Stephen Murphy

Stephen James Murphy (born 11 December 1981) is a British former professional ice hockey goaltender. Early life Murphy was born in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom. He began playing ice hockey at the age of five. He made his first professional appearances at the age of 16 with the Paisley Pirates of the BNL. Murphy made two appearances for the Pirates during the 1997/98 season before moving on to the Fife Flyers. Whilst in Fife, Murphy helped the Flyers win the Scottish Cup. He established himself as the Flyers' first-choice goaltender despite his young age and in the 1998–1999 season recorded a GAA of 3.61 and a save percentage of .918. Career In 1999, at the age of 17, Murphy became the goaltender for the Great Britain National Team and played on five occasions for them in the World Junior Championships, proving himself to be a reliable last line of defence. This solidified his position as the Flyers' first choice goaltender and he continued to play for them during the 1999–2000 season, featuring in the BNL as well as the B&H Cup and the Christmas Cup. Once again the Flyers made the post-season, with Murphy playing every game in the playoffs. In 2000, Murphy moved to the United States to sign for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. He failed to make an appearance and moved mid-season to the Cleveland Barons. He finished the 2000–2001 season in Scotland, once again playing for the Flyers. In the summer of 2001, Murphy played again for the Team GB junior squad but also featured for the senior team where he recorded 1.97 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.