Matt Murley

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| alt =

| name = Matt Murley

| image = Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena (26669986468).jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Murley with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2004

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|12|17|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Troy, New York, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb = 206

| position = Left wing

| shoots = Left

| played_for = Pittsburgh Penguins
Phoenix Coyotes
Amur Khabarovsk
HC Lugano
Rapperswil-Jona Lakers
Linköpings HC
Timrå IK
KHL Medveščak Zagreb
HC Slovan Bratislava
Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers
Oji Eagles
Daemyung Killer Whales

| draft = 51st overall

| draft_year = 1999

| draft_team = Pittsburgh Penguins

| career_start = 2002

| career_end = 2022

}}

Matt Murley (born December 17, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Phoenix Coyotes in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently a Sports betting expert for Barstool Sports' hockey podcast, Spittin' Chiclets and appears on the spin-off podcast Chiclets Game Notes with former teammate Colby Armstrong.

Playing career

As a youth, Murley played in the 1993 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York.{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=2019-02-09|archive-date=2019-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Before his professional career, Murley played college hockey for four seasons at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. He was drafted in the 2nd round (51st overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, although he did not choose to report to Pittsburgh until 2002. Murley played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) before being called up for the 2003–2004 season.

In 2006, Murley's contract with Pittsburgh terminated and Murley signed as a free-agent with the Colorado Avalanche. After playing a full season with Colorado's then AHL affiliate, Albany River Rats, Murley's one-year deal expired and on July 20, 2007, he signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. After splitting the season between Phoenix and their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, Murley signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. He was expected to be spending more time near his hometown of Troy as he was expected to join the then-Carolina AHL affiliate Albany River Rats for a second time. As expected, Carolina reassigned Murley to the AHL's Albany River Rats. However, instead of joining Albany, Murley informed the Hurricanes that he was signing with Khabarovsk Amur, of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia. Murley signed with Khabarovsk on October 9, 2009 and finished his season in the KHL.

On October 6, 2009, Murley signed with Langenthal of the Swiss National League B (NLB) in Switzerland.{{cite web | url = http://www.nationalleague.ch/NL/aktuell/de/20091006_news_1.php | title = Matt Murley to SC Langenthal Matt Murley zum SC Langenthal | author = | language = German | publisher = nationalleague.ch | date = October 6, 2009 | accessdate = June 21, 2011 | archive-date = December 15, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141215190943/http://www.nationalleague.ch/NL/aktuell/de/20091006_news_1.php | url-status = dead }} He has also played for Lugano of the Swiss National League A (NLA) and the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the NLA.

On September 1, 2010, Murley signed a two-month contract with the Swedish Elite League (SEL) club Linköpings HC. On October 19, 2010 the tryout contract was terminated. On November 25, 2010, Murley signed a two-month contract with Timrå IK. Murley finished the season with fifteen points in thirty-two games.

On January 20, 2011, Murley signed an extension with Timrå IK that would keep him on the team throughout the 2011-12 Elitserien season. Murley was extended because he was "a player that fits in all situations and because he fit in well with Timrå IK".{{cite web | url = http://www.timraik.se/index.php?article=727 | title = Murley klar för ytterligare 1½ säsong | author = Joachim Sandström | language = Swedish | publisher = timraik.se | date = January 20, 2011 | accessdate = June 21, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111005025123/http://www.timraik.se/index.php?article=727 | archive-date = October 5, 2011 | url-status = dead }}

On July 9, 2013, Murley signed as a free agent to a contract with the newest member of Kontinental Hockey League, KHL Medveščak Zagreb from Croatia.{{cite web|url=http://khlmedvescakzg.tumblr.com/post/54987897825/zagrebackim-medvjedima-se-pridruzili-napadaci-willsie-i |title=Willsie and Murley joined to Medvescak |publisher=KHL Medveščak Zagreb |date=2013-07-09 |accessdate=2013-07-09 |language=Croatian |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913185139/http://khlmedvescakzg.tumblr.com/post/54987897825/zagrebackim-medvjedima-se-pridruzili-napadaci-willsie-i |archivedate=2013-09-13 }} He joined fellow KHL team HC Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia for the 2014-15 season.

Murley headed to the German top-tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) for the 2015-16 season, agreeing to terms with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers.{{Cite web|title = Ice Tigers holen Matt Murley nach Nürnberg {{!}} Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers Nürnberg|url = http://www.icetigers.de/content/ice-tigers-holen-matt-murley-nach-n%C3%BCrnberg|website = www.icetigers.de|access-date = 2016-02-14|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160727023949/http://www.icetigers.de/content/ice-tigers-holen-matt-murley-nach-n%C3%BCrnberg|archive-date = 2016-07-27|url-status = dead}} He left Nürnberg in the summer of 2016 and signed with Japanese side Oji Eagles in July 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sillyseasonhockey.se/ovriga-nyheter/tidigare-shl-centern-klar-for-japansk-klubb/|title=Tidigare SHL-centern klar för japansk klubb – Sillyseasonhockey.se|website=www.sillyseasonhockey.se|access-date=2016-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722080439/http://www.sillyseasonhockey.se/ovriga-nyheter/tidigare-shl-centern-klar-for-japansk-klubb/|archive-date=2016-07-22|url-status=dead}} After one season with the Eagles, Murley continued in the Asian League, playing his last two professional seasons with South Korean Incheon-based team Daemyung Killer Whales.{{Cite web | url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2017/07/19/0200000000AEN20170719004100315.html |title = Ex-NHL forward Matt Murley signs with S. Korean club|date = 2017-07-19}}{{Cite web | url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170719000573 |title = Ex-NHL forward Matt Murley signs with Korean club|date = 2017-07-19}}

After being retired for 2 1/2 years, Murley returned to pro hockey finishing the 2021-22 season for Kovlands Ishockeyförening in the Swedish second division.

Career statistics

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
1996–97 \| Syracuse Jr. Crunch \| MetJHL \| 48	52	58	110	111 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1997–98 \| Syracuse Jr. Crunch \| MetJHL \| 49	56	70	126	203 \| —	—	—	—	—
1998–99 \| R.P.I. \| ECAC \| 36	17	32	49	32 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1999–00 \| R.P.I. \| ECAC \| 35	9	29	38	42 \| —	—	—	—	—
2000–01 \| R.P.I. \| ECAC \| 34	24	18	42	34 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2001–02 \| R.P.I. \| ECAC \| 32	24	22	46	26 \| —	—	—	—	—
2002–03 \| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins \| AHL \| 73	21	37	58	45 \| 6	0	2	2	15
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2003–04 \| Pittsburgh Penguins \| NHL \| 18	1	1	2	14 \| —	—	—	—	—
2003–04 \| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins \| AHL \| 63	10	26	36	69 \| 24	7	6	13	17
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2004–05 \| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins \| AHL \| 80	17	24	41	55 \| 11	3	0	3	0
2005–06 \| Pittsburgh Penguins \| NHL \| 41	1	5	6	24 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2006–07 \| Albany River Rats \| AHL \| 61	23	32	55	18 \| 5	1	5	6	8
2007–08 \| San Antonio Rampage \| AHL \| 76	21	41	62	43 \| 7	2	2	4	0
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2007–08 \| Phoenix Coyotes \| NHL \| 3	0	1	1	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
2008–09 \| Amur Khabarovsk \| KHL \| 33	4	4	8	28 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2009–10 \| SC Langenthal \| NLB \| 22	8	15	23	18 \| —	—	—	—	—
2009–10 \| HC Lugano \| NLA \| 3	1	1	2	4 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2009–10 \| Rapperswil-Jona Lakers \| NLA \| 11	6	6	12	8 \| —	—	—	—	—
2010–11 \| Linköpings HC \| SEL \| 12	3	5	8	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2010–11 \| Timrå IK \| SEL \| 32	9	6	15	36 \| —	—	—	—	—
2011–12 \| Timrå IK \| SEL \| 55	15	16	31	16 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2012–13 \| Timrå IK \| SEL \| 13	5	8	13	22 \| —	—	—	—	—
2013–14 \| KHL Medveščak Zagreb \| KHL \| 52	16	20	36	6 \| 3	1	1	2	2
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2014–15 \| HC Slovan Bratislava \| KHL \| 46	11	13	24	75 \| —	—	—	—	—
2015–16 \| Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers \| DEL \| 51	9	16	25	26 \| 12	2	1	3	8
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2016–17 \| Oji Eagles \| AL \| 48	19	44	63	30 \| 2	1	1	2	0
2017–18 \| Daemyung Killer Whales \| AL \| 28	13	24	37	16 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2018–19 \| Daemyung Killer Whales \| AL \| 31	7	7	14	16 \| 3	0	2	2	0
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 62 !! 2 !! 7 !! 9 !! 38 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! —

Awards and honors

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | College

All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team

| 1998–99

All-ECAC Hockey First Team

| 2001–02

AHCA East Second-Team All-American

| 2001–02

ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team

| 2002

| {{cite news|title=All-Tournament Honors|url=http://www.ecachockey.com/men/tournament/Men-s_All-Tournament_Teams.pdf|publisher=ECAC Hockey|accessdate=2014-05-12}}

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | AHL

All-Star Game

| 2004

| {{cite web| url = https://theahl.com/stats/game-center/1005937 | title = Canadian AHL All-Stars 9, PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars 5 | publisher = American Hockey League | date = February 9, 2004 | accessdate = January 22, 2020}}