Terrier tie to World Juniors

When Team Canada was in pursuit of the World Junior Hockey Championship at the tournament in Edmonton, a Yorkton Junior Terrier was in the stands cheering on his brother.

Ryan Murray, a member of the Western Hockey League Everett Silvertips was a member of the Canadian team on defence, while older brother Nathan skates with the Terriers.

Nathan, 19, said the family had an expectation Ryan, 18, would make the Canadian team this time around, "since he was one of the last cuts last year, so we were sort of assuming he'd make it."

But nothing is a given in hockey, and when Ryan suffered a high ankle sprain in the WHL, "we were nervous maybe they'd cut him for that So we were waiting for the final decision of the coach and Hockey Canada staff."

Nathan said the first game of the championship, against Finland, set the tone for the event.

"It was unreal just to go to the game," he said.

Nathan said family of players were in one area, arriving 90-minutes before the games.

"We all got tuned up waiting for the warm-ups," he said, adding they all "yelled out a huge cheer for the team as they stepped on the ice for warm-ups."

While the preliminary round lacks a level of competitiveness, Murray said the atmosphere was electric. He said the game against Finland wasn't bad since the team played well, making it to the bronze medal game against Canada.

The game against Denmark was not as competitive.

Then there was the New Year's eve contest against the United States.

"It was one of the best games I seen them play," he said, even though it meant nothing in the standings with Canada already advancing and the Americans out of contention.

Nathan explained tickets for the game were selling for $500. "That shows the interest in a game that didn't mean anything," he said.

And then there was the playoffs, and the game against Russia, one that would become a classic, although it started out anything but.

The Russians would build up a massive lead, one Nathan said shook the faith of even the most ardent Team Canada supporter.

The first couple of goals by the Russians were taken in stride by the pro-Canadian crowd, said Nathan.

"We were still all there cheering to bring them back," he said.

But as the score mounted, the hope of a comeback faded.

"I seen a lot of people leaving before the third period," said Nathan.

With only eight-minutes left in the game the score was 6-1 for the Russians, and more fans left.

"I know they definitely regretted leaving," said Nathan.

Still Nathan said at that point he was not expecting a comeback.

"I wanted them to win, but that's a long shot to come back from, especially at that level of hockey," he said. " I think everyone else, including myself, thought it was over."

But it wasn't. Team Canada scored four goals to make it a one-goal contest.

Nathan said being there live was much different than watching on television.

"I've never seen anything like the World Juniors. You couldn't sit down, or you couldn't see the ice. Everybody was standing and cheering. If you were short you couldn't actually see the game."

While Team Canada would rattle one off the Russian goal post late, that was as close to tieing the game as they would come, losing 6-5.

Nathan said it was a deflating loss for fans and players. In fact players did not even come to the family room post game.

In the case of brother Ryan, Nathan said the pair did not actually talk until Wednesday.

Nathan admitted the game was a tough one for his brother.

One shot hit off him "and went sliding into the net," something he said happens, but was magnified by the circumstances of the game and the size of the audience.

A second shot Ryan went to poke check.

"It should have went into the crowd, instead it went over the goalie's shoulder," said Nathan, adding it was another case of pure bad luck.

It was something Nathan said his brother was not really up to talking about, even 24-hours later.

"I told him I didn't care they lost," said Nathan. " I told him it didn't matter if they got gold, or not. I just wanted to watch him play."

Nathan said he tried to put the situation in perspective for his brother.

I told him I would probably have done anything in the world to play on that team He was lucky to play on that team. People, fans young kids all dream to play in that sort of game.

"He got to put on the (Team Canada) jersey and only 20-22 get to do that each year."

Team Canada did win the bronze medals 4-0 over Finland.

Nathan has predicted the victory.

"They're definitely going to win that game," he said in his interview hours before the game start Thursday. " They're going to pull through no matter what happens."

Nathan said growing up he and his brother got along well on the ice and off.

"It wasn't really that competitive," he said, adding the two spent hours skating together.

"We had an outdoor rink really before I could walk," he said. "We would have to go to bed if we weren't on the outdoor rink. So Ryan and I would stay out 'til after dark."

Nathan said it wasn't unusual to hit the backyard rink in White City at 3:30 after school, and basically stay out there until 10 at night.

It was really a case of the entire family being hockey oriented. While most are now aware of Ryan playing in the WHL, and locally Nathan with the Terriers, Nathan pointed out his sister Melissa was on the Mac's Tournament winning team on the girls' side, playing with a Regina team.

Twin brothers Troy and Travis are also involved.

Travis "got the short end of the stick," said Nathan. Not being very big Travis "does a lot of 'refing'" in order to stay involved in the sport.

Troy plays AA Bantam and is expected to go in this year's WHL draft.

Hopefully he'll be drafted to play in the WHL," said Nathan, adding if that avenue doesn't work out, "I'll have to talk Trent (Cassan) into bringing him here."

Nathan knows the expectation of waiting for the WHL draft. He too played AA Bantam, but in a big tournament leading up to the draft he ended up being kicked out of four games, and with it his draft chances.

Being close to Regina and the Pats, Nathan said, "I went out and skated with them," and eventually had a try-out in Red Deer. When that didn't work out, he turned to the Terriers.

"I haven't looked back to go anywhere else," he said.

Ryan of course made the WHL, but Nathan said that did not create any jealousy.

"It's not like that at all," he said, adding it goes back to growing up in a small town where the brothers were essentially best friends too.

"We were close because we didn't have a huge amount of friends," he said. "It was a small town, everybody got a long."

Interestingly down the road in Balgonie was Jaden Schwartz who was also on Team Canada. Nathan said they played against each other at the earliest levels of hockey. Then when the Schwartz family moved to Wilcox, the Murrays followed. There was no team for players Jaden and Nathan's age in Wilcox.

"We played together in Weyburn for a year. We car pooled the whole year," said Nathan, adding with Schwartz now at Colorado College they have not been in contact much. However, in Edmonton, they had a chance to talk, which he said was an added bonus.