Former Penticton Knights player featured in TSN doc is now homeless

A former BCHL player and NHL’er is the centre of a TSN original feature that is airing tonight on SportsCentre.

Joe Murphy was a BCHL (Penticton Knights) and university star, a first round NHL draft pick and Stanley Cup winner — he is now homeless living on the streets of Kenora, Ont.

Finding Murph follows TSN senior correspondent Rick Westhead and former NHL goalie Trevor Kidd as they track down Murphy to find out what happened to him after his hockey career.

From @rwesthead: Joe Murphy was a 1st overall NHL Draft pick, a Stanley Cup champ, but is now living homeless.

What can be done to help? The TSN Original ‘Finding Murph’ airs Wednesday on @Sportscentre. pic.twitter.com/sNpZWwjO2j

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 21, 2018

After 18-years in the NHL, Murphy participated in a class action lawsuit against the NHL where players filed complaints that the league failed to keep them safe on issues related to concussions.

According to Hockeydb.com, Murphy played 51 games with the Penticton Knights in the 1984-85 season. He tallied an amazing 152 points that year (68 goals and 84 assists). Murphy won the BCHL Rookie of the Year honours and the BCHL MVP award. He sits fifth overall on Penticton’s all time single season goal tally and third overall for all time single season points (behind Brett Hull – 188 and Ron Vincent – 176).

While suited up for the Knights, the forward played alongside Todd Brost (who after college hockey played with the Canadian National Team, winning a silver at the 1992 Olympics) and Summerland’s John DePourcq. They powered to the Centennial Cup final, but lost.

Murphy was selected first overall in the 1986 NHL entry draft by the Detroit Red Wings after standing out as a centre at Michigan State. While he toiled in the AHL, winning a Calder Cup with the Adirondack Red Wings, it was a trade to the Edmonton Oilers that saw him win the NHL’s grand prize. That year, 1990, the Oilers defeated the Bruins in the Stanley Cup final.

Murphy followed that up with helping lead the Oilers to the conference finals the next year. Contract talks deteriorated before the next season and eventually he was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks. He then bounced around several NHL teams including the St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, Bruins and eventually the Washington Capitals — where he was suspended by the team in the 2000-2001 season and never played hockey again.

The TSN feature will debut on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. (Pacific). Finding Murph will be available on TSN.ca following its debut on SportsCentre.

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