Top 100 Oilers: No. 81 — Rem Murray

Notable

Murray arrived in Edmonton as a free agent, signing in September 1995 soon before the season after a four-year stint with Michigan State University. He spent the entirety of his first year with the AHL’s Cape Breton Oilers, scoring 31 goals and 90 points in 79 games, and while he popped offensively, his “bread and butter” was his defensive play and versatility.

His best offensive year came in 1998-99, scoring 21 goals and 39 points in 78 games, and his 2000-01 season scoring 15 goals and 36 points close behind.

The Story

Murray was drafted by the Kings in the sixth round of the 1992 draft but would never sign with them and his aforementioned college hockey stint saw him score 71 goals and 218 points in 165 games. He would spend five and a half seasons with the team from 1996-97 through March 2002, when the Oilers traded him to the New York Rangers alongside Tom Poti for a fourth-round pick and Mike York, who would help provide some offensive punch for the early 2000s Oilers.

Murray remained in New York until Dec. 2002, later traded to the Nashville Predators, and would return to Edmonton in 2005-06, playing nine regular season games and playing a depth role in the Oilers’ cup run that year.

What Brownlee said

Rem The Gem, a handle his mother gave him as a child and one that sticks with him even today in his post-playing career as a realtor, was an absolute beauty, and he was a terrific player – a versatile forward who had the ability to check opposing forwards to a standstill and chip in offensively when the situation required it. He was one of those players coaches need, teammates know the true value of and fans and media often overlook.

…

In 2004, while playing for the Nashville Predators, Murray was diagnosed with a career-threatening condition known as cervical dystonia – it was a contraction of the neck muscles that forced Murray’s chin toward his left shoulder. Murray stopped playing hockey and looked for a cure.

“I remember when it was really brutal,” Murray said. “There were times when I thought, ‘There’s no way I can come back from this.’ I just wanted to be able to function normally, to play with my kids without being in pain.”

It turned out that injections of Botox eased the condition – Murray even managed to crack wise about the treatment making him look younger – and he improved to the point where he got back on the blades and made a return to pro hockey with the Houston Aeros of the AHL in 2005-06.

In March of 2006 in one of the feel-good stories of the year, the Oilers signed Murray as a free agent, just in time for their Cup run. After getting into nine regular season games, Murray chipped in with four assists in 24 playoff games. It was a stirring and unforgettable encore for Rem the Gem.

The Last 10

• No. 91 — Sheldon Souray
• No. 90 — Pat Maroon
• No. 89 — Mark Napier
• No. 88 — Igor Ulanov
• No. 87 — Zdeno Ciger
• No. 86 — Devan Dubnyk
• No. 85 — Jaroslav Pouzar
• No. 84 — Jarret Stoll
• No. 83 — Bernie Nicholls
• No. 82 — Georges Laraque