A troubling hip injury and more than a year and a half later, the former The Pittsburgh Penguins and two-time Stanley Cup champion is set to return to NHL action.
Goaltender Matt Murray – who led Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 – he was recalled from the AHL by the Toronto Maple Leafs before their tilt on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres.
Maple Leafs G Dennis Hildeby assigned to Toronto Marlies (AHL).
GG Matt Murray was recalled to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
– Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 20, 2024
As reported by THN’s David Alter and confirmed by Leafs coach Craig Berube, Murray will start against the Sabers on Friday:
Murray was traded by the Ottawa Senators to the Leafs in the summer of 2022, and an injury in the 2022-23 season limited him to 26 games in 2022-23. In that first season with the Leafs, he went 14-8-2 and posted a .903 save percentage.
He then underwent bilateral hip surgery in the 2023 offseason which kept him out of NHL action for the entire 2023-24 season. He saw time with the Marlies at the end of the AHL season, but has not started an NHL game since April 2, 2023. He signed a one-year contract with the Leafs this past season.
And interesting enough? His last AHL start came with one out against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday, a 27-inning shutout and a 3-0 win for Murray and the Marlies.
