Championship Goalie Reflects on Time With Maple Leafs

A former Stanley Cup champion didn't play much with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and has nothing but nice things to say about the team.

Dec 28, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray (30) stands in his goal crease during the playing of national anthems before playing the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Now former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray hasn’t had the easiest path in hockey since winning the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years as a rookie. The two-time champion had a chance to rekindle his NHL career with the Maple Leafs, but injuries and stints in the AHL slowed him down, likely forcing him into backup roles for the remainder of his career.

Despite only 28 regular season games played over the course of three seasons with the Maple Leafs, Murray speaks highly of his time in Toronto. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native recently signed with the Seattle Kraken and told the JD Bunkis Podcast that he loved his time as a Maple Leaf.

All heart in the blue paint 💙

Matt Murray reflects on his #LeafsForever tenure following his move to Seattle.

The @JDBunkis Podcast ⤵️
🎧 https://t.co/ET2culOpbD pic.twitter.com/VzSK52nfOz

— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) July 11, 2025

“I enjoyed ever second in Toronto, I absolutely loved it,” Murray said. “It was the honor of a lifetime to wear that jersey.”

Murray mentioned that the Maple Leafs have always held a special place in his heart and always will. The Maple Leafs were his dad’s favorite team and the first team he ever saw in person as a kid.

There was also some discussion regarding the amount of pressure the Maple Leafs’ players are under to succeed. Toronto hasn’t seen the Maple Leafs win the Cup since 1967 and they’ve routinely disappointed in the playoffs in recent memory.

Murray believes his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins helped him prepare for any pressure the Toronto fan base may throw at him.

“A big thing for me was, I went through a lot of that same type of stuff in Pittsburgh,” Murray said. “Pittsburgh is a very pressure-packed market, as well. Especially when we had a really good team there. If we lost like two or three games in a row, you’d start to feel the energy shift.”

Pittsburgh helped prepare Murray for a bigger market like Toronto, but he doesn’t mind the pressure wherever he plays.

“The only thing I did not like about Toronto was the traffic,” Murray quipped. “I was in my car way too much. Other than that I loved every second… To have my game-warn jerseys that I’ll be able to show my kids one day, and they got to see me play for the Leafs. That’s incredibly special for me.”

Through Murray’s 28 games with the Maple Leafs, he picked up a 15-9-2 record with a .901 save percentage and 3.05 goals against average. His last appearance in a Maple Leafs uniform was a 13-minute relief effort in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers.

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