Chicago Blackhawks announcer Troy Murray has died. He was 63 years old.
The Chicago Blackhawks announced Saturday that Murray, known universally within the organization as “Muzz,” passed away after a years-long battle with cancer.
He had publicly shared his diagnosis in 2021 and continued working throughout his illness, showing up night after night with the same professionalism and dedication that defined his career.
The organization described his passing as a loss felt across the entire Blackhawks community.
“The Chicago Blackhawks are deeply heartbroken today as we mourn the loss of Troy Murray,” said Blackhawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz in a statement. “Troy was the epitome of a Blackhawk, so far beyond his incredible playing career with a presence felt in every corner of our organization over the last 45 years.”
Who Was Troy Murray?
Troy Murray was born in Calgary, Alberta on July 31, 1962. He played his college hockey at the University of North Dakota, where he won WCHA Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman before helping the team win the NCAA championship during his sophomore year.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected him in the third round of the 1980 NHL Draft, 57th overall, and he quickly became one of the most respected players in the league.
Over parts of 12 seasons in Chicago, Murray amassed 488 points, 197 goals and 291 assists in 688 regular-season games.
He was the kind of player that coaches build winning teams around. He was responsible defensively, consistent offensively, and a leader in the locker room.
In the 1985-86 season, Murray won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL‘s top defensive forward, becoming the first player in Blackhawks history to win the award.
It remains one of the most significant individual achievements in the franchise’s history.
After his time in Chicago, Murray served as captain of the Winnipeg Jets. He also played for the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Colorado Avalanche, where he won the Stanley Cup in 1996.
He finished his NHL career with 584 points, 230 goals and 354 assists in 915 regular-season games over 15 seasons.
Troy Murray’s Broadcasting Years
After retiring as a player, Murray made a transition that not everyone pulls off. He became as beloved in the broadcast booth as he had been on the ice.
For more than two decades, he served as the Chicago Blackhawks’ radio color analyst alongside WGN Radio play-by-play man John Wiedeman.
The two earned top honors from the Illinois Broadcasters Association as the best sports play-by-play team in the state.
Murray understood the game at a level that most people don’t, and he could explain it to fans without making them feel like they were being lectured.
His voice became part of the fabric of Blackhawks hockey for an entire generation of Chicago fans, the sound of the team on the radio on a winter night.
Danny Wirtz said about Murray, “He absolutely loved bringing Blackhawks hockey to you, our fans, night after night with a dedication to his craft that never wavered to the very end.”
Troy Murray’s Legacy Off The Ice
Murray’s connection to the Blackhawks went deeper than games played and games broadcast.
After his playing career ended, he took on an active leadership role as President of the Chicago Blackhawks Alumni Association.
There he worked to support former players in their post-career lives and giving back to the community through a yearly scholarship program for high school hockey players in Illinois.
He was doing it because he genuinely cared about the people he had played alongside and the city that had embraced him for four decades.
When Murray publicly shared his cancer diagnosis in 2021, he did so with the same candor and resilience that had defined his entire career.
He kept working. He kept showing up. He kept making people laugh in the press box when they needed it most, which is exactly how Wirtz remembered him.
“He never missed a chance to say ‘hello’ in our press box and always knew the perfect time for a joke just when someone around the office needed it most.”
Troy Murray did not have any give up in him. Rest in peace, legend.
