When Larry Murphy got the call from Kyle Dubas telling him he was headed into the Penguins Hall of Fame, the news hit with a familiar kind of pride: he was joining a group built by the players who turned Pittsburgh into a champion.
“When you look at who else is in there, and you’re now a part of that group, it’s quite an honor,” Murphy said.
Murphy will be honored during the Hall of Fame Game on Saturday, November 14, alongside Jim Rutherford, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jack McGregor. He also gets to share the moment with the memory of teammates who helped deliver the first two championships to Pittsburgh, especially after Ron Francis and Kevin Stevens were inducted last year.
For Murphy, the recognition brings him back to the start of his Penguins run, when he arrived during the 1990-91 season and immediately found himself inside a team loaded with Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Paul Coffey and others. General Manager Craig Patrick made the move on December 11, 1990, acquiring the 29-year-old defenseman from the Minnesota North Stars as Pittsburgh pushed toward its first Stanley Cup.
Murphy said the fit was obvious almost from the beginning.
“It was just a perfect situation for you to walk into a team that was about puck possession,” Murphy said. “Basically, the philosophy was that we were just going to outplay the opposition and not let them have the puck. I’m going, ‘Yeah, that’s right in my wheelhouse.’”
He called Pittsburgh a chance he knew was special right away.
“I knew that (Pittsburgh) was a great opportunity for me,” Murphy said. “It didn’t disappoint from the moment that I got there.
It was just a great team to play for, and it was a tremendous opportunity. It went as well as I could have ever imagined.
As I say, the rest is history.”
The Penguins won the Patrick Division and entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the favorites. Then Coffey’s scratched cornea and broken jaw sidelined him for 12 playoff games, and Murphy stepped into a bigger role as the team’s top defenseman.
“It was an opportunity,” Murphy said. “You play a lot.
In terms of points, you don’t put up those numbers unless you get the opportunity, and that was the case. I had that opportunity.
Just played to the best of my ability. Of course, you had the expectation that everyone else was going to do the same.”
In Other News...
Marc-Andre Fleury Still Means More To Pittsburgh Than Stats Ever Could
Marc-Andre Fleurys place in Penguins history was never really in doubt. Pittsburgh made him the first overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft, and he went on to become one of the defining figures of the franchise era that followed, helping the team win three Stanley Cups while also piling up a long list of goaltending records. For a generation of fans, he was more than the last line of defense. He was the face of a run that changed the franchise.
His Hall of Fame induction is another reminder of how deeply he still resonates in Pittsburgh, where his impact has always gone beyond the numbers. The honor reflects what he meant in the room, in the city and in the bigger story of the Penguins, and it adds another chapter to a career that already seemed destined for lasting recognition. The only real question now is how the organization chooses to celebrate him when that moment arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Linked To A Major Trade Target They May Not Control
The Penguins blue line has become part of a broader trade conversation as the market for defensemen starts to tighten around the league. Toronto is looking to add on the back end but is boxed in by salary cap limitations, which only adds to the pressure on teams and players as contenders try to find workable deals without taking on too much money.
Erik Karlsson is one of the more notable names being discussed, and there is interest from Carolina as teams keep circling the veteran defenseman. For Pittsburgh, the wrinkle is obvious: any move involving Karlsson runs through him, and that makes the situation more complicated than a simple trade rumor, especially with contenders watching the same market and trying to solve the same problem. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Defensive Depth Is Suddenly Worth Watching Again
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has dipped into its depth chart again, recalling defenseman David Breazeale from the Florida Everblades as the minor league calendar starts to tighten up. Breazeale is no stranger to the organization, having skated for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season, and his return gives the Penguins another familiar blue-line option as they prepare for upcoming games against Hershey and Hamilton.
For a team that always has to balance development with the realities of the schedule, these kinds of moves can matter more than they first appear. The Penguins also have a Veterans Day Celebration planned for November 14, adding another layer to a busy stretch in which roster flexibility and defensive depth could become a real storyline. [Read more 🡒]