Maple Leafs’ Murray has “a lot to give” in returning from hip surgery

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The vision didn’t come to Matt Murray.

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The Maple Leafs goaltender couldn’t picture himself sitting at home in a rocking chair on the porch, contemplating life after retiring from the National Hockey League.

That option never crossed Murray’s mind as he worked his way back during the majority of last season following bilateral hip surgery last fall. No one would have found fault had Murray, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins, called it a day on his NHL career.

“I just feel like I still have a lot to give,” Murray said on Tuesday. “And I also wanted to do right by Dr. (Bryan) Kelly, who did great work (in operating on Murray) and has helped me feel a lot better.

“All the guys who put in time and effort with me in my rehab process, I felt like I had to make something out of it. I want to do right by them.”

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Included in that group were Leafs assistant strength and conditioning coach Artie Hairston, who worked with Murray on a daily basis at the team’s facility at the Ford Performance Centre; Leafs director of high performance Rich Rotenberg; and Jon Elkin, Murray’s longtime goalie coach.

“It got to a point where I felt like it was starting to affect other things,” Murray said of the time leading up to his surgery. “My hips were always sore. It led to some groin stuff, some low back stuff. I just felt like my whole body wasn’t working properly the way it should be. Dr. Kelly mentioned that you recover a lot better when you’re younger (from hip surgery). We decided it was the right time to get it done.”

Murray took a large step toward returning to the NHL when he played in three games for the Toronto Marlies last April. Then came a new one-year contract with the Leafs, signed on July 2 with an AAV of $875,000 US.

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On Sunday in the Leafs’ 6-5 pre-season overtime loss against Ottawa, Murray made eight saves on 11 shots in relief of Joseph Woll.

The majority has pencilled in Woll and Anthony Stolarz, rightfully so, to be the Leafs’ goaltending tandem for 2024-25. How can Murray, who turned 30 in May, work his way into that conversation?

“It’s competition,” Murray said. “I just have to bring everything I have every day, leave it all out there and let the rest take care of itself.

“The biggest thing that I learned (during his rehab) is having the right team around you can make all the difference. Here in Toronto, it’s a special group. Not just the guys in the room, but in the training room and the gym guys, everybody that creates an unbelievable environment. That’s invaluable.”

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CAPTAIN ABSENCE

Eyebrows were raised when captain Auston Matthews departed midway through the practice for players who were not slated to play in Ottawa against the Senators on Tuesday night.

Matthews didn’t stick around after the Leafs switched pads halfway through, heading for the dressing room under his own steam.

For one day, at least, don’t reach for the panic button.

“Just an upper-body thing,” coach Craig Berube said. “It’s not serious. He should be fine.”

Winger Calle Jarnkrok, meanwhile, was not on the ice on Tuesday and is day to day with a lower-body injury.

TATTOO YOU

Steven Lorentz got some ink done during the summer and the big winger was glad to show it off at the end of his scrum with reporters.

Lorentz lifted his shorts over his right thigh, revealing a tattoo of the Stanley Cup, signifying the title he won with the Florida Panthers in June.

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“I have two legs for a reason, right?” Lorentz said with a smile. “So hopefully we can get one on the other side here soon too.”

For now, the goal for Lorentz is to earn a spot on the Leafs roster. In camp on a professional tryout, the 6-foot-4, 216-pound Lorentz is vying for a spot in Toronto’s bottom six. He’s in tough — Max Pacioretty, also with the Leafs on a PTO, has an inside track at a contract and his signing could create a domino effect among jobs — but Lorentz isn’t discouraged.

After dealing with an upper-body issue, Lorentz participated in practice on Tuesday, skating on a line with Matthews and Mitch Marner.
“Big, strong, physical and simple,” Lorentz said of what he could bring to the Leafs. “Doesn’t get much more complicated than that. When I’m not playing my game, I’m trying to do too much, and I’m not making plays. My style is chip and chase, skate through guys and use my size to my advantage.”

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When he had his day with the Cup this summer in Kitchener-Waterloo, Lorentz visited a local hospital with it and also had a party at his fiancé’s house. Giving in to his German roots, Lorentz and others ate sausage and sauerkraut out of the mug, but plans for what would have been an extra-large Caesar apparently didn’t pan out.

“I asked if we could rim the cup with Caesar rimmer,” Lorentz said, “but we weren’t allowed to do that.”

Has Lorentz imagined what it would be like to win the Cup with the Leafs?

“I’ve tried,” the 28-year-old said. “Growing up a Leafs fan … this is such a hockey city. It’s no secret, it would just be mayhem if the Leafs were able to do it.”

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