Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk was in town on Friday for a special announcement.
Former Senators general manager and now senior hockey advisor Bryan Murray is the first inductee into the franchise's Ring of Honour, which will be located above the 300 level at Canadian Tire Centre.
"I think Bryan Murray is going to be seen, looking backwards, (as) one of the great legacies of the franchise," Melnyk said this morning after a press conference. "We went through a lot; good times, bad times. But at the end of the day, he is as professional and stoic as it takes to be a good GM."
Murray, 74, coached 17 seasons in the NHL with five different teams. He served as Senators general manager from 2007-2016.
"(I've) been in the business a long time and I've had a lot of great people around me," said Murray. "And you have to have that if you're ever going to be recognized for anything. It's real special, and especially in Ottawa where I'm so close to my hometown."
The Shawville, Quebec native had more good news to share. After announcing he'd been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in November of 2014, Murray provided an update on his health.
"Everything's stable at this point in time," said Murray. "I wasn't given this good news at the beginning, but now it seems like things are holding steady, so you might have to put up with me for a lot longer."