Dan Sallows

If you haven’t heard the name Ryan Murray, you soon will. The 16-year-old defenseman is quickly emerging as one of the best junior hockey players in the world. This season, the smooth-skating Murray played with the poise and savvy of a WHL veteran in his rookie campaign with the Everett Silvertips, putting up 27 points (5G,22A) in 52 games en route to winning the Tips Rookie Of The Year honours. He also had a remarkable plus-33 rating, which ranked 10th overall in the WHL and 2nd among first year players. In 2008-09, Murray scored 38 points, on 12 goals and 26 assists in 41 games with the Moose Jaw Jr. Warriors (SMAAAHL). The year before that he led his bantam squad to a Provincial Championship, and was Everett’s first round pick (9th overall) in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft. Now, on the heels of captaining Canada’s entry for the 2010 Ivan Hlinka tournament, Murray looks to lead his country to gold and erase the bitter taste of the 10th place finish by his Team West at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. All signs point to Canada being the team to beat, and a big reason for that is their backend, that starts with the young talented Silvertip. Because he is a late-born ‘93, he won’t be available until the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, and will most likely be a top-3 selection, as he could very easily be among the best in the 2011 draft class. I had a chance to catch up with the White City, SK. native, for a quick Q and A.

Who has been your biggest help in developing into the player you are today?

Ryan: My biggest help has come from my dad. He has taught me everything that I know, and always had a lot of interest in helping me get better.

You are a fantastic skater, that can contribute offensively, as well as being very dependable defensively also, and have drawn comparisions to a young Scott Niedermayer. What do you feel are your best attributes as a player?

Ryan: I would say my skating and puck-moving ability are my best attributes.

What was your ‘welcome moment’ to the WHL?

Ryan: Propably getting an assist in my first ever shift. It really boosted my confidence, and that made it an easier, quicker adjustment to the WHL.

You’ve put up a few goals over your career so far, with Everett , and before that with the Moose Jaw Jr. Warriors. Do you have one that stands out as your biggest?

Ryan: I think my biggest was against Spokane during our winning streak. We were down by one, and I scored with less than 2 minutes in regulation. We went on to win in a shootout and broke the team record for most wins in a row the next game.

What is the highlight of your young career so far?

Ryan: Winning provincials in bantam.

You represented Team West at the Under-17’s earlier this year, and you guys had a disappointing finish. Now, heading into the Ivan Hlinka, are you excited about the opportunity to erase that memory with a positive experience while wearing the Maple Leaf?

Ryan: I am very excited about another opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf, and hopefully we can get the results that we want.

You are also captaining this squad, how big of an honour is it for you to wear the “C”, and how do you hope to lead on and off the ice?

Ryan: It is a huge honour to be named captain and represent my country in that way. I’m looking to lead by example, and also make sure that everybody is ready to play.

You had a fight against a much bigger Jaroslav Vlach of the Prince George Cougars, and handled yourself well. Was that your first fight, and do your remember what started it, as you aren’t known for being a scrapper?

Ryan: Yeah, that was my first ever fight, and I remember him going to hit my d partner (Paul Sohor), and when I looked over he was hurt on the ice and so I thought I should do something about it.

A lot of guys like to talk trash on the ice, what is the funniest chirp you’ve heard while playing?

Ryan: When my friend Riley Nargang told an opponent, “Buddy, your almost as bad as I am.”

You are a late-born ‘93, so you won’t be available until the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Is that frustrating to you at all, knowing that you most likely would be a first round pick next year, but have to wait another year just because your bday falls a few days too late?

Ryan: I don’t see having the late birthday as a bad thing, since I will have an extra year to develop and get bigger and stronger.

As a rookie, did you have to endure any pranks last season, and if so what was the funniest/worst one?

Ryan: The worst prank was when Alex Theriau hid my bag after a game. Although I did get him back with a simple lace cutting.

You had an excellent playoffs with 7 points (2G,5A) in 7 games before going out to the Kelowna Rockets. All and all, how was your first taste of WHL playoff action?

Ryan: Playoff hockey was much more intense and a lot faster. I thought it was also a lot more fun since every game meant much more than a regular season game.

The Silvertips have a good mix of young, and veteran guys heading into the 2010-11 season. How do you think this team will do compared to last years squad?

Ryan: I think that we have the opportunity to be one of the top teams again, and hopefully we can have a better playoffs than last year.

What do you like to do in your downtime from hockey?

Ryan: During the summer I like to go out to the lake, and during the season it’s usually a little Xbox.

Do you have any hidden talents?

Ryan: Pretty good at NHL 10.

Do you have nickname?

Ryan: Nickname is usually Mursy or Murzza.

Favourite pump up song?

Ryan: “Burn it to the Ground” by Nickelback.

Related Posts

• Player Profile: Ryan Murray
• Q and A with Saint John Sea Dogs Super Rookie Ryan Tesink
• 2010 Ivan Hlinka Tournament: Canada Looks Golden After Semi-Final Win Over the Czech’s
• Q and A with Green Bay Gamblers Outstanding Netminder Ryan McKay
• 2010 Ivan Hlinka Tournament: Canada’s Comeback Kid’s Hand Sweden a Loss in Tournament Opener