Murray Craven
Encyclopedia
Murray Dean Craven is a Canadian
former professional ice hockey
centre
who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League
between 1982–83 and 1999–2000.
, and his success there saw him selected by the Detroit Red Wings
with their first-round pick (17th overall) in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft
. He proceeded to make the Wings' NHL squad out of training camp at age 18, and recorded 4 goals and 11 points in 31 games before being returned to Medicine Hat. He would see 15 more games of NHL action in 1983–84, again splitting the year between Detroit and Medicine Hat. By this time he was dominating the WHL, recording 94 points in just 46 games.
as the centrepiece of a deal for aging superstar Darryl Sittler
. The deal proved to be an absolute heist for Philadelphia, as Sittler struggled through one final season before retiring while Craven stepped straight into the Flyers' lineup as one of their top forwards. In his first full season, Craven finished 5th in team scoring with 61 points and added 10 more points in the playoffs helping lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals
, where they lost to the Edmonton Oilers
.
Craven would spend 7+ successful seasons in Philadelphia, establishing himself as a top-notch two-way forward. He again helped the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1987
, although he missed a large portion of the playoffs that year with a broken foot. In 1987–88, Craven had one of his finest seasons, reaching the 30-goal plateau for the only time in his career and leading the Flyers with 76 points. After an injury-plagued 1988–89 season, Craven recorded his first 50-assist campaign in 1989–90.
for Kevin Dineen
12 games into the 1991–92 season. Craven would finish the season with 60 points, second on the Whalers.
Craven was again amongst the Whalers' leading scorers in 1992–93, but with the team about to miss the playoffs he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks
at the trade deadline. He finished the year setting career highs in assists (52) and points (77), and provided an offensive boost to the Canucks, although they were outed in the second round of the playoffs. In 1993–94, he scored 55 points for the Canucks and added 13 more in the playoffs en route to the finals
, where he came out on the losing end for the third time. He also had the unfortunate distinction of being on the losing end of the only two Cup finals between 1971
and 2001
to go the full 7 games. Interestingly, the winning coach of the 1994 Finals, Mike Keenan
, was coach of the Flyers in 1987.
Following the 1994–95 NHL lockout, Craven endured a lengthy holdout as a result of uncertainty over his free agency status. Eventually he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks
for Christian Ruuttu
, although he was able to play in only 16 games. In the playoffs, he scored 10 points to help the Blackhawks to the Conference Finals, defeating Vancouver along the way.
Craven scored 47 points in his first full season in Chicago, but by the 1996–97 season he was being used primarily in a defensive role, and he finished the year with full-season career lows of just 8 goals and 35 points. Following that season, he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks
. In San Jose, he continued to be a solid defensive forward, although he was increasingly hobbled by injuries. In 1998–99 he was limited to just 43 games and 13 points. Following a poor start (just 2 assists in 19 games) and a hernia surgery, he was released by San Jose midway through the 1999–2000 season, effectively ending his career.
Craven finished his NHL career with 266 goals and 493 assists for 759 points in 1071 games. He also added 27 goals and 70 points in 118 career playoff games.
He currently resides in Whitefish, Montana
, where he volunteers to coach youth hockey.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
former professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
between 1982–83 and 1999–2000.
Playing career
Craven played his junior hockey with his hometown Medicine Hat TigersMedicine Hat Tigers
The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who play out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles. The Tigers play at the Medicine Hat Arena....
, and his success there saw him selected by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
with their first-round pick (17th overall) in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft
1982 NHL Entry Draft
The 1982 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1981–82 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
. He proceeded to make the Wings' NHL squad out of training camp at age 18, and recorded 4 goals and 11 points in 31 games before being returned to Medicine Hat. He would see 15 more games of NHL action in 1983–84, again splitting the year between Detroit and Medicine Hat. By this time he was dominating the WHL, recording 94 points in just 46 games.
Philadelphia Flyers
On the eve of the 1984–85 season, Craven was dealt to the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
as the centrepiece of a deal for aging superstar Darryl Sittler
Darryl Sittler
Darryl Glen Sittler is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.On February 7, 1976, Sittler set an NHL...
. The deal proved to be an absolute heist for Philadelphia, as Sittler struggled through one final season before retiring while Craven stepped straight into the Flyers' lineup as one of their top forwards. In his first full season, Craven finished 5th in team scoring with 61 points and added 10 more points in the playoffs helping lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals
1985 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1985 Stanley Cup Finals was played between the defending champion Edmonton Oilers in their third-straight Finals appearance and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their second Stanley Cup. It was also the sixth straight Finals of...
, where they lost to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
Craven would spend 7+ successful seasons in Philadelphia, establishing himself as a top-notch two-way forward. He again helped the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1987
1987 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1987 Stanley Cup Final was played between the Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers would win the series 4–3, for their third Stanley Cup victory.-Paths to the Final:...
, although he missed a large portion of the playoffs that year with a broken foot. In 1987–88, Craven had one of his finest seasons, reaching the 30-goal plateau for the only time in his career and leading the Flyers with 76 points. After an injury-plagued 1988–89 season, Craven recorded his first 50-assist campaign in 1989–90.
Post-Flyers career
However, by the early 1990s the Flyers' success of the 1980s was well behind them and they were in the midst of a stretch of five consecutive years out of the playoffs. Despite still playing well, Craven was a casualty of this period and was dealt to the Hartford WhalersHartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
for Kevin Dineen
Kevin Dineen
Kevin William Dineen is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently the head coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.-St. Michael's Buzzers:As a seventeen year old, Dineen played with the St...
12 games into the 1991–92 season. Craven would finish the season with 60 points, second on the Whalers.
Craven was again amongst the Whalers' leading scorers in 1992–93, but with the team about to miss the playoffs he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
at the trade deadline. He finished the year setting career highs in assists (52) and points (77), and provided an offensive boost to the Canucks, although they were outed in the second round of the playoffs. In 1993–94, he scored 55 points for the Canucks and added 13 more in the playoffs en route to the finals
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
, where he came out on the losing end for the third time. He also had the unfortunate distinction of being on the losing end of the only two Cup finals between 1971
1971 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
and 2001
2001 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche, making the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and first since the team won the 1996 Finals. The...
to go the full 7 games. Interestingly, the winning coach of the 1994 Finals, Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
, was coach of the Flyers in 1987.
Following the 1994–95 NHL lockout, Craven endured a lengthy holdout as a result of uncertainty over his free agency status. Eventually he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
for Christian Ruuttu
Christian Ruuttu
Christian Ruuttu is a former professional ice hockey player.Ruuttu is the father of Alexander Ruuttu, who was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes.-Playing career:...
, although he was able to play in only 16 games. In the playoffs, he scored 10 points to help the Blackhawks to the Conference Finals, defeating Vancouver along the way.
Craven scored 47 points in his first full season in Chicago, but by the 1996–97 season he was being used primarily in a defensive role, and he finished the year with full-season career lows of just 8 goals and 35 points. Following that season, he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. In San Jose, he continued to be a solid defensive forward, although he was increasingly hobbled by injuries. In 1998–99 he was limited to just 43 games and 13 points. Following a poor start (just 2 assists in 19 games) and a hernia surgery, he was released by San Jose midway through the 1999–2000 season, effectively ending his career.
Craven finished his NHL career with 266 goals and 493 assists for 759 points in 1071 games. He also added 27 goals and 70 points in 118 career playoff games.
He currently resides in Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer hails from Whitefish....
, where he volunteers to coach youth hockey.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1980–81 | Medicine Hat Tigers Medicine Hat Tigers The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who play out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles. The Tigers play at the Medicine Hat Arena.... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
69 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 72 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 31 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 28 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 48 | 38 | 56 | 94 | 53 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 1983–84 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 15 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 80 | 26 | 35 | 61 | 30 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 11 | ||
| 1985–86 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 78 | 21 | 33 | 54 | 34 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 19 | 39 | 49 | 38 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 9 | ||
| 1987–88 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 72 | 30 | 46 | 76 | 58 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 1988–89 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 51 | 9 | 28 | 37 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1989–90 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 76 | 25 | 50 | 75 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 19 | 47 | 66 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Hartford Whalers Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97... |
NHL | 61 | 24 | 30 | 54 | 38 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1992–93 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 67 | 25 | 42 | 67 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL | 10 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 1993–94 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 78 | 15 | 40 | 55 | 30 | 22 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 18 | ||
| 1994–95 | Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL | 16 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 1995–96 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 66 | 18 | 29 | 47 | 36 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1996–97 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 75 | 8 | 27 | 35 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 67 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 43 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 19 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1071 | 266 | 493 | 759 | 524 | 118 | 27 | 43 | 70 | 66 | ||||