The Cincinnati Cyclones have announced the signing of veteran defenseman Matt Murphy, making him the fourth defenseman to be signed ahead of the upcoming season. Last season, he played for the Manchester Storm of the EIHL in England, scoring 22 points. In his five years of professional hockey, he has played for various teams including the Fort Wayne Komets, Iowa Heartlanders, Belleville Senators, Chicago Wolves, Providence Bruins, Abbottsford Canucks, and the Iowa Wild in the USA. Additionally, he has played for Black Wings Linz and HC Slovan Bratislava overseas.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about Cincinnati from Justin Vaive when I played in Fort Wayne with him”, said Murphy. “I reached out to Vaiver and told him I was making the transition back to North America and was curious if there was any interest from Cincinnati.”
During the 2020-2021 season, the Cincinnati Cyclones did not continue in the shortened season, but Murphy won a Kelly Cup on the Fort Wayne Komets alongside Cyclones’ Captain Justin Vaive. He has also won other championships, including a Memorial Cup in the USports league with the University of Brunswick in 2017 and 2019. In his years in the USports league, he was selected for the All-Star team twice and was on the All-Rookie team as well. Earlier in his career, he also won the CHL Memorial Cup and a QMJHL Championship from 2012-2013.
“I’ve been on both ends. I’ve been super fortunate to win at nearly every level I’ve played at. You talk about memories and obviously when I think of my hockey career, all those championships are by far the top ones. Winning as a team after going through so much hard work and sacrifices.”
Having a veteran presence like Murphy on a younger team like the Cyclones is huge. With the new affiliation with Toronto, many younger players beginning their careers are expected to join the Cyclones, and a player like Murphy, who has a wealth of hockey experience, will certainly help many younger defensemen develop quickly.
Sounds like Matt will use his experience helping the younger players mature as hockey players. Hopefully this will enable the cyclones to win the Kelly cup.