Connor Murphy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Connor Murphy |
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Murphy with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023.
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| Born | March 26, 1993 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Chicago Blackhawks Arizona Coyotes |
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| National team |  United States |
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| NHL Draft | 20th overall, 2011 Phoenix Coyotes |
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| Playing career | 2013–present | ||
Connor Murphy (born March 26, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey player. He plays as a defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is also an alternate captain for the team. Connor was picked 20th overall in the 2011 NHL draft by the Phoenix Coyotes. His dad, Gord Murphy, was also an NHL defenseman.
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Connor Murphy's Hockey Journey
Starting Out in Hockey
When he was younger, Connor played in the 2006 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He was part of the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets team. Later, he played junior hockey for the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League. Before joining the Sting, he had planned to play for Miami University. However, he chose to play in the Ontario Hockey League instead. Connor also played for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
Playing for the Phoenix Coyotes
On November 16, 2013, Connor Murphy played his first NHL game. He was with the Phoenix Coyotes. In that very first game, he scored his first NHL goal! It was against Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Anders Lindbäck.
In 2016, Connor signed a big contract with the Coyotes. It was for six years and worth $23.1 million.
Joining the Chicago Blackhawks
After playing four seasons with the Coyotes, Connor was traded. On June 23, 2017, he and Laurent Dauphin joined the Chicago Blackhawks. In return, the Coyotes received Niklas Hjalmarsson.
First Season with the Blackhawks
Connor had a tough start with the Blackhawks. His coach, Joel Quenneville, sometimes kept him out of games. Even when he played, he was asked to play on his left side. This was tricky because he shoots right-handed. He scored his first goal of the season playing with Brent Seabrook. They played well together for a while.
Later in the season, Connor played with different partners. The Blackhawks also struggled to win games. They didn't make it to the playoffs that year. Connor finished the season with two goals and 12 assists. This was his lowest score since 2014–15.
Dealing with Injuries and Comebacks
Before the 2018–19 season, Connor hurt his back. This made him miss the first three months of games. He came back on December 7 and played with rookie Carl Dahlström. They played a strong, physical game. Their coaches were very happy with their performance.
Connor missed the first game of the 2019–20 season too, due to another injury. When he returned, he played with Duncan Keith. But then he got a groin injury and missed 10 more games. When he came back again, he played with Olli Määttä. They were a strong defensive pair.
Connor set a new personal best with 19 points in 58 games. This was before the NHL season was paused. The pause happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Playing During the Pandemic
The NHL changed its playoff rules because of the pandemic. In July 2020, Connor was briefly "unfit" to play. This meant he couldn't practice for a few days. The Blackhawks made it to the playoffs as the last seed. They beat the Edmonton Oilers in four games. However, they were then knocked out by the Vegas Golden Knights.
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The 2020–21 season was shorter, with only 56 games. Soon after it started, Connor reached 100 career NHL points! He scored a goal and an assist against the Detroit Red Wings. He kept playing well but then got a hip injury. He missed six games to recover. At the end of the season, he was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. This award is for players who show great leadership.
In 2021, Connor signed a new four-year contract with the Blackhawks. He was also named an alternate captain for the team. He wore the 'A' on his jersey for away games. In March 2022, he got a concussion after being checked into the boards. He missed the rest of that season to recover. He was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy again.
Connor Murphy's International Play
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| Medal record | ||
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Representing  United States |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2015 Czech Republic | |
| Bronze | 2018 Denmark | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2013 Russia | |
| IIHF World U18 Championship | ||
| Gold | 2011 Germany | |
Connor has played for the Team USA many times. In 2011, he played in the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships. He scored three goals and one assist. He even scored the winning goal in overtime against Sweden to win the gold medal! He was also captain for Team USA in the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
Connor Murphy's Family Life
Connor Murphy was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His dad, Gord Murphy, was playing for the Boston Bruins at the time. Connor grew up in different places like Miami and Atlanta. His family eventually settled in Dublin, Ohio. This was when his dad became an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Connor has a brother named Tyler and a sister named Lexi.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. NTDP U17 | USDP | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | U.S. NTDP U17 | USDP | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 22 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Sarnia Sting | OHL | 35 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2012–13 | Sarnia Sting | OHL | 33 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 36 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 30 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 73 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 78 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 77 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 76 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 52 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 58 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 27 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 50 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 57 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 80 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 46 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 677 | 41 | 100 | 141 | 437 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | United States | IH18 |  |
5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2011 | United States | WJC18 |  |
6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2013 | United States | WJC | |
7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2014 | United States | WC | 6th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | United States | WC |  |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | United States | WC | 4th | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | |
| 2017 | United States | WC | 5th | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2018 | United States | WC | |
10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | ||||
| Senior totals | 43 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 22 | ||||
