# Terry Murray

Terry Rodney Murray (born July 20, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings.

## Playing career

Murray was born in Shawville, Quebec. A defenceman in his playing days, Murray was drafted by the California Golden Seals in the 1970 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, and Washington Capitals.

## Coaching career

Following his final season as an active player in 1981–82, he became an assistant coach for his brother Bryan Murray, then the Capitals' head coach, establishing the NHL's first brother coaching combination.
Murray later served as head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Baltimore Skipjacks. He was promoted to the Capitals head coach position in the middle of the 1989–90 NHL season, replacing his brother Bryan. Under T. Murray's guidance, the Capitals advanced further into the NHL playoffs than ever before, winning two rounds before being swept by Boston in the conference finals. Murray coached the Capitals until the middle of the 1993–94 NHL season when he was replaced by Jim Schoenfeld.
After a brief coaching stint as head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones in the IHL, Murray became head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, where he put together the "Legion of Doom" line consisting of Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Mikael Renberg. In three seasons as head coach of the Flyers (1994–95 through 1996–97), Murray compiled a 118–64–30 record and coached the team to two Atlantic Division Championships (1994–95 and 1995–96) and to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals as the Eastern Conference Champion. After beating three teams easily with 4-1 series wins, the Flyers were swept by the Detroit Red Wings in four games. Despite this accomplishment, Murray was fired after the end of the 1997 playoffs. One website had described Terry's shuffling of goaltenders Ron Hextall and Garth Snow to be unprofessional, while others felt it was a possible panic move, and even Snow was caught by surprise at the move after the Game 1 loss to have him in for Hextall.
When the Flyers lost 6-1 in Game 3, he described the result as a choking situation during a closed-door meeting with his players, which angered them since it "exposed and pulverized" the "fragility of the team's confidence". Murray served as a pro scout for the Flyers during the 1997–98 season, which saw Wayne Cashman named as coach, who was meant to be a more communicative coach.
During the 1998–99 season, Murray assumed the Panthers' head coaching position from his brother, Bryan, the interim Panthers' coach, after Doug MacLean was fired. In 1999–2000, Murray led the Panthers to a franchise record 98-point season, team-record 43 victories, and into the first round of the playoffs. He was replaced by Duane Sutter at the Panthers' helm in the fall of 2000.
Murray served as a pro scout for the Philadelphia Flyers over parts of three seasons (2000–01 to 2002–03) and joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach from 2003 to 2008.
He served as coach of the Los Angeles Kings from July 17, 2008, until December 12, 2011. At the time of his dismissal, he ranked third in franchise wins (139), fourth in games coached (275), and first in winning percentage (.560). Assistant coach John Stevens was named interim head coach. When the Kings won the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals under then-head coach Darryl Sutter, they requested the NHL to have Murray's name included on the cup but were denied by the NHL.
Murray then served as head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League. At the time, Murray was the only coach in the AHL who had coached in the league in the 1980s. He was later named as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres on June 18, 2015. He returned to the Phantoms as an assistant coach in December 2018.

## Personal life

Terry and his wife, Linda, reside in Scarborough, Maine. They have two daughters, Meaghan and Lindsey.
Murray, one of ten children of Clarence and Rhoda Murray, was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley town of Shawville, Quebec, near Ottawa.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1965–66 | Pembroke Lumber Kings | CJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1967–68 | Ottawa 67's | OHA | 52 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Ottawa 67's | OHA | 50 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 39 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1969–70 | Ottawa 67's | OHA | 50 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 43 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1970–71 | Providence Reds | AHL | 57 | 1 | 22 | 23 | 47 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 1971–72 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 30 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Boston Braves | AHL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Oklahoma City Blazers | CHL | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1972–73 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 23 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1972–73 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | WHL | 39 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 30 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 1973–74 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 58 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 62 | 5 | 30 | 35 | 122 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 30 |
| 1975–76 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975–76 | Richmond Robins | AHL | 67 | 8 | 48 | 56 | 95 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| 1976–77 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 36 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976–77 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 23 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | Philadelphia Firebirds | AHL | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 68 | 9 | 40 | 49 | 53 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 28 |
| 1978–79 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 55 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 1979–80 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 68 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 1980–81 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 71 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 53 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 1980–81 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 74 | 3 | 22 | 25 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — |
| AHL totals | AHL totals | AHL totals | 363 | 37 | 159 | 196 | 261 | 50 | 5 | 19 | 24 | 51 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 302 | 4 | 76 | 80 | 199 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 |

## NHL coaching record

| Team | Year | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Post season | Post season | Post season | Post season |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Pct. | Result |
| WSH | 1989–90 | 34 | 18 | 14 | 2 | – | (78) | 3rd in Patrick | 8 | 7 | .533 | Lost in Conference finals (BOS) |
| WSH | 1990–91 | 80 | 37 | 36 | 7 | – | 81 | 3rd in Patrick | 5 | 6 | .455 | Lost in Division finals (PIT) |
| WSH | 1991–92 | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | – | 98 | 2nd in Patrick | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in Division semifinals (PIT) |
| WSH | 1992–93 | 84 | 43 | 34 | 7 | – | 93 | 2nd in Patrick | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Division semifinals (NYI) |
| WSH | 1993–94 | 47 | 20 | 23 | 4 | – | (88) | Fired | – | – | – | – |
| WSH Total | WSH Total | 325 | 163 | 134 | 28 | – | | | 18 | 21 | .462 | 4 playoff appearances |
| PHI | 1994–95 | 48 | 28 | 16 | 4 | – | 60 | 1st in Atlantic | 10 | 5 | .667 | Lost in Conference finals (NJD) |
| PHI | 1995–96 | 82 | 45 | 24 | 13 | – | 103 | 1st in Atlantic | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost in Conference semifinals (FLA) |
| PHI | 1996–97 | 82 | 45 | 24 | 13 | – | 103 | 2nd in Atlantic | 12 | 7 | .632 | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (DET) |
| PHI Total | PHI Total | 212 | 118 | 64 | 20 | – | | | 28 | 18 | .609 | 3 playoff appearances |
| FLA | 1998–99 | 82 | 30 | 34 | 18 | – | 78 | 2nd in Southeast | – | – | – | Missed playoffs |
| FLA | 1999–00 | 82 | 43 | 27 | 6 | 6 | 98 | 2nd in Southeast | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost in Conference quarterfinals (NJD) |
| FLA | 2000–01 | 36 | 6 | 18 | 7 | 5 | (66) | Fired | – | – | – | – |
| FLA Total | FLA Total | 200 | 79 | 79 | 31 | 11 | | | 0 | 4 | .000 | 1 playoff appearance |
| LAK | 2008–09 | 82 | 34 | 37 | – | 11 | 79 | 5th in Pacific | – | – | – | Missed playoffs |
| LAK | 2009–10 | 82 | 46 | 27 | – | 9 | 101 | 3rd in Pacific | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Conference quarterfinals (VAN) |
| LAK | 2010–11 | 82 | 46 | 30 | – | 6 | 98 | 4th in Pacific | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Conference quarterfinals (SJS) |
| LAK | 2011–12 | 29 | 13 | 12 | – | 4 | (95) | Fired | – | – | – | – |
| LAK Total | LAK Total | 275 | 139 | 106 | – | 30 | | | 4 | 8 | .333 | 2 playoff appearances |
| Total | Total | 1012 | 499 | 383 | 89 | 41 | | | 50 | 51 | .495 | 10 playoff appearances |