Carolina signs Murphy

Carolina Hurricanes

RALEIGH, NC—Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with goaltender Mike Murphy on a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will pay Murphy $65,000 per year at the minor-league level, and an average of $541,667 per year at the NHL level, as well as a $235,000 signing bonus.

“Mike has had an outstanding junior career, and that is reflected in his record and the accolades he has received,” said Tony MacDonald, Director of Amateur Scouting for the Hurricanes. “He is a very competitive player with considerable upside and will add valuable depth to our organization at the goaltender position.”

Murphy, 20, finished the 2008-09 regular season with an Ontario Hockey League-leading 2.08 goals-against average and a league-best .940 save percentage while playing in 54 of 68 games for the Belleville Bulls. The Kingston, Ont., native posted a 40-9-2-2 record in helping lead the Bulls to first place in the OHL’s Eastern Conference. In 124 career regular-season games with the Bulls in parts of four seasons, Murphy (5’11”, 161 lbs.) registered a 2.42 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage, an 85-23-5-5 record and eight shutouts. He competed in two OHL All-Star Classics, was named OHL Goaltender of the Year for 2007-08 and helped Belleville reach the Memorial Cup in 2008. He will stay with Belleville for its 2009 postseason run which begins tonight against Sudbury.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)