Garth Murray

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Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
Nickname(s)	Horse
Height Weight	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 225 lb (102 kg/16 st 1 lb)
NHL Team F. teams	Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers
Nationality	Canada
Born	May 29, 1981 (1981-05-29) (age 27), Regina, SK, CAN
NHL Draft	79th overall, 2001 New York Rangers
Pro career	2004 – present

Garth Murray (born September 17, 1982 in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian ice hockey forward who currently plays in the National Hockey League for the Florida Panthers. Previously, he played for the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens before being picked up on waivers in November 2007.

[edit] Playing career

Before being drafted, Murray played hockey in the WHL, for the Regina Pats. He was never known as a scorer (peaking at 33 goals, 63 points), but made a name for himself for his hard work and willingness to stand up for his teammates, demonstrated by three 150 PIM-exceeding seasons. The New York Rangers took a chance on him, drafting him in the 3rd round, 79th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

He was a part of team Canada's silver medal team at the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships.

He played for the New York Rangers' AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, and was briefly called up for a 20-game stint, where he scored one goal and recorded 24 PIMs. At the start of the 2005–2006 season, he was traded by the Rangers to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for left wing Marcel Hossa.

He began the 2005–2006 regular season playing in the AHL for the Hamilton Bulldogs. He played 26 games, scoring a total of one goal and one assist while racking up 46 PIMs. His perseverance eventually convinced Habs GM Bob Gainey to call Murray up to fill in for injuries, and he would stay there for the rest of the season. He scored only five goals and six points in his 36 games as a Hab, along with 44 PIMs, but impressed the team and fans by his tireless work ethic and tough-as-nails style of play. Many fans believe his success caused Niklas Sundstrom to be removed from the Canadiens' future plans, taking his spot on the fourth line alongide Steve Begin and Radek Bonk. Murray began the 2006–2007 season on the Canadiens' starting line-up but eventually lost his spot to the likes of Maxim Lapierre. On November 12, 2007, Murray was placed on waivers by the Canadiens and was claimed by the Florida Panthers.