Is Edmonton Oilers prospect forward Raphael Lavoie ready to make the NHL roster next season or at least on the right track? Abbey Murphy [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk5OTgwNTEzNTQ3NTI3Mjcx/usatsi_20480247.jpg] Abbey Murphy Abbey Murphy ascended to the level of world-class villain as a teenager. The Chicago native developed a reputation for her wrecking ball style of play in both offensive and physical play; sparked a rare brawl between the United States and Canadian women’s teams; and in each of her first two NCAA seasons with Minnesota, finished among the top two in penalties nationwide. The toughest, most hated player in women’s hockey? Murphy openly embraces the title. “I have my team here, my friends here on Team USA. I don’t need friends on the ice or from other countries,” Murphy said. “I have my group and I’m okay with that. It’s how I play. I’m an agitator. I aggravate people. I play hard and I’m always on them. I don’t mind that at all. “There’s a lot that comes to mind when I think of ‘toughness.’ It is showing up every day, having that same mindset to be the strongest one out there.” The 5-foot-5 Murphy, who says she was “born tough,” comes by it honestly. Her father is a United States Marine. She grew up with two athletic older brothers whom she would often fight and wrestle with, always battling for the last punch. Growing up in the city’s notorious South Side has shaped her as well. “That’s one of the first things people say, ‘she’s a South-Sider,’ ” Murphy said. “I do think we’re raised different. We’re raised pretty tough, pretty strict. You learn to do things your own way. You don’t get a lot of help. (Your family) supports you through everything, but it is going to be hard. That’s what that South Side attitude is and how we go about life, but I am very grateful for that.” During the 2022 Olympics the Wall Street Journal labelled Murphy, then 19, “the American hockey player the rest of the world loves to hate.” It is easy to understand why. In recent years, United States and Canadian women’s hockey players have spent more time as partners with mutual respect than seething rivals. North American players have often stood in solidarity over contract negotiations with their national bodies and in establishing a sustainable professional league. But Murphy, who still has three years of eligibility remaining with the Golden Gophers, has been distant from the unifying interactions. The last time she skated with teammates from above the 49th parallel was as a freshman in 2020-21. Since then, no Canadians have played for Minnesota, nor will any be rostered for the upcoming season. “I have no Canadian friends on that team,” Murphy said. “I don’t really want to do that. I like the rivalry.” During a My Why series game against Canada in December 2021, Murphy’s act of standing up for a teammate sparked a rare brawl between the squads. With tension already high in the third period, Canada’s Claire Thompson shoved American Dani Cameranesi from behind and head-first into the boards. Murphy jumped in to defend Cameranesi, unleashing chaos in the process. “I was like, ‘no, that is not happening,’ so I full-on went after the girl who hit her and it started an on-ice brawl,” Murphy said. “And I was in the middle of it. That was a good one for sure.” At the most recent Women’s World Championship in which she captured her first gold at the senior level, Murphy finished with eight points (five goals, three assists) and 31 penalty minutes, second only to Switzerland’s Lara Stalder, who had 35 PIM. In a 9-1 American romp of the Swiss in round-robin play, Murphy scored a record-setting 7 seconds into the contest, then set up two more goals by the halfway point. But minutes later she picked up a charging major and game misconduct. Mixing it up isn’t the only skill in Murphy’s repertoire. She’s an evasive skater, elite puck handler and boasts a hard, quick shot. During Minnesota’s 3-0 NCAA quarterfinals win over Minnesota-Duluth in March, Murphy delivered a highlight-reel goal which showcased all three. As she carried the puck into the offensive zone, Murphy shifted inside by pushing it under the stick of Taylor Stewart, moved it back outside between the defender’s skates, then fired at the near-side top corner past goalie Emma Soderberg. “I love being fast, being creative, making plays,” she said. Those offensive skills make Murphy a sure candidate to assume a top-line role for the Golden Gophers, who lost nine fifth-year players after last season. But Murphy realizes as her game develops, it must involve fewer trips to the penalty box. Keeping her effective edge without crossing the line is something both Minnesota coach Brad Frost and former Team USA head coach Joel Johnson have worked with her on. “I learned a lot after being cut from (2022) Worlds. After that, I re-evaluated, looked at myself, asked myself, ‘what can I do better? What can I do less of?’ “I have 100 percent learned and seen (my own) growth,” Murphy said. “I think others have seen it, too.” In each of her past two NCAA seasons, Murphy has registered more penalty minutes than points. During her freshman year, she had 26 penalty minutes versus 18 points. In the year following her Olympic redshirt, both numbers climbed, 56 penalty minutes and 50 points. Her goal this season is to see those statistics flip and separate. “Staying out of the box is my biggest thing right now,” Murphy said. “If I do that, I’ll spend a lot more time on the ice doing what I need to get done. I’m hoping for more points this year. I’m going to focus on taking less penalties.” There’s no rush to shed her gritty image, but she acknowledges evolution is necessary. And, perhaps eventually, that will include an olive branch for her Canadian counterparts — but not today. “Maybe one day when I’m older and in the league I’ll get along with them. But I’m okay for now.”
