OILERS HEAD COACH ROB MURRAY REACHES 1000 PRO GAMES COACHED
Head coach Rob Murray coached his 1000th professional game on Saturday, Feb. 26
TULSA, OK— The Tulsa Oilers, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, celebrated 1000 games coached by Oilers’ head coach Rob Murray on Saturday, Feb. 26.
Murray is currently in his fifth year as the Oilers’ head coach, guiding the team to a 157-130-43 (.541) record since joining ahead of the 2017-18 season. The Toronto, ON native brought a Mountain Division Championship to Tulsa in 2018-19 — the first division title in Tulsa since 1975-76. As Director of Hockey Operations, Murray also won the 2018-19 ECHL General Manager of the Year (director of player personnel) award — an award determined by a vote of ECHL coaches.
Murray began his coaching career with the AHL’s Providence Bruins in 2003-04, giving the 54-year-old 19 years of coaching experience, and 14 years as a head coach. Murray started his head-coaching career with Providence in 2008-09, taking the Bruins to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals in his first season. The former NHLer also coached the Providence Bruins in 2010-11 when their affiliate, the Boston Bruins, won the Stanley Cup, earning a Stanley Cup ring for his work with the team.
Murray entered the ECHL in 2011-12 with Alaska, coaching back-to-back-to-back 40-win seasons with the Aces, grabbing three-consecutive Brabham Cups and the 2013-14 Kelly Cup in the process. Murray was awarded the John Brophy Award in 2012, given to the coach who contributed the most to their team’s success as determined in a vote from ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and media members.
Murray has a career coaching record of 505- 383- 113 (.561) and is tenured in Tulsa through the 2024-25 season.
Prior to coaching, Murray enjoyed a 16-year professional career spanning the NHL, AHL and IHL. The 61st overall selection of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft played in the NHL with Washington, Winnipeg and Phoenix — making appearances in eight different seasons, totaling 107 games played.
A 15-year veteran of the AHL, Murray wore the captain’s “C” for four different franchises and captained the Canadian Team in the 1997 AHL All-Star Classic. He was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2017, finishing second in career PIM (first at the time of his retirement) with 2,940. The 6’1, 180 lbs. forward collected 473 points (161G, 312A) in 1018 career AHL games. Murray’s #23 has been retired in the Springfield Falcons organization.
