Breaking The ice

Larry Murphy and Team Murphy’s Michigan Roots 

Detroit holds a special place in Larry Murphy’s heart and is quite memorable when it comes to his hockey career. The former NHL defenseman ended his career as a member of the Detroit Red Wings and from there went on to join Fox Sports Detroit as a game and studio analyst. 

“Seeing Detroit win the Stanley Cup of course is definitely a favorite memory for me,” Murphy said. “I was fortunate enough in my first two years to win the Cup. So, without a doubt, hockey-wise, winning the cup is what it's all about.” 

On top of his own ties to Detroit, Murphy acknowledged other Michigan connections up and down Team Murphy’s Week 3 roster. Colton Hargrove and Griffen Molino both played at Western Michigan University, Chris Mueller wore the “A” at Michigan State University, and Michigan native Mark Auk played at Michigan Tech. 

“It feels like it's going to be a home game for sure,” Murphy said. “Grand Rapids is like two and a half hours from my house, so I've been there on different occasions, so I'm excited about it. With the players on the team, we have some connection with Michigan so that’ll be special.” 

When it comes to coaching, Murphy has had a great experience thus far. Even though it’s been stressful at times for the head coach, it’s extremely rewarding when his team finds success. Ultimately, he wants Team Murphy to hoist the Patty Cup at the end of the season, but his focus is on getting into the playoffs first. 

“Just like, as a player, you always push to be a better player and as a coach, I look at the same way,” Murphy said. “I just try to do whatever I can to give our team the best chance possible. The process has been very exciting, and we still got a long way to go, and I just hope we're there at the end, that's kind of my goal.” 

Heading into the third week of 3ICE, Murphy is looking forward to seeing his team improve their on-ice skills from last weekend in Denver. In any season and in any league, a team needs to be better at the end of the season than they were at the beginning which is what Murphy is aiming to accomplish with his team. 

“I just look forward to seeing us get better and chemistry improving as these guys get used to playing on the same team with each other,” Murphy said. “So, I look forward to the development of our team. The goal is to be better next week than we were the week before.”