ROB MURRAY’S CONTRACT RENEWED THROUGH 2026-27 ECHL SEASON

ROB MURRAY’S CONTRACT RENEWED THROUGH 2026-27 ECHL SEASON

Rob Murray continues as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for next two seasons 

TULSA, Okla.— The Tulsa Oilers, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and powered by Community Care, announced Tuesday the extension of Rob Murray as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations through the 2026-27 season.  

Murray recently completed his eighth season behind the Oilers’ bench, earning a postseason berth for the third time in the last four campaigns and for the first time in back-to-back seasons since Tulsa joined the ECHL in 2014-15. Under Murray’s guidance, the Oilers finished with 88 points and 40 wins — the second-best totals in the current franchises’ 32-year history — winning a franchise-record 22 road wins in the process. Those 40 regular season victories bring the Oilers’ bench boss’ total to 491, tying John Marks for fifth all time in league history.  

“I’d like to thank Andy Scurto and Taylor Hall for their continued confidence in me,” Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Rob Murray said. “I love being here. The city, our fan support and all the people I work with are amazing. In this walk of life, you don’t often get the opportunity to stay in one place for all that long. I have been very fortunate to have been given that here in Tulsa.” 

The Toronto, Ontario native also holds the Oilers’ top-performing campaign, earning 90 points with 43 wins in the 2018-19 ECHL season, securing the club’s first division championship since the 1975-76 season. That same year, Murray was named the ECHL General Manager of the Year for his role as Director of Hockey operations, building a roster that reached the Western Conference Finals from the remains of a club that failed to obtain a postseason bid in three consecutive seasons under two separate head coaches. 

“We are very excited to keep coach Rob at the helm of our team,” Owner Andy Scurto said. “The team keeps getting better every year, and this is due to coach Rob's excellent coaching skills and leadership. I look forward to where we can go in the coming few years!”

The longest-serving head coach in the Oilers brand’s 73-season history served as Head Coach of two other professional teams before joining his current employer in 2017, the AHL’s Providence Bruins and the now-defunct Alaska Aces of the ECHL. His 14 consecutive campaigns behind an ECHL bench is the longest active streak, and his eight-season tenure in Tulsa trails only Brad Ralph’s nine-campaign residency in Florida with the three-time reigning champion Everblades for the longest active tenure with one team. 

“Excitement around Oilers hockey is at an all-time high right now,” General Manager Taylor Hall said. “We’re coming off back-to-back playoff seasons and having Rob back on board for two more years ensures we’ll have consistency, growth and success on the ice.” 

With the Aces, Murray claimed three-consecutive Brabham Cups and hoisted the 2013-14 Kelly Cup. In 2012 he was awarded the John Brophy Award, given to the coach who contributed the most to their team’s success as determined in a vote from ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and media members.  

Murray began his coaching career with the AHL’s Providence Bruins in 2003-04, giving the 58-year-old 22 years of coaching experience, and 17 years as a head coach. Murray embarked on his head-coaching career with Providence in 2008-09, taking the Bruins to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals in his first season. The former NHLer also coached the Providence Bruins in 2010-11 when their affiliate, the Boston Bruins, won the Stanley Cup, earning a Stanley Cup ring for his work with the team.

Prior to coaching, Murray enjoyed a 16-year professional career spanning the NHL, AHL and IHL. The 61st overall selection of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft played in the NHL with Washington, Winnipeg and Phoenix, making appearances in eight separate NHL seasons, culminating in 107 outings.

A 15-year veteran of the AHL, Murray wore the captain’s “C” for four different franchises and captained the Canadian Team in the 1997 AHL All-Star Classic. He was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2017, finishing second in career PIM (first at the time of his retirement) with 2,940. The 6’1, 180 lbs. forward collected 473 points (161G, 312A) in 1018 career AHL games. Murray’s #23 was retired by the Springfield Falcons. 

The Oilers embark on their ninth campaign under Rob Murray's tutelage in 2025-26. A full schedule for the upcoming season will be announced in the coming weeks.