Ty Murchison wasn’t sure whether he should sit or stand when the media wanted to talk to him in the Flyers’ locker room in Voorhees on Monday.
On Saturday, the defenseman was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, and, normally, availability in Allentown is held outside the room.
He was more prepared for the swarm of reporters following the team’s optional morning skate Tuesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Although it was hinted at a day earlier, Murchison learned officially that he would be making his NHL debut later that night.
“Extremely excited,” the 22-year-old said. “It’s been something I’ve been dreaming about my entire life. So, yeah, definitely an emotional time, but ready to go tonight.”
It’s been a journey for the California kid, a fifth-round pick by the Flyers in 2021 and someone who didn’t swap his roller hockey wheels for ice hockey steel until he was 11 years old.
“I would say roller hockey is where home is for me,” he said Monday. “The skating is definitely a bit different. It’s funny when I go back and play in the summer with all my ice hockey buddies, like I’m the only guy that can stop in my roller blades, because I pretty much grew up on them. But the rest of the guys, they usually struggle trying not to break any ankles out there.”
Murchison jokes that he didn’t know how to stop and was “blowing up kids” on the ice when he started playing. It’s not a bad thing because that’s how he evolved into a rugged defenseman.
With his size, 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, and physicality at development camp in July, and rookie camp and the main training camp in September, his play piqued the interest of the Flyers’ new coaching staff.
“I thought from Day 1 — and I don’t think we gave [him] an exhibition game — he was really impressing me in practice,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said on Monday.
“He was [ticking] guys off, he was blowing up guys on cycles and stuff like that. And he’s played really well. I talked to [Phantoms coach John Snowden], and he’s a guy who deserves to come up and get a shot.”
When the season started, not many would have pegged him to be the first guy to take a rookie lap this season. Just a few months ago, Murchison wrapped up his four-year career at Arizona State as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s defensive defenseman of the year after blocking 98 shots.
After signing a two-year deal, he registered a goal and an assist in four regular-season games last season for the Phantoms and did not play in the postseason.
But this year, in 21 games, he has a goal, four points, 30 penalty minutes, and is plus-9. Murchison said he feels the pro game fits his style of play better than college because he likes to play a fast-paced, physical game.
So there he was this week, getting called into Snowden’s office to learn he was getting called up.
“My heart was beating about 100 beats per minute,” he said. “It was crazy, definitely nerve-racking, but extremely grateful to be here.”
And then he started making calls. His former teammates at ASU got a call, but the first FaceTime of the day was to his parents, Allyson and Ken.
“It was early morning back in Arizona, so woke them up, but yeah, I was choked up trying to get the words out. But as soon as I told my mom, she was screaming for my dad,” Murchison said with a laugh.
“But yeah, extremely emotional. There’s been a lot of periods throughout the last 48 hours where I’ve been getting a bit choked up and just thinking about it. Because, I mean, I’ve been thinking about this every day of my life.”
Murchison added that his parents packed their bags after that initial call and were just waiting for the next call to say he would be making his NHL debut. They will be in attendance along with about 20 buddies and family members from places like California, Prince Edward Island (his parents are from Canada), and Arizona on Tuesday when he skates against the visiting San Jose Sharks (7 p.m., NBCSP). For the record, Murchison grew up an Anaheim Ducks fan in Corona, Calif.
He’ll be working with assistant coach Todd Reirden — he already knew him through Reirden’s son, Travis, who worked in analytics for Arizona State — and alongside veteran blueliner Noah Juulsen on the third pairing. Communication will be key for the new partner, as noted by Juulsen, and Murchison said he was “extremely talkative” during practice on Monday.
A big difference between this year and previous regimes is that the Flyers and Phantoms play a similar structure, especially in the defensive zone. It has helped several players, like center Jacob Gaucher and defenseman Emil Andrae, seamlessly enter the big club’s lineup when they have been called up.
Now it’s Murchison’s turn to show the bench boss what he can do. And while Tocchet called it “music to my ears” when told that Murchison likes to play a fast, hard game with an edge, the Flyers coach just wants to see him play his game.
The Phantoms coaches “felt that he was a guy who really consistently has brought his game [and is] competitive every night,” Tocchet said. “I’ve talked to [the media] about how we’ve got to squash plays, we’ve got to come up with some battle. And he’s one of those guys who, hopefully he can do it for us. I don’t know, but I think you’ve got to give him a shot.”
Breakaways
Forward Carl Grundström will be inserted into the lineup on the fourth line in place of Nic Deslauriers. Acquired in the deal that sent Ryan Ellis’ contract to the Sharks, Grundström played one season for San Jose, registering nine points in 56 games. He was recalled Dec. 2 from the Phantoms after Tyson Foerster was injured. Grundström made his Flyers debut against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 8. … Goalie Dan Vladař (10-5-1, .906 save percentage) will start in net.
