By Mitch Bach

Breaking the ice; Murray eyeing national team ahead of first CWHL season

Sep 1, 2017 | 3:56 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Kelly Murray has lived her life full of taking chances, overcoming adversity, and chasing dreams.

Now, after five years of grinding her way through the NCAA and CIS hockey systems, the 23-year-old Hatter is ready for her rookie campaign with the Calgary Inferno.

“To be given the chance to continue playing after university is just a phenomenal feeling,” she said, over the phone from Calgary.

Murray is recalling the moment she heard her named called at the Canadian Women’s Hockey League Entry Draft last month in Toronto. She was selected 12th overall in the second round to Calgary, bringing her back to her home province for the first time in more than half a decade.

“I was just happy to be at the draft,” she said. “When you’re a little girl playing hockey, you don’t really know how far you can go with it.”

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Freshly graduated from high school, Murray began her college career at Cornell University in 2012. After two years, and dealing with a few nagging injuries, she left the NCAA scene and joined the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds program in 2014.

“I really enjoyed my two years (At Cornell),” she said. “It was a great experience, but I think UBC was just a better fit for me personally. After my injuries I was able to transfer, and I didn’t have to sit out. I got to play three years at UBC.”

NCAA guidelines give players four years of eligibility. CIS tacks on a fifth year, making the decision for Murray to leave American soil a bit easier.

Murray was named a first-team All-Star in her senior year at UBC, and finished tied for fourth among all U-Sports players with a +18 rating. She was influential in the Thunderbirds second consecutive Canada West championship, along with a Bronze medal at the U-Sports National Championship.

On top of that, she traveled to Almaty, Kazahkstan last winter, representing Team Canada at the 28th Winter Universiade.
Needless to say, it’s been a remarkably successful 2017 for the young lady.

Now Murray is shifting her focus to her professional career in Calgary, but said she’ll be working three or four days a week away from the rink to help make ends meet.

“The CWHL can’t pay their players full salaries, so they organize their schedules around being able to work,” she said, also noting she’ll be helping coach other athletes at Edge School for Athletics.

But she’s taking this as the cherry on top of what’s been a challenging five years playing away from home.

Murray said it means the world to have her family able to watch her play as often as they like.

“It’s hard being away from home,” she acknowledged. “Especially when you’re 18 years old and you move out for university. Just this opportunity to get back here and play in Calgary is just going to be so much fun.”

She has two sisters graduated from NCAA institutes, working and living in Calgary. Her father owns a string of car dealerships and is based out of Strathmore.

“I’ve been gone for five five years, I’m so happy to be back and with my family,” she added.

Like many female hockey players in Canada, Murray has a few select dates in February circled on the calendar.

Hockey Canada is in the process of narrowing down their roster for the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea.

Often times, national scouts can be seen in the stands for CWHL games in preparation for the Olympics.

Murray said her next goal is to gain the attention of those scouts, and hopes to one day wear the maple leaf on the world stage.

“I need to have a really, really good year of hockey,” she said. “I think that speaks for just about any girl my age. Hockey Canada does a good job of watching, especially the CWHL. If I have a great year with the Inferno, I’d hope I’d get an invite.”

But she knows none of that will be possible if she doesn’t believe in herself.

Murray knows it takes a great deal of hard work and the right attitude to turn dreams into reality. It can be a long and treacherous road for some, but with the right attitude, she said any young girl can achieve whatever they set their mind to.

“Coming from a small town like Medicine Hat, I think a lot of young girls may think that journey to university, or to get to Team Canada is impossible, it’s not,” she added. “I would love for young girls to just be inspired and believe they can do it, because they can.”