Don Murdoch

Don Murdoch (born October 25, 1956 in Cranbrook, British Columbia) is a retired former professional player who recorded one of the most impressive rookie seasons in NHL history. After a standout junior career with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Murdoch made the New York Rangers as a 20-year-old and immediately set the league on fire, scoring 56 points in 59 games his rookie season. A torn Achilles tendon ended his season in February, with some observers thinking he could have broken the rookie scoring record had he not been injured. 
In the offseason in 1977 after his first season, Murdoch was caught by customs agents in Toronto with 4.5 grams of cocaine stashed in his socks. He was suspended by the league and later admitted to having a drinking and drug problem. He played 320 career games in the NHL but never regained the form of his first season, and retired after stops with the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings. Murdoch had a reputation as a partier since his rookie year, and was once even romantically linked with Margaret Trudeau.
After his playing career, Murdoch worked as a scout for the Tampa Bay Lightning, under general manager Phil Esposito.
== 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
1974–75 	Medicine Hat Tigers 	WCHL 	 	70 	82 	59 	141 	83 	 	5 	1 	5 	6 	15
1975–76 	Medicine Hat Tigers 	WCHL 	 	70 	88 	77 	165 	202 	 	7 	4 	3 	7 	23
1976–77 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	59 	32 	24 	56 	47 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1977–78 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	66 	27 	28 	55 	41 	 	3 	1 	3 	4 	4
1978–79 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	40 	15 	21 	36 	6 	 	18 	7 	5 	12 	12
1979–80 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	56 	23 	19 	42 	16 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1979–80 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	10 	5 	2 	7 	4 	 	3 	2 	0 	2 	0
1980–81 	Wichita Wind 	CHL 	 	22 	15 	10 	25 	48 	 	18 	17 	7 	24 	24
1980–81 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	40 	10 	9 	19 	18 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1981–82 	Adirondack Red Wings 	AHL 	 	24 	11 	13 	24 	24 	 	4 	5 	0 	5 	14
1981–82 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	49 	9 	13 	22 	23 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1982–83 	Adirondack Red Wings 	AHL 	 	35 	10 	12 	22 	19 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983–84 	Montana Magic 	CHL 	 	17 	10 	10 	20 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983–84 	Adirondack Red Wings 	AHL 	 	59 	26 	20 	46 	19 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1984–85 	Muskegon Lumberjacks 	IHL 	 	32 	18 	13 	31 	4 	 	16 	6 	3 	9 	26
1985–86 	Muskegon Lumberjacks 	IHL 	 	12 	4 	4 	8 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1985–86 	Indianapolis Checkers	IHL 	 	11 	4 	3 	7 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1985–86 	Toledo Goaldiggers 	IHL 	 	37 	15 	23 	38 	8 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	320 	121 	116 	237 	155 	 	24 	10 	8 	18 	16
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1956
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:Medicine Hat Tigers alumni
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New York Rangers draft picks
Category:New York Rangers players