Garth Murray

Garth Murray (born September 17, 1982 in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian ice hockey forward most recently for the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League (AHL). He is currently a free agent. He has played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens before signing a one-year contract with the Calgary Flames in 2009.
==Playing career==
Before being drafted, Murray played hockey in the Western Hockey League, for the Regina Pats. He was never known as a scorer (peaking at 33 goals, 63 points), but made a name for himself for his hard work and willingness to stand up for his teammates, demonstrated by three 150 PIM-exceeding seasons. The New York Rangers took a chance on him, drafting him in the 3rd round, 79th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
He was a part of team Canada's silver medal team at the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships.
He played for the New York Rangers' AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, and was briefly called up for a 20-game stint, where he scored one goal and recorded 24 PIMs. At the start of the 2005–2006 season, he was traded by the Rangers to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for left wing Marcel Hossa.
He began the 2005–2006 regular season playing in the AHL for the Hamilton Bulldogs. He played 26 games, scoring a total of one goal and one assist while racking up 46 PIMs. His perseverance eventually convinced Habs GM Bob Gainey to call Murray up to fill in for injuries, and he would stay there for the rest of the season. He scored only five goals and six points in his 36 games as a Hab, along with 44 PIMs, but impressed the team and fans by his tireless work ethic and tough-as-nails style of play. Many fans believe his success caused Niklas Sundström to be removed from the Canadiens' future plans, taking his spot on the fourth line alongside Steve Bégin and Radek Bonk. Murray began the 2006–2007 season on the Canadiens' starting line-up but eventually lost his spot to the likes of Maxim Lapierre. On November 12, 2007, Murray was placed on waivers by the Canadiens and was claimed by the Florida Panthers. On July 18, 2008, Murray was signed to a one-year contract by the Phoenix Coyotes.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		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
1997-98 	Regina Pats 	WHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	2 		2 	0 	0 	0 	0
1998–99 	Regina Pats 	WHL 		60 	3 	5 	8 	101 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–2000 	Regina Pats 	WHL 		68 	14 	26 	40 	155 		7 	1 	1 	2 	7
2000–01 	Regina Pats 	WHL 		72 	28 	16 	44 	183 		6 	1 	1 	2 	10
2001–02 	Hartford Wolf Pack 	AHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	0 		9 	1 	3 	4 	6
2001–02 	Regina Pats 	WHL 		62 	33 	30 	63 	154 		6 	2 	3 	5 	9
2002–03 	Hartford Wolf Pack 	AHL 		64 	10 	14 	24 	121 		2 	0 	0 	0 	6
2003–04 	Hartford Wolf Pack 	AHL 		63 	11 	11 	22 	159 		16 	0 	4 	4 	29
2003–04 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		20 	1 	0 	1 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Hartford Wolf Pack 	AHL 		55 	4 	5 	9 	182 		5 	1 	0 	1 	8
2005–06 	Hamilton Bulldogs 	AHL 		26 	1 	1 	2 	46 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		36 	5 	1 	6 	44 		6 	0 	0 	0 	0
2006–07 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		43 	2 	1 	3 	32 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Florida Panthers 	NHL 		6 	0 	0 	0 	19 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	San Antonio Rampage 	AHL 		64 	11 	10 	21 	146 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 		10 	0 	0 	0 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Abbotsford Heat 	AHL 		80 	9 	22 	31 	169 		13 	1 	2 	3 	34
2010–11 	Victoria Salmon Kings	ECHL 		8 	2 	1 	3 	23 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Manitoba Moose 	AHL 		55 	6 	5 	11 	90 		13 	0 	1 	1 	42
NHL totals 	NHL totals 	NHL totals 		116 	8 	2 	10 	131 		6 	0 	0 	0 	0
AHL totals 	AHL totals 	AHL totals 		411 	52 	68 	120 	913 		58 	3 	10 	13 	125
ECHL totals	ECHL totals 	ECHL totals		8 	2 	1 	3 	23 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Transactions==
*Traded to Montreal by New York Rangers for Marcel Hossa, September 30, 2005.
*Claimed off waivers by Florida from Montreal, November 13, 2007.
*Signed as a free agent by Phoenix, July 18, 2008.
*Signed as a free agent by Calgary, July 1, 2009
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1982
Category:Abbotsford Heat players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:New York Rangers draft picks
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Regina Pats alumni
Category:St. John's IceCaps players