Steve Murphy
Induction Year: 2014
Birthday: February 1, 1940
City/Town: Malden, MA
Steve grew up in Malden, Mass., and played at Malden High School, where he captained the team his senior year before moving on to New Prep in Cambridge, Mass., and St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. He was the first American to ever letter in hockey at Xavier.
His New Hampshire playing days began playing for the Concord Shamrocks in 1965-66 and played the next year with the Concord Coachmen, beginning a career that would land him the Legends of Hockey Hall of fame as a player.
From 1967-68 through 1971-72, the speedy Murphy was a fixture with the Concord Eastern Olympics of the New England Hockey League. Over five seasons and 200 games, he scored 112 goals and 155 assists for 267 total points, and also showing a knack for staying out of the penalty box.
He ranks fifth all-time in scoring for the Olympics. Murphy also holds records for most assists in a game (six) and most goals in a game (four, tied with several others). He was selected and played in NEHL All-Star game versus the College All-Stars in Boston.
“Steve was always one of the more prolific scorers (and point getters) each year for the Concord Eastern Olympics,” said Ryan Brandt, a teammate of his on those teams. “He had the hockey sense to find or create space relative to his teammates and opponents to have the opportunity to put the puck in the net, which he usually did.”
Murphy returned to Nova Scotia and played the season 1972-73 for the Antigonish Bulldogs. He returned to New Hampshire after that and suited up for the Manchester Monarchs in the Can-Am League and later the Concord Budmen.
Murphy played into his 50s in the Capital City Hockey League, a checking league and is a member of the CCHL Hall of Fame.
As a coach, he guided the varsity at Bishop Brady from 1991-94 and the varsity at Marian (Mass.) High School, where he was a teacher. He also oversaw three separate travel teams in the Concord Youth Hockey Association, winning N.H. State Championships at the Squirt 2 level (1993), the Squirt 1 level (1994) and the Pee-Wee 1 level (1996).