March 6, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that the club has re-signed former Bemidji State University standout Andrew Murray to a three-year contract, keeping him with the team through the 2010-11 season. Blue Jacket General Manager Scott Howson made the announcement today. As is club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Murray became the fifth former Beaver to log time in the National Hockey League (NHL) when he made is debut in Nashville Dec. 27, 2007. It didn’t take long for the Selkirk, Manitoba native to make an impact on his new teammates and coaching staff netting his first NHL goal versus the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks Jan. 2--just his third game with the club. Despite a stint on the Injured Reserve, he has been with the club since.

In 25 games for the Blue Jackets Murray has posted a total of five goals and two assists and is currently toting an even plus/minutes rating.

Of the signing, Howson told BlueJackets.com, “Andrew has been a solid addition to the Blue Jackets since his recall and we are very pleased that he will continue to be an important part of our hockey club in the future.”

Prior to his call up, Murray collected 13 goals and a pair of assists in 34 contests with the Blue Jackets’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Syracuse Crunch.

Murray, a 2005 graduate of Bemidji State, played four years under head coach Tom Serratore and left the program as its Division I-era scoring leader with 46-69--115 points in 128 contests ranking him seventh on the College Hockey America (CHA) career list and 30th on BSU’s all-time scoring chart. His 46 goals seat him in fourth among BSU’s D-I goal-scoring leaders while his 69 assists, along with Luke Erickson’s 52-69--121 (2003-2007), still stands as a BSU Division I-era best.

“Its great to see rewards come to people who deserve it,” said Serratore. “Andrew is not only a great hockey player with a tremendous work ethic, he is a great person and a consummate role model. He’s everything you could ask for in a hockey player.”

A three-year team captain, Murray’s leadership on and off the ice was a major contributor to the BSU’s back-to-back CHA tiles in 2004 and 2005. He was named CHA Player of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year at the conclusion of his senior season and stands and the first, and only, player to ever sweep the league awards in the same season.

Murray was Columbus’ 11th pick, 242nd overall, in the 2001 Entry Draft. Since leaving BSU he has logged 183 games with the Crunch registering 36-30--66 points and 150 penalty minutes.

Bemidji State, 16-15-3 overall and 13-4-3 in league play, wrapped up its 2007-08 regular-season schedule last week by hoisting the Peters Cup. The Beavers claimed their third CHA regular-season crown in five years with a victory over Wayne State University. BSU now turns its focus to its next goal--a CHA Tournament Championship and yet another trip to the NCAA Tournament. The team opens conference tournament play Saturday Mar. 15 at 3 p.m. CST and will face the winner of the No. 4/No. 5 quarterfinal match up between Wayne State and University of Alabama-Huntsville.

-bsu-