Curtis Murphy inducted into UND Hockey Hall of Fame

People in Kerrobert and surrounding districts were pleased to hear that Curtis Murphy was inducted into the University of North Dakota (UND) Sports Hall of Fame. Curtis resides in Houston but was born and raised in Kerrobert, the youngest of six children - five boys and a girl. His hockey career started on frozen dugouts, skating with family, whose life revolved around hockey in the winter months.

Curtis played youth hockey in Kerrobert until Bantam age when he played a season with the Unity Lakers Bantam AA team. From there, he joined the Saskatoon Contacts and after his last year, went on to join the Hawks in Nipawin for a year.

From there, he settled on the University of North Dakota and the Fighting Sioux, where he played for four years. Murphy was a two-time All-American selection that anchored a blue line at North Dakota from 1994-98, helping usher in a new era of winning for the hockey program.

He helped the Fighting Sioux win their first NCAA championship in over a decade in 1997, earning NCAA All-Tournament Team honours in the process.

After capturing the national title, he was named a Hobey Baker Finalist and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Player of the Year in 1998. The latter was the first for the program since 1987. He ranks second all-time at UND in goals by a defenseman with 32, seventh for points by a defenseman with 118, and his 86 assists are ninth at UND among blueliners.

As a team, Murphy helped the Sioux snap a seven-year postseason drought in 1997, culminating in the program’s sixth national title. The team went on to reach the NCAA Tournament again in 1998 as a senior and has since missed the postseason only three times. He won two of three straight MacNaughton Cups in his final two seasons.

After university, he started his pro career in Orlando with the Solar Bears of the IHL. Then he was off to the AHL after signing with the Minnesota Wild organization, where he won a Calder Cup in 2002 with Houston. A brief stint followed with Nashville’s organization, a year in Milwaukee and another Calder Cup in 2003. He also went on to earn a Spengler Cup with Team Canada.

Before returning to the Houston Aeros, and getting a call to the Minnesota Wild for one game in 2002-03, Curtis made the trek to Russia. There he played with the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.

His decision to jump to Europe, along with his wife Kelli and family, was not an easy one. His new career started in Langnau, Switzerland, where he spent four years exploring Europe and Switzerland.

His next travels took Curtis and his family to the city of Linz, Austria, where he joined the EBEL league. He helped them win the EBEL championship in the first of his four years spent in Linz.

It was only three years ago that Murphy was inducted into the SJHL Hall of Fame. Now his most recent honour is due to his contributions to UND’s hockey program. Congratulations, Curtis!