ECHL: Greensboro Gargoyles Add Wade Murphy

Earlier today, the Greensboro Gargoyles added another veteran presence to the roster by signing forward Wade Murphy for the upcoming season.

The Veteran Experience

Murphy is a true veteran presence, bringing years of experience to a brand new franchise, having spent 10 years in the professional ranks. After being drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 7th round in 2013, Murphy played collegiately at two well-known and respected programs in the University of North Dakota and Arizona State University. In his two seasons at North Dakota, he had four points in 35 games, all coming from assists. Murphy’s time in the desert was seemingly more successful as he scored nine goals and tallied 11 assists in his 31 games as a Sun Devil.

“Adding Murphy up front gives us an opportunity to have a guy that is a known goal scorer and veteran player. He’s someone that always wants to improve his game. I’ve seen Wade play the last few years when he was in Idaho, and we believe there’s still another level we can bring out of him. This is a big veteran signing for us coming into the season as an expansion team”.

-Head Coach Scott Burt on the signing of Murphy

After his time at Arizona State was up, Murphy made his professional debut with the Manchester Monarchs, where he played in 14 games, netting two goals and four assists. His first full season as a professional came in the 2017-2018 season, where he split time between the Worcester Railers and the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. He was extremely consistent at both stops, scoring three goals and adding nine assists for both organizations. Prior to going overseas, the Canadian forward also made stops in both Kalamazoo and Maine, contributing 10 points for Kalamazoo and 11 for Maine.

Going Overseas Then Returning Home

After spending a few years in the ECHL, Murphy took on a new challenge by heading to Europe. Murphy’s time in Europe proved to be very beneficial as he saw a significant boost to his production. His first season overseas was with Narvik Hockey in Norway, where he was a more than point per game player, having scored 15 goals and 31 assists for 46 points in 45 games. The following season, Murphy joined Valerenga, where he had 15 points in 24 games. Before coming back to North America, Murphy spent a season with HK Olimpija Ljubljana in Slovenia. After his first stint in Europe concluded, Murphy found a new home in Idaho with the Steelheads.

His time in Idaho showcased just how much Murphy had developed in Europe as he immediately had a 43-point season followed by a career year. During the 2023-2024 season, Murphy had a career year, putting the puck in the net 25 times and adding a whopping 41 assists in his 52 games that year. After his career year, he set his sights back overseas, heading to Slovakia, where he had 16 points in 24 games, ultimately deciding to head back to North America and rejoin the Steelheads. Upon his return to Idaho, Murphy didn’t miss a step as he produced at nearly a point per game pace once again, with 24 points in 30 games.

Becoming A Gargoyle

If Head Coach Scott Burt opts to pair the three together, you would be getting a very exciting trio of players, all of whom could light the lamp at any given moment. Greensboro will need to add plenty more to the roster before the season, coming into the year with a blank slate. Having a fresh start will certainly be a challenge for the Gargoyles coaching staff and front office, but it is one they seem to be excited and prepared to take on.