Murray Murdoch

Murdoch was born in Lucknow, Ontario and raised in Edgerton, Alberta. His parents were Walter Dryden Murdoch (b. 1875) and Jennie Bell "Jane" Murray (b. 1878). He received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Manitoba where he played hockey for the Manitoba Bisons from 1921 to 1924. The Bisons won four consecutive Turnbull Cup Provincial Junior Championships, and in 1923, with Murdoch as captain, also won the Abbott Cup (Western Canada), Memorial Cup and Allan Cup for amateur hockey national titles, and were inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum as a team in 2004.

He played left wing for the New York Rangers for 508 games with 84 goals and 108 assists, from the Rangers' first season in the 1926–27 NHL season until the 1936–37 NHL season. From 1938 to 1965, he was the sixth head coach of Yale University's hockey team. In 1974, he was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for his contribution to hockey in the United States.

He was the last living player from the inaugural Rangers team in 1925.^[1]

• Memorial Cup Championship (1923)
• Stanley Cup Championships (1928 & 1933)
• Lester Patrick Trophy Winner (1974)
• Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award (1987)
• Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
• In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, was ranked No. 39 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons^[1]

Murdoch was related to several NHL players. Dave Dryden and Ken Dryden are his first cousins twice removed. Murdoch's parents were Jane Murray and Walter Murdoch (b 1875). Walter's half-sister Maggie Murdoch (1855-1926) married Andrew Dryden (1849-1922). Their great-grandsons are Dave and Ken Dryden.

Mark Messier and Paul Messier are related by marriage through Murdoch's wife, Marie Heinrich. Marie was the daughter of George Heinrich and Ina Dea (d 1936). Ina's brother John Dea (d 1943 in World War II) married Alice Dodd Stiles (1911-1999). John Dea was a grandfather of the Messier brothers.

Billy Dea is also related by marriage. Ina Dea and John Dea's brother Howard Dea is Billy Dea's father and also played professional hockey. Another one of Dea's siblings, Christine, married Murray Murdoch's uncle (his father Walter's brother), Lovell Steele Murdoch (1881-1963) - their children being Murray Murdoch's cousins. Don Murdoch and Bob Murdoch are grandsons of Lovell Steele Murdoch and Christine Dea Murdoch and first cousins once removed of Murray.^[2]

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