Extending the Pipeline: Jordan Murray

Written by: Scott Savard

Headline photo: Chad Goddard

Okotoks, AB (January 8, 2025) – The Okotoks Oilers this season have come from all over North America with unique hometowns; however, none might be as unique as Decker, Manitoba, the home of 2006-born defenceman Jordan Murray.

Decker is an unincorporated community situated approximately one hour northwest of Brandon, Manitoba. While some Oilers like Joey Gugino (Buffalo, NY), Kash Crawford (Atlanta, GA), Michael Kowalski (Chicago, IL), Josh Wiebe (Calgary, AB), captain Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB) have come from a large population, Murray’s home of Decker is the opposite as it has a single person who lives directly in the unincorporated community.

“I mean, there is not much to it. There’s a singular house where one person lives, it’s one of my friends, Baba. There’s a church falling down there, there’s a rink that’s barely standing. When my brothers and I were younger, we could go in there whenever we wanted as a family. Either my dad and my uncle would put ice in there, or there are a couple of other families that would do that as well. That was about the only thing that mattered to us in that town. As long as it was standing, we would use it, and that’s all that mattered to us,” Murray explained about his hometown of Decker.

Murray added that at one point, Decker was a growing town, but lately it’s what he described as a “Ghost Town” and is mostly surrounded by farmers. Murray said that he would have to travel to play hockey and go to school in a neighbouring town called Shoal Lake, which was around a 15-minute drive from the Murray residence. Shoal Lake’s population isn’t going to break any records in terms of mass with its 652 people, but it was home to Stampede Wrestler and commentator Bulldog Bob Brown.

“Yeah, my school, K to 12, was like 150 people, maybe,” he said about attending school in Shoal Lake. “It would vary depending on if someone moved there or moved away, but I think we would be right around 12 to 14 (kids in his class), from K to eight, until I moved away to play hockey in Winnipeg.”

Growing up with such a small population helped Murray become the person he is today, and he praised his upbringing for steering him to be inclusive in his thoughts.

“Yeah, it kind of teaches you just to be more open-minded about things. There’s limited people there, so you pretty much have to get along with what people are in your classes,” Murray said.

He joked, saying that since his mom is from a bigger city, she would tease the Murray brothers about how they would be culture shocked if they were to visit a big city, but Murray said he had done just fine and believes it helps him make relationships, as his upbringing has taught him to be himself.

While living in a small population may sound isolating, Murray explained that being so far away from many people forced him and his brothers to spend a ton of time together, which is something he is grateful for.

“I didn’t spend a lot of time by myself because, yeah, we live 15 minutes away (from Shoul Lake) and I couldn’t drive myself, obviously, so if we weren’t in town, it would be my brothers and I hanging out at home, playing Wii Sports or playing mini sticks together,” he explained.

The Murray brothers would take their mini sticks seriously as they would hold their own Stanley Cup series between the three of them.

“My oldest brother would print off advertisements for the boards, and we would be full-on. We’d set up our basemen,t and that’s how we bonded. I’d say we’re a really tight family, and us three just got along really well growing up, and played whatever sport we could outside to make up the time that we wouldn’t see our friends,” Murray added.

When it comes to extensive training when he’s back at home, Murray said he finds himself visiting Brandon almost daily, as it’s around an hour drive, and will make an appearance in Winnipeg once a week to use their facilities because it’s a longer drive as his hometown of Decker is around three and a half hours west of “The Peg”.  Murray added that he skates, works out, does track sessions, and more in Brandon, which gives him more reasons to visit Brandon on the regular.

The Brandon Wheat Kings are the current home for former Okotoks Oiler Ryan Boyce (Calgary, AB) this season, and were the team that the Murray brothers idolized growing up.

“My middle brother could tell you almost every player (on the Wheat Kings) from every single season. He and my oldest brother probably could, too. When we went to a lot of games, I was a lot younger, but we grew up going to those games all the time with our teams, our family, or I’ll go back at Christmas and maybe find myself there still,” he mentioned.

Murray said last year his family just decided “at the drop of a hat” to go to a Wheat Kings game and had no hesitation, as his family still loves going to watch hockey together.

While he grew up near the home of the Jets, Murray explained that it was another team that caught his eye, as his mother had some influence.

“I’m actaully a Canucks fan. My mom’s family moved from England to Vancouver when she was around three, and she grew up in Vancouver. That’s actually where my parents me, was in Vancouver. My Uncle is a diehard; he still lives in Surrey, and his family are obviously diehard Canucks fans,” he added.

He joked by saying that ever since he and his brothers were born, they were destined to be Canucks fans, as the whole family bleeds blue and green.

Murray said that his mom was able to go back to England when she was in her late teens, but he has yet to visit his mother’s home country. He explained that he does have family still in England and in different parts of Europe, and hopes one day to make a trip out to see his family’s roots. He also added that he would love to look at the history that is spread across England and Europe.

As for his start with the game played on ice, he said that his dad played a big part in his love for hockey.

“I mean, just born right into a hockey family. Small town Manitoba, not much else you’re going to do during the winter. My brothers played hockey. I was on the ice, I think, at two, and I got a picture with my dad holding me up. Just got on the ice with my brothers and my dad. Our dad’s favourite thing ever is hockey. He did’t get to play that long, but he’s our biggest fan, he’s our biggest coach,” Murray said.

Murray added that his dad’s love of the game rubbed off on him, along with watching his brothers play. At one point, he had thought about playing football, but quickly decided football wasn’t for him after he found out that he couldn’t play on the gridiron during the wintertime and made the choice to pursue hockey.

When it comes to playing hockey in such a small centre, Murray explained that ice time was never an issue as his teams were shorthanded with available players many nights.

“To this day, I always remember a tournament I went to. I can’t remember the town, but we had a bunch of kids who were sick, and other kids maybe were away for vacation. We went to a tournament with six players. I think I probably came off the ice once. One goalie, six players, so we’d have one kid on the bench the whole time. We went all the way to the finals and lost in a shootout that tournament. You would run into that all the time, we would have 13, 14 kids signed up, and that’s what you got,” he explained.

While the extra ice time helped Murray grow into the player he is today, he credits his dad’s coaching as the biggest thing that has gotten him to where he is today.

“The biggest thing that helped me grow as a player was my dad coaching me every single year up until my last year of PeeWee hockey, and outside of team stuff, he would still be on the ice with my brothers and I, still coaching. When I go back at Christmas, my one brother and I might go up to Shoal Lake to skate, my dad will be thinking about putting on his skates and coming up with us, and still coach us. He never wants to let go of the coaching side of things, but he was the biggest thing for all three of us; he was an unbelievable coach,” Murray praised his dad.

“He’s got a really good understanding about the game, and the biggest thing he provided us with was our skating ability. He focused so much on coaching us on our skating. Almost every practice that I had, we would start off with 15 to 30 minutes of straight skating and puckwork. Clearly, it’s helped me out.”

He added that while he doesn’t like brag about himself, he said that his skating is one of his assets as a player and gives all the credit to his dad for helping him acquire that skill.

Murray, who is the youngest of the family, gave praise to his oldest brother, Ben, and his older brother, Owen, as the three brothers are tight-knit. He explained that since Ben was born in 2000 and Owen was born in 2002, his older brothers were able to play on some of the same teams growing up in hockey.

“Owen’s still playing in UMass (NCAA) as a senior, and then my brother Ben ran into a couple of concussion issues, so it kind of limited how far he wanted to go. Obviously, he loved the game just as much as us. He still supports us, he still watches hockey,” he added.

While Ben’s hockey career wrapped up around Midget, as he decided to finish out his high school with different sports, Murray explained that Ben was the best skater out of the three boys.

“Our mom always says he was the best straightaway skater out of all three of us. She said she wanted to put him in speed skating when he was younger as well, just to do both because he was such a good, powerful skater. He had the talent, he just ran into concussion issues, which obviously, you have to protect the brain at a young age, so it was unfortunate, but like I said he’s one of our biggest supporters and wants nothing but the best for Owen and I to keep moving forward in our careers, and it’s great that he does that for us,” Murray said about his oldest brother Ben.

Murray also mentioned that witnessing his brother Owen’s success played a role in wanting to go to the post-secondary hockey route, and he has been inspired by what Owen has accomplished in his hockey career, as he’s the co-captain at UMass.

“For him to go into junior hockey at 16 and do what he did, to be a part of that was really cool to see. What he was able to accomplish at such a young age is just a great inspiration for me, where I was at that point in my career, just to see that it’s possible to be where we’re from. Obviously, growing up, we were good players, but he was right in front of me doing everything that we always wanted to do. He just keeps moving forward. He’s been at UMass for four years, and it would be amazing to do the same thing that he’s doing. To see your older brother do all those types of things just pushes you to do better,” he said about his brother Owen.

He added that a bonus of his brother accomplishing great things in hockey has led Murray to meet people within the hockey world that has helped him continue to grow his game as well.

Being the youngest of the three brothers, Murray found himself playing in net against his brothers when the mini sticks came out. Due to him usually being the one chosen to play net, Murray first fell in love with the goaltender position and picked up a favourite player on the Canucks who tended the goal.

“I actually, for the longest time, wanted to be a goalie. My favourite player was Roberto Luongo. I actually got to meet him in Minnesota, we were going to a Wild game for my oldest brothers borthday, and they were big Sedin fans, obviously. They were dying to meet the Sedin’s, we went early, and we’re hoping that we’d catch players walking in and out of all three of us. I was able to catch Luongo walking in, and that was my favourite player. I wanted to be a goalie every game. I would strap on the mini stick pads, and I would copy everything he did. I still got my signed jersey hanging up in my room,” Murray explained.

Murray added that being the youngest of the three definitely toughened him up quickly, as his brothers never took it easy on him. He wouldn’t have it any other way, as it helped him become the person and player he is today.

While Murray has firmly cemented himself as a defenceman, he would end up playing centre until Novice, before making the switch to the backend. He added that his skating ability led to the opportunity of defence, as it allowed him to get on and off the ice quickly while still playing the quarterback role in helping get the puck up the ice. He also mentioned that no matter how many players they would have playing on his team, defencemen were always needed, which was another reason he made the switch.

Defence seems to be in the Murray bloodline, as his brother Owen plays the position, and their great uncle Dallas Smith also made his name playing the position as he’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Boston Bruins while playing on the same pairing as Hall of Famer and hockey icon, Bobby Orr. Smith finished his career with 890 games played in the NHL between the Bruins and New York Rangers and accumulated 307 points (55G, 252A) from 1959 to 1978.

“Yeah, he grew up around Hamiota (Manitoba) and around our area. He comes by and stops by the farm sometimes. When my brothers were younger, he would be around a little more, but I only met him this past summer at a family reunion in Hamiota. Just to know that’s in your family, the fact that he got to play with that elite Boston Bruins team, and to play as Bobby Orr’s defence partner, your coach is Don Cherrym you are winning Stanley Cups, you just want to play for that and honour that and expand that even longer through your family blood and do it again. Obviously, Owen’s trying to do the same, and I’m trying to do the same,” he explained.

While Murray never got the chance to watch his great-uncle play live, he said he’s heard from his grandpa Don that Owen and Murray got their skating ability from Smith. Not only has their grandpa, Don, complimented their skating, but other people who have seen Smith and the Murrays skate have seen similarities. Murray takes pride in sharing Smith’s skating ability, as Don Cherry once said that Smith was one of his favourite players to coach.

Murray is in his third season in the BCHL and hasn’t taken it for granted, as many players from Manitoba don’t get the opportunity to play in the league.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool to be in different places across Canada and hopefully in a different country playing hockey at some point in my career. To be in different places that you don’t expect to live in when you’re younger, it’s cool to just have these opportunities to be in different places and see new things. I think the biggest thing with that is just that the BCHL taking themselves away from Hockey Canada just to give guys like me across the world a chance to come to the BCHL,” Murray said.

He added that it’s unique to play in a league with players from across Canada, the USA, Europe, and even Asia. Murray also said having this opportunity to play with and against others from across the world is cool, as playing hockey with all the different backgrounds isn’t something you will find in many places with junior hockey.

Another opportunity Murray is looking forward to is taking part in the BCHL All-Star weekend on January 16, as he will be playing in the BCHL College Prospects Gam,e which he hopes will grab some schools’ attention as he aims to play post-secondary hockey after his junior career comes to a close. Murray would give credit to the Oilers for helping him get the opportunity to represent the Green and Gold at the All-Star weekend.

“Yeah, 100 per cent. I think I’ve said it multiple times, to come here and be treated the way I have and get the opportunities I’ve been given, and just having the freedom to just be the player I am has helped me a lot,” he added.

Murray, who was acquired from the Cranbrook Bucks this season, gave both organizations credit for helping him get to where he is today.

“I think just the open relationship I have with the coaches here. I mean, I was in a good setup in Cranbrook, I enjoyed my time, and I really loved working with my D-coach there the last two years. He’s actually a head coach in the KIJHL now, but I really loved my time with him. But, just to be here and feel like I can speak openly to (the coaching staff) and them having such open ears and an open mind towards me as well, and just taking time to understand me,” Murray said about the differences between the Oilers and Bucks.

He added that his hot start with Okotoks comes from both playing in the league for the third year and his fourth season in juniors, as he’s understanding what it takes to be a top player in the league. He also gave credit to getting a fresh start this season after being moved to Okotoks for his success this season.

The Green Army has witnessed many of Murray’s points this season, as he’s found the scoresheet 11 times at home and has only managed to grab one point while on the road.

“Actually, through my first three years in junior, almost all of my points came (on the road). It’s a little bit different this year. I was actually saying that all summer, I got to find a way to do stuff at home, and I guess I figured out how to do stuff at home and forgot how to do stuff away,” he joked.

Murray also mentioned that before becoming a member of the Oilers, he always liked playing at Viking Rentals Centre as it was his favourite rink to play in away from home when he was with Cranbrook.

On top of enjoying playing at the VRC, Murray has enjoyed the offensive mind the Oilers possess, going as far as saying it’s one of the smartest offensive groups he has ever played with. He said the Oilers have a high I on the offensive side and that has helped him accumulate points this season.

He would give a shoutout to his billet parents, Joelle and Ja,y who have made him feel at home from the very start.

“They’ve been unbelievable. It’s a bit of a chaotic house, but I grew up in a chaotic house, so it’s easy to fit in. It’s nice to have people that care so much about my billet brothers and I. They brought all of us in with welcoming arms and have treated us just like they treat their own family members. It just makes you feel like you’re at home and just helps you feel comfortable away from home and just being yourself. It also helps that (Joelle) has really, really good cooking, so I’m eating well all the time. Just to feel at home gives you that added boost of confidence to play well,” Murray said about his billets.

Murray would also give his parents, Allison and Dale, a ton of credit for helping him live out his dreams of playing junior hockey in a different province.

“I already mentioned my dad coaching me growing up, and to this day wanting to be on the ice with us when we’re back home, and wants to keep coaching us. But, yeah, he was a big part in us three becoming the players that we were growing up and to this day. He taught us almost everything that we know for the foundation of our basic skills in hockey,” he said about his dad.

“Then our mom is one of the ones that would travel around for us all the time. If we were playing spring hockey, our dad would be dealing with stuff on the farm, so our mom would be driving us, whether its to Calgary, Winnipeg, wherever we were playing spring hockey, Minnesota, she would be taking us everywhere, taking time off work, taking time off of her weekend just to be at a hockey rink every single weekend. My dad would be coaching me, so then she would be running my two brothers around at different rinks at the same time. We wouldn’t have been able to play hockey without the two of them.”

As for the Green Army, Murray appreciates every fan that comes out to watch the Oilers and mentioned that without the fans, the team doesn’t exist.

“Obviously, that’s the biggest part about hockey is the fans. Your organization can’t keep itself up without the fans, so they do a lot for us,” he said.

Murray continued by saying that he heard a quote from NBA player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander about how his family used to scrape money together to go to a basketball game, only to find out that his favourite players would be scratched and not get the chance to see his heroes. Murray said that sat with him and he has made sure to always have a smile when meeting fans of all ages, and makes sure to play with his heart on his sleeve as he wants to send the fans home happy, as they know he is competing every single shift.

10 Questions with Jordan Murray:

What is your go-to cheat meal?

“I’m not a big cheat meal guy, I like to keep things strict. I love poutine. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t love poutine.”

Favourite sport other than hockey?

“Basketball, hands down. I’m a major basketball guy. That was my next favourite sport; whenever I played it, even in the summers in our shed, we have a basketball net setup. So if I need a little break from shooting pucks, I’ll probably be shooting a basketball. Favourite team is the Memphis Grizzlies.”

What is your favourite movie and TV show?

“TV show would be Peaky Blinders. Movie, probably F1, unbelievable movie. I can rewatch that.”

Favourite team and player growing up?

“Fave player growing up, Luongo, and favourite team, Vancouver Canucks.

What is your guilty pleasure song?

“I’ll go with 100% Pure Love by Crystal Waters.”

Who was your celebrity crush growing up?

“Jennifer Lawrence in Hunger Games.”

If you could relive any day of your life, what day would you choose?

“Winning a gold medal at Provinicals with my Shoal Lake Eagles team .”

Would you rather visit the past or the future?

“I would want to go back to a specific game that my team played in PeeWee hockey. In the past, we lost the first game of a tournament of champions. We won, you have to play an initial tournament. You play and Elkhorn, we won the Elkhorn tournament. But, our first game, we were up going into the third period and blew the lead. It was the first game of the tournament that you pretty much have to win to win the tournament. It was unfortunate to lose that game, so I wish I could go back and win that tournament.

If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?

“I would want to meet Kobe Bryant. Just train with him, pick his brain, just understand how he obtained that mentality every single day of his career.”

Where in the world would you go if I could snap my fingers and get you there right now?

“Bora Bora. Nice waters, just chill out.”

Bonus:

Who has the worst stick tape job on the team?

“I wouldn’t say I pay attention to stick tape. I’ll go with Gus’s (Grady Gustafson) tape job. He just has this singular tape job. It’s double overlapped every single pass.”

Do you prefer white or black hockey tape?

“White. I used black for a singular week, and that’s the only time I ever used black tape.”

Who would you have as an emergency contact on the team?

“I’ll go with the trusty captain, Brett Wilson.”

Best advice you have got from your parents?

“I’m going to go with a saying my dad has always followed from when he was younger, and he always said to us, ‘Treat the janitor of the building the same as you would treat the CEO of the company.”