A pair of goaltending careers were two of the many Bryan Murray molded over his 35 years in hockey.
Following the news of Murray's death Saturday, Ottawa Senators netminder Craig Anderson took to Twitter to express his condolences, and to thank the former Senators general manager for believing in him:
"Devastated to hear of Bryan Murray's passing. That man is the reason I am in Ottawa. I owe him a lot. #rip #sens
— Craig Anderson (@CraigAnderson41) August 12, 2017
Philadelphia Flyers goalie Brian Elliott, who was drafted by the Senators in 2003 and played his first three seasons in Ottawa, thanked Murray for making his NHL dream a reality:
A sad day for the Hockey community. A great man that gave me my shot at realizing my dream to play in the NHL. My condolences to his family https://t.co/IY3W1XtXyi
— Brian Elliott (@KidElls1) August 12, 2017
Anderson and Elliott were among the many from hockey circles who mourned Murray's loss:
My thoughts go out to the Murray Family.Bryan gave me the opportunity to come home and play here.Such a great man, it was truly a privilege.
— Marc Methot (@MarcMethot3) August 12, 2017
My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Murray family. Thank you for everything Bryan. You gave me the chance to be who I am today.
— Erik Karlsson (@ErikKarlsson65) August 12, 2017
Thoughts and prayers goes out to the Murray family! Meant incredibly much for me! So grateful for the chance to get my NHL career started!
— Mika Zibanejad (@MikaZibanejad) August 12, 2017
Thoughts and prayers go out to the Murray family. Bryan was a big part of the reason I was able to realize my dream of playing in the NHL. 🙏 https://t.co/ryjWsZduHV
— Nick Foligno (@NickFoligno) August 12, 2017
Thoughts and prayers go out to the Murray family. Can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me.
— Cody Ceci (@Cecer_83) August 12, 2017
The longtime executive had a decorated NHL career, serving as coach and GM of the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, and Senators. He got his start in hockey in 1981 as coach of the Washington Capitals.
Murray died Saturday following a three-year battle with colon cancer. He was 74.
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