHL 6016385426 1044812
1969–70 Boston Bruins NHL 202578
NHL totals 889205274479460 53781526

References

  1. Cole, Stephen (2006). The Canadian Hockey Atlas. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 978-0-385-66093-8.
  2. Sandomir, Richard. "A Brutal Hockey Fight in 1953 Finds New Life," The New York Times, Monday, June 20, 2011.
  3. Radley, Scott (2014-03-11). "VIDEO: Two Stanley Cups, 205 goals and a cruel slash from Boom Boom". The Hamilton Spectator. Thespec.com. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
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