Murray Oliver obit

Ex-North Star Murray Oliver dies at 77

 

He was not on the list.

Former North Stars player and coach Murray Oliver died Sunday after a heart attack.

Oliver, 77, lived in Edina.

He was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings (1957-61), Boston Bruins (1961-67), Toronto Maple Leafs (1967-70) and North Stars (1970-75).

In 1,127 NHL games, the 5-10, 165-pound playmaking center scored 274 goals and had 454 assists and made five All-Star teams.

Oliver was an assistant coach for the North Stars from 1978-86, and was head coach for 36 games in 1982-83 when Glen Sonmor stepped aside for health reasons. The Stars finished second in the Norris Division and won a first-round playoff series against Toronto that season.

He was runner-up to Bill Hay of the Blackhawks for the NHL's top rookie award, the Calder Trophy, in 1960 after scoring 20 goals for the Red Wings.

Oliver's career high in points was 68 in 1963-64 for Boston during a stretch where he scored at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons. He had 56 points for the North Stars in 1971-72.

Oliver scouted for the Vancouver Canucks before retiring.

On June 25, 1958, Murray was assigned to play for the Batavia Indians, where scouts hailed him as "one of the greatest athletes we've ever seen". In his debut, which was delayed because of a broken arm he suffered during the hockey season, he went hitless in three at-bats and committed one error. Over only 8 more games, mostly at third base, he batted .185 and committed an error per game, and was released by the Indians.

Oliver played for the Bruins until 1967. While in Boston, Oliver centred the B.O.W. line with wingers Johnny Bucyk and Tommy Williams, where he starred as a crafty stickhandler and patient playmaker. He put up an NHL career-high 68 points in 1964, despite knee surgery the prior season. He was traded in 1967 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he centred a line for three years with Bob Pulford and Ron Ellis.

Oliver was traded on May 22, 1970 (announced May 26) to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for Terry O'Malley, the rights to Brian Conacher and cash. Previously, the Maple Leafs had attempted to trade Oliver to the St. Louis Blues for goaltender Jacques Plante, but an excess of centres for St. Louis prevented the deal. Similarly, the Chicago Black Hawks were involved in a possible trade, but Chicago's price of Oliver and Bob Pulford in exchange for Jim Pappin was too high for the Maple Leafs, prompting the trade to Minnesota. Oliver played five seasons with the North Stars. He scored an NHL career-high 27 goals in 1971-72. In 1975, after a bitter contract dispute with Stars management, he retired.

Services are pending.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season             Playoffs

Season Team            League            GP            G            A            Pts            PIM            GP            G            A            Pts            PIM

1953–54            Burlington Mohawks            CJHL            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1953–54            Hamilton Tiger Cubs            OHA            2            0            2            2            0            5            1            0            1            0

1954–55            Hamilton Tiger Cubs            OHA            39            5            13            18            19            3            2            0            2            0

1955–56            Hamilton Tiger Cubs            OHA            5            1            1            2            2            —            —            —            —            —

1956–57            Hamilton Tiger Cubs            OHA            52            17            42            59            20            4            3            1            4            0

1957–58            Hamilton Tiger Cubs            OHA            52            34            56            90            37            4            2            5            7            8

1957–58            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            1            0            1            1            0            —            —            —            —            —

1958–59            Edmonton Flyers            WHL            64            33            34            67            35            3            1            1            2            0

1959–60            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            54            20            19            39            16            6            1            0            1            4

1959–60            Edmonton Flyers            WHL            16            8            12            20            6            —            —            —            —            —

1960–61            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            49            11            12            23            8            —            —            —            —            —

1960–61            Boston Bruins   NHL            21            6            10            16            8            —            —            —            —            —

1961–62            Boston Bruins   NHL            70            17            29            46            21            —            —            —            —            —

1962–63            Boston Bruins   NHL            65            22            40            62            38            —            —            —            —            —

1963–64            Boston Bruins   NHL            70            24            44            68            41            —            —            —            —            —

1964–65            Boston Bruins   NHL            65            20            23            43            30            —            —            —            —            —

1965–66            Boston Bruins   NHL            70            18            42            60            30            —            —            —            —            —

1966–67            Boston Bruins   NHL            65            9            26            35            16            —            —            —            —            —

1967–68            Toronto Maple Leafs            NHL            74            16            21            37            18            —            —            —            —            —

1968–69            Toronto Maple Leafs            NHL            76            14            36            50            16            4            1            2            3            0

1969–70            Toronto Maple Leafs            NHL            76            14            33            47            16            —            —            —            —            —

1970–71            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            61            9            23            32            8            12            7            4            11            0

1971–72            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            77            27            29            56            16            7            0            6            6            4

1972–73            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            75            11            31            42            10            6            0            4            4            2

1973–74            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            78            17            20            37            4            —            —            —            —            —

1974–75            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            80            19            15            34            24            —            —            —            —            —

NHL totals            1,127            274            454            728            320            35            9            16            25            10

NHL coaching record

Team    Year            Regular season  Post season

G         W            L            T            Pts            Finish            Result

Minnesota North Stars            1982–83        37            18            12            7            43            2nd in Norris  Lost in Division Finals