Troy Murray: Longtime Analyst and Former Blackhawks Forward Dies at 63 as Team Mourns
troy murray, a Stanley Cup champion, Selke Trophy winner and longtime analyst for the Blackhawks, died Saturday at 63 following a battle with cancer. The organization said its leadership and community mourn his loss and highlighted his decades-long presence in the club’s playing and broadcast life.
What Happens to the Broadcast Booth and Community?
Murray joined the Blackhawks broadcast team in 1998 and built a second career as a respected voice for the club. He served five years as a studio analyst, spent two seasons as a color commenter, and in 2006 partnered with John Wiedeman in the radio booth. That pairing went on to call three championship seasons for the club.
Even after a diagnosis of cancer on Aug. 9, 2021, Murray returned to the air on Dec. 15, 2021, calling a full broadcast in a 5-4 overtime win. On that night he acknowledged the support he and his family had received and thanked team leadership and staff for their backing during treatment, which included chemotherapy every other Monday.
- Broadcast career began: 1998
- Studio analyst: 1999–2004
- Color commentator seasons: 2003–04 and 2005–06
- Radio partnership with John Wiedeman began: 2006
- Called three championship seasons with Wiedeman: 2010, 2013, 2015
How Will Troy Murray’s Playing Career Be Remembered?
Troy Murray’s on-ice achievements gave him a standing that informed his later role as an analyst. He played 15 NHL seasons and was selected in the third round (No. 57) of the 1980 NHL Draft. He played his first 10 NHL seasons—and 12 in total—in Chicago and finished his career having registered 584 points (230 goals, 354 assists) in 915 regular-season games across five clubs.
His best statistical season came in 1985–86, when he set career highs with 45 goals, 54 assists and 99 points in 80 games and won the Selke Trophy as the forward who best excels defensively. In his final NHL season he helped the Colorado Avalanche capture the Stanley Cup. In Stanley Cup Playoff competition he totaled 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 113 games.
What Comes Next for the Organization and Fans?
The team’s chairman and chief executive, Danny Wirtz, described Murray as the epitome of a Blackhawk and emphasized the depth of his connection to players, alumni and fans. The organization noted Murray’s consistent willingness to support the local community, his role with the alumni association, and the warmth he brought to the press box and broadcast nights.
For the immediate future, the club and its broadcast partners will face the practical task of honoring his legacy while adjusting the booth and alumni activities he helped sustain. Fans and colleagues will also be weighing how to carry forward the spirit described by leadership: a commitment to the team, to community engagement, and to connecting generations of followers through broadcasts and appearances.
There is uncertainty about how the club will mark Murray’s contributions in the medium term; what is clear from his public return to the air during treatment and the organization’s statement is that his presence and example shaped both the roster room and the broadcast booth. Those elements will guide commemoration and immediate planning in the days ahead.
Readers should expect the club and its alumni network to lead memorial efforts, and the broadcast team to address his absence on upcoming game nights as they honor his memory and service to the organization. troy murray
