Following the Carolina Hurricanes' 3-2 victory over the defending champion Boston Bruins on Wednesday night, the Twitterverse received a message about the immediate future of defenseman Ryan Murphy directly from the rookie himself :
"Had a great run, learned lots. Time to return to one of my favorite cities. #greatride"
With the flurry of activity online that took place from various sources to confirm Murphy's assignment to his junior club, the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Hurricanes officially released a statement to confirm the move on Thursday morning.
A learning experience
During his time in Raleigh, Murphy earned one assist in four exhibition games for Carolina, but had been a healthy scratch for the Hurricanes’ four regular-season contests.
The team's top draft pick in 2011 made quite an impression at all levels of the organization from the day he stepped onto the ice at Prospect camp, to his play at the Traverse City tournament, and to his full participation in training camp and the preseason.
The opportunities were afforded to him to show that he could learn, adjust and play up to the NHL level.
From the first day of camp, just after signing an entry-level contract with the Hurricanes, Murphy was composed and considerate of the opportunity he had and keeping his eventual target in mind.
"My main goal is to make to the NHL one day and that is just the first step, so I am looking forward to it," Murphy said.
As training camp was winding down, Murphy indicated that he had learned a lot and was patient to see how his future with the team would play out.
"It's been a whole new world up here. At first I was a little uncomfortable in the dressing room. I didn't know what to say or what to do, but the guys have welcomed me with open arms and everyone's been great so far. I am just going to take it day by day and see what happens,"
Pushing the veterans
The energy, skills, and work ethic exhibited by Murphy along with fellow rookie blueliner Justin Faulk, earned them both the opportunity to make it through training camp.
The youngsters' inclusion onto the team's roster as the team's season-opening date against Tampa Bay arrived created a situation for the coaching staff to push the veteran defensemen to perform.
Throughout training camp, veterans Tim Gleason, Joni Pitkanen, Tomas Kaberle, Jay Harrison, Bryan Allen, Jamie McBain, and Derek Joslin had to quickly learn the nuances of a new system that assistant coach Dave Lewis was teaching them while making the rookies feel comfortable in the locker room, but also knowing that they could lose a spot to one of them.
The reality of life in the NHL
Throughout his stay in Raleigh, Murphy worked hard to show that he possessed the ability to become an NHL defenseman.
When asked about moving Murphy to Kitchener and his performance with the team during his stay, coach Paul Maurice stated, "he (now) knows the major difference between exhibition games and the NHL."
Maurice alluded to the fact of what Murphy brought and will bring to the team in the future.
"We wanted to watch his work ethic too," Maurice said. "We've talked about his skill, but he worked his butt off in the skates after and that's really important for a young skilled guy to be willing to work hard. He's going to be a really good player here for a long time."
Unfortunately, the Hurricanes' slow start in the regular season, currently sitting with a 1-2-1 record, didn't afford the team the opportunity to place Murphy into a game situation by keeping nine defensemen on the roster.
In addition, with an experienced defensive corps that the team has made considerable financial investment in, the 'numbers game' created the situation to move Murphy back to Kitchener.
No NHL player, rookie or not, develops by sitting upstairs as a 'healthy scratch' each night, so getting playing time is important for the young defenseman at this time.
Positive outlook ahead
The reaction to the news of Murphy's return to the Rangers organization was obviously a positive and exciting one.
According to a report from the Waterloo Record, Rangers head coach and general manager Steve Spott is excited to get Murphy inserted into the lineup.
Murphy's arrival will not only provide the young defenseman with regular playing time to further develop his skills but will also boost the club's chances to be successful throughout the season.
“He’s excited to get back and help out team,” said Spott. “He wants to play. They gave Ryan an opportunity to see what life is like in the NHL and I think he’ll come back a better player and professional for that.”
Time to step up
For Murphy, a taste of the NHL life should provide him with the incentive to step up and really be a leader in the OHL this season.
To really show that he deserves a spot on the Hurricanes roster in the future, now is the time for him to separate himself from everyone else and help his team to be successful.
As various Carolina Hurricanes representives have indicated over the last few months, it's not a matter of 'if' Ryan Murphy will become a full-time NHL defenseman with the club, but a matter of 'when'.
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