It’s pretty rare in professional sports to find a guy as universally loved as Bryan Murray.
When you do something for as long as Murray did, it’s inevitable you’re going to make some enemies. Rub some people the wrong way. But with Shawville-native, that really didn’t seem to be the case. Watching some of the reaction to yesterday’s announcement, including from media, former players and from the guy replacing him, it was easy to see just how strong an impression Bryan made on everyone he worked with over the years.
In an often cruel business, Bryan Murray did his job with both integrity and honesty. A straight-shooter who always told it like it was, sometimes to a fault.
And while some fans had their issues with some of the decisions he made over the years, there was never any doubting his dedication to the Ottawa Senators, his passion for the game of hockey and his respect for his players.
He made mistakes. Every General Manager does. He had his weaknesses. Most of us do. In the next few days, you’re going to hear lots of people breaking-down Murray’s time as GM, trying to label it as a success or a failure. And in a traditionally results-based profession, his record certainly isn’t bullet-proof.
It’s tough to do a comprehensive evaluation of his time as GM too because really, there were three distinct phases. Initially, he was trying to hang on to the remaining core of a Cup contending team. As that window closed, he was forced to retool but at the same time, avoid a full-scale rebuild. Stay competitive. And then in recent years, his focus has again been on trying to ice a playoff-caliber roster but on often stifling internal budget.
I’ve said this many times but I truly believe that being General Manager of the Ottawa Senators is one of the most difficult and unique jobs in professional sports. You have all the pressure of a big market but without the resources, both in terms of player budget as well as front office support. You have an Owner who is passionate but not always the most uhh diplomatic. You have a mandate to stay competitive every year and you’re expected to do it on a shoe-string budget.
And what’s so amazing about Bryan Murray is he did the job without so much as a complaint and honestly seemed to love it. He accepted many of the team’s faults as his own when I’m sure he was often tempted to blame external factors. Even in the face of such an overwhelming personal battle, there was Bryan Murray- signing players, making trades, firing coaches, hiring coaches, negotiating and signing contracts, talking to reporters- the face of the Ottawa Senators. All the while behind the scenes, in the fight of his life.
He may not have reached his ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup as GM but he has represented this city and this organization well and always did the job to the best of his ability, under often difficult circumstances.
The good news is Bryan Murray won’t be far. In his Senior Advisor role, he’ll be there as a helpful resource for new General Manager Pierre Dorion. Dorion is going to be expected to hit the ground running this off-season and he’ll be lucky to have the support and guidance of one of the game’s most respected individuals.
Best of luck to Pierre Dorion. As he said in yesterday’s press conference, he has some big shoes to fill.
Locker clean-out day for the Senators. More on that later.
