John Murray Murdoch (May 19, 1904 – May 17, 2001) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League from 1926 to 1937, never missing a game in his career. With the Rangers Murdoch won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1928 and in 1933. After his playing career, he coached Yale University from 1938 to 1965.
Murdoch was born in Lucknow, Ontario and raised in Edgerton, Alberta. His parents were Walter Dryden Murdoch (b. 1875) and Jennie Bell "Jane" Murray (b. 1878). He received a Bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Manitoba where he played hockey for the Manitoba Bisons from 1921 to 1924. The Bisons won four consecutive Turnbull Cup Provincial Junior Championships, and in 1923, with Murdoch as captain, also won the Abbott Cup (Western Canada), Memorial Cup and Allan Cup for amateur hockey national titles, and were inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum as a team in 2004.
He played left wing for the New York Rangers in 508 games with 84 goals and 108 assists from the Rangers' first season in the 1926–27 NHL season until the 1936–37 NHL season. From 1938 to 1965, he was the sixth head coach of Yale University hockey team. In 1974, he was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for his contribution to hockey in the United States.
He was the last living player from the inaugural Rangers team in 1925.[1]
John Murray Murdoch has several relationships with NHL players:
Dave Dryden and Ken Dryden are his first cousins twice removed. J. Murray Murdoch's parents were Jane Murray and Walter Murdoch (b 1875). Walter's half sister Maggie Murdoch (1855-1926) married Andrew Dryden (1849-1922). Their great-grandsons are Dave and Ken Dryden.
Mark Messier and Paul Messier are related by marriage through Murray Murdoch's wife, Marie Heinrich. Marie was the daughter of George Heinrich and Ina Dea (d 1936). Ina's brother John Dea (d 1943 in World War II) married Alice Dodd Stiles (1911-1999). John Dea was a grandfather of the Messier brothers.
Billy Dea is also related by marriage. Ina Dea and John Dea's brother Howard Dea is Billy Dea's father and also played professional hockey. Another one of Dea's siblings, Christine, married Murray Murdoch's uncle (his father, Walter's brother), Lovell Steele Murdoch (1881-1963) - their children being Murray Murdoch's cousins. Former Ranger Don Murdoch and former California Golden Seal, Cleveland Baron, and St Louis Blue Bob Murdoch are grandsons of Lovell Steele Murdoch and Christine Dea Murdoch and first cousins once removed of Murray. [2]
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