Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed defenseman Ryan Murray to a one-year contract for the 2021-22 season.
27-year-old Murray spent the 2020/21 season with the New Jersey Devils, where he scored 14 points (0g / 14a) in 48 competitions. As the former first-round selection (second overall) of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2012, Murray spent seven of his eight NHL campaigns with Columbus and is ranked among the Blue Jackets defenders (95). His plus / minus rating (+13) is the fourth of all times among the Columbus rearguards, and he is fifth in blocked shots (593).
“Ryan is an effective two-way defender who can add minutes and extra puck movement to our line of defense,” said Avalanche executive vice president / general manager Joe Sakic. “We like the experience he brings to our dressing room and we’re happy that he fits into our group.”
In total, Murray has accumulated 124 points (15g / 109a) in 395 NHL regular season games and three points (1g / 2a) in a total of 20 Stanley Cup playoffs. He appeared in nine postseason games in 2019-20, which were high in his career.
The 6-foot-1, 206-pound defender had career highs in points (29), assists (28) and plus / minus (+20) in 2018-19, and played in the best 82 games of his career in years 2015-16 season.
Before turning pro, Murray ran 191 Western Hockey League games with Everett Silvertips, scoring 121 points (22g / 99a) and a rating of +51 from 2009 to 2012, and a place on the second All-Star team the WHL (West) earned 2010-11 and 2011-12. He served as team captain for his last two seasons and led all Everett defenders in goals (9), assists (22) and points (31) during the 2011-12 season.
The native Regina, Saskatchewan, helped Canada to gold at the IIHF World Championship 2016 with five points (0g / 5a) and a rating of +6 in 10 competitions. He was part of Canada’s bronze medal winning team at the 2012 IIHF Junior World Championship, where he scored three points (0g / 3a) and a rating of +6 in six competitions and also represented his country at the World Championship that year as the second youngest player, the ever represented Hockey Canada at the IIHF World Championship (Paul Kariya in 1993). Murray led Team Canada at the IIHF-U18 World Championship 2011 and finished second for the team in points (10). At the World Cup of Hockey 2016 he played three games for the North America team.
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