Friday, March 9, 2012

MURPHY NAMED MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Press Release

The Ontario Junior Hockey League today announced that Darcy Murphy (photo credit - Brian Watts/OJHL Images) of the Wellington Dukes has been named the 2011-12 winner of the Coach Canada Most Improved Player Award.

The third year forward has seen a significant improvement from year-to-year in his on-ice performance. After recording seven goals and nineteen points as a 17-year old rookie, split between the Trenton Golden Hawks and Wellington Dukes, Murphy would more than double his totals last season, finishing with 14 goals and 41 points. The Marysville, Ontario native then joined the league’s elite talent this season, more than tripling his goal total to 52 goals, and doubling his point total to 86 points.

Tied for 115th overall in the OJHL scoring race last season, Murphy’s 86 points was the league’s second best total this season. Even more impressive, last season’s total of 14 goals tied Murphy for 145th overall in the OJHL, while this season the super sniper was the goal scoring champion as the only player to hit the magical 50 goal milestone, finishing the year with 52 goals. Murphy was one of the Dukes leaders this season and a key member of the OJHL’s fourth best power play unit, notching 16 power play goals, the second best total in the league, while accounting for almost a quarter of the club’s power play goal total. Also tying for the league lead with eight game-winning goals, he proved to be more than just a goal scorer by finishing second on the Dukes with 34 assists.

The OJHL’s South-East Conference Gongshow Gear Player-of-the-Month after recording 29 points in 10 games during October, Murphy was a member of the East Division All-Stars at the Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge that was held in Smiths Falls, Ontario and was named an OJHL 1st Team All-Star following the season. Recently, Murphy would accept an offer to attend Colgate University beginning with the 2013-14 ECAC season.

The OJHL Most Improved Player Award is awarded annually to the player adjudged to have shown the
greatest improvement in his on-ice performance from the previous OJHL regular season(s).


Chris Porter, alternate captain of the Stouffville Spirit, was runner-up in the OJHL award balloting to Murphy. The 20-year old forward in his third season with the club, recorded a 20 goal and 39 point improvement from last season to finish second in the goal scoring race and third overall in league scoring.

The OJHL Coach-of-the-Year and Most Gentlemanly Player Award recipients will be announced next week.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

No comments: