Morning Chirps: Remembering Troy Murray, Nick Lardis recalled

The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action later today against the Dallas Stars. We’ll have a full game preview later this morning and some postgame thoughts when the game concludes. Until then, get caught up with your Sunday Morning Chirps.

Blackhawks Chirps

• I woke up Saturday morning to some news that I had expected for some time now, but it didn’t make it any less awful. Troy Murray lost his long and courageous battle with cancer at the age of 63 on Saturday. Muzz was special to a lot of people, from fans to teammates to members of the media. The Blackhawks selected him 57th overall out of the University of North Dakota in 1980. He scored 197 goals and 488 points in 688 games with the Blackhawks. In 1986, he won the Frank J. Selke Trophy for being the league’s best defensive forward. He spent his final season with the Colorado Avalanche in 1995-96 and finished his career with a Stanley Cup win.

• A new generation of Blackhawks fans became familiar with Murray during his broadcast career, which he started in 1998 as a studio analyst. In 2003, he moved to the broadcast booth and spent two seasons with Pat Foley as the television and radio broadcasts were simulcast. The broadcasts were separated in 2006, when his partnership with John Weideman began. The duo spent nearly two decades and called some of the biggest moments in franchise history.

• I started going to Blackhawks games in the late 1980s with my dad and got to watch Murray play. Of course, listening to him on the radio during the Stanley Cup runs made him an all-time favorite. Since joining the Blackhawks beat in 2022, I got to know him personally and was lucky to enough to call him a friend. Any day at the rink with Troy was a good day. He was always in good spirits and quick with a joke. Whether it was throwing popcorn at you, giving you a sneaky elbow to the ribs as he walked by, or sitting and breaking down last night’s game, I cherished every moment I got with Muzz. His courageous battle was inspirational. The rink hasn’t been the same this season because he hasn’t been there. He will be missed by many, but forgotten by no one. You get a great idea of who Murray was from what his friends and colleagues have said about him.

• After practice yesterday, the Blackhawks recalled forward Nick Lardis and goaltender Drew Commesso from the Rockford IceHogs. Spencer Knight is still under the weather and did not make the trip to Dallas. We’ll find out later where Lardis slots in.

• Not having those two in the lineup last night hurt the IceHogs in their 6-4 loss to the San Diego Gulls. The veterans did the heavy lifting with Dominic Toninato, Brett Seney, Rem Pitlick, and Joey Anderson providing the goals. Taige Harding and Gavin Hayes picked up assists. Olivier Rodrigue made 27 saves in his second start in 24 hours.

• While we’ve spent a lot of time this season talking about the two big prospects in the Ontario Hockey League, Nathan Behm is having a huge season in the Western Hockey League. He had two goals and an assist in the Kamloops Blazers’ 6-2 win over the Vancouver Giants. He has 36 goals and 82 points in 61 games.

• On this date in 1965, Stan Mikita broke Bobby Hull’s single-season scoring record with his 85th point of the season in a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

• In 1982, Steve Larmer broke Denis Savard‘s team rookie-scoring record by getting his 35th goal and 41st assist of the season, as the Blackhawks beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, March 8: Sergei Klimovich.

NHL Chirps

• It looks like the Detroit Red Wings dodged a bullet after captain Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury on Friday. The team announced that he will miss today’s game against the New Jersey Devils and is considered day-to-day.

• The news isn’t as good for Stars forward Roope Hintz and the lower-body injury he suffered Friday against the Colorado Avalanche. He won’t be in the lineup against the Blackhawks and will miss multiple weeks.

• Former Blackhawks first-round pick Nolan Allan was recalled by the San Jose Sharks yesterday. He was not in the lineup for their 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders Saturday night.

• Speaking of ex-Blackhawks, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Utah Mammoth and Nick Schmaltz have progressed in their contract extension negotiations. The 30-year-old center has 24 goals and 58 points this season.  

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, March 8: Tracy Pratt, Greg Malone, Larry Murphy, Mike Lalor, Brent Fedyk, Rob Zettler, Rob Pearson, Bob Boughner, and Chris Clark.