Breaking The ice

After being on the television side of hockey as a studio analyst for the Detroit Red Wings on Fox Sports Detroit and a player himself, Larry Murphy is looking forward to the coaching experience and the opportunity that is in front of him with 3ICE. 

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“I look forward to working with a bunch of guys that are very highly motivated, which was quite apparent at training camp,” Murphy said. “These guys, they’re determined. So, I’m excited to be a part of that and to get swept up in that wave.” 

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Early in his own hockey career, Murphy was no stranger to success when he was with the Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins as he was the only player to win four Stanley Cups in the 1990s with back-to-back wins with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992 and the same with Detroit in 1997 and 1998. So when it came time to pick his 3ICE team, he looked for players who stood out on the ice with good puck control skills and ultimately picked a group that would lead Team Murphy to success. 

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“I wanted highly skilled guys that manage the puck quite well and at that same point, players that defensively would be responsible,” Murphy said. “They wouldn’t play a high-risk game, wouldn’t take chances, but would know when there was a good scoring opportunity and also know when it’s time to lay back.” 

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Murphy had those important aspects of the game in the back of his mind when putting together his team and he plans to stress that importance to his players right from the start in the first game of the season on June 18^th in Las Vegas. While he’s looking forward to coaching in Vegas given it’s the highly anticipated opening weekend, he has a special tie to another stop on the 3ICE tour which he is really looking forward to being behind the bench for. 

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“In terms of location, I’m looking forward to Grand Rapids just for the proximity to Detroit,” Murphy said. “I know the city well and my wife went to Grand Valley State so it’s a connection to that area which makes it stand out of all the games.”