Murray Oliver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Murray Oliver |
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| Born | November 14, 1937 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | November 23, 2014 (aged 77) Edina, Minnesota, United States |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins Detroit Red Wings Minnesota North Stars Toronto Maple Leafs |
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| Playing career | 1958–1975 | ||
Murray Clifford Oliver (born November 14, 1937 – died November 23, 2014) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was a skilled centre who also worked as a coach and scout. Interestingly, Murray even played a bit of Minor League Baseball!
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Murray Oliver's Hockey Journey
Murray Oliver grew up in Hamilton, Canada. He played junior hockey for the Hamilton Tiger Cubs. When he was 20, he scored an amazing 90 points in 52 games! Soon after, he became a professional player. He joined the Edmonton Flyers, a team linked to the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Starting in the NHL
In his first full NHL season (1959-60), Murray scored 20 goals. His very first NHL goal was on November 21, 1959, in a game against the Boston Bruins. The Red Wings had many good players at the centre position. This meant Murray was traded to the Boston Bruins during the next season.
Time with the Boston Bruins
Murray played for the Bruins until 1967. In Boston, he was the centre for a famous line called the B.O.W. line. His teammates were Johnny Bucyk and Tommy Williams. Murray was known for his clever stickhandling and being a patient playmaker. In 1964, he had his best NHL season, scoring 68 points! This was impressive because he had knee surgery the year before.
Moving to Toronto and Minnesota
In 1967, Murray was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played there for three years, often on a line with Bob Pulford and Ron Ellis.
On May 22, 1970, Murray was traded again. He went to the Minnesota North Stars. He played five seasons with the North Stars. In the 1971-72 season, he scored a career-high 27 goals! He retired in 1975 after a disagreement about his contract.
A Long and Successful Career
Over 18 seasons, Murray Oliver played in 1,127 regular season games. He scored 274 goals and made 454 assists, totaling 728 points. He was chosen to play in the NHL All-Star Game five times!
After he stopped playing, Murray became an assistant coach for the Minnesota North Stars. He worked with the team until the 1985–86 NHL season. He even coached the team as head coach for 37 games. Later, he became a scout for the Vancouver Canucks. He then became their director of pro scouting. Murray Oliver passed away on November 23, 2014, at age 77.
Murray Oliver's Baseball Experience
On June 25, 1958, Murray Oliver tried playing Minor League Baseball. He joined the Batavia Indians. Scouts were very impressed, calling him "one of the greatest athletes we've ever seen."
His baseball debut was delayed because he broke his arm during hockey season. In his first game, he didn't get any hits and made one error. He played only 8 more games, mostly at third base. He didn't hit very well and made an error in almost every game. Because of this, the Indians team released him.
See also
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
