Oilersnation is reviving the Top 100 Edmonton Oilers of All Time list, a project originally created by the late Robin Brownlee in 2015. Joe Murphy comes in at No. 36 on our updated 2025 list. He was ranked No. 26 on Brownlee’s original list.

Starting as a first overall pick in 1986, no one would have expected that Joe Murphy would end up living on the streets of Kenora, Ont., 40 years later.

What began as a successful career for a consistent scorer quickly turned into disaster. Problematic behaviours tarnished the tail end of his career, and ultimately ended in his retirement at just 34 years old.

Despite a striking fall from grace for Murphy, his time in Edmonton was iconic. Winning a Stanley Cup and providing high-intensity offence slots him in at No. 36 on our Top 100 Oilers ranking.

Notable

Edmonton has seen its fair share of kid lines over the years. Recent examples being Dylan Holloway, Ryan McLeod, and Warren Foegele or Andrew Cogliano, Sam Gagner, and Robert Nilsson. However, none have seen as much success as the 1990 Stanley Cup-winning “kid line” with Joe Murphy, Adam Graves, and Martin Gelinas.

After being traded to the Oilers in 1989, Murphy was a key piece to the 1990 Stanley Cup championship winning team. In the 22 game journey that ended with the Oilers’ fifth cup of franchise history Murphy acquired 6 goals and 14 points, leading his line in scoring.

As a first overall draft pick, Murphy was expected to be an impactful player in the NHL. He proved to be worth the hype during the height of his career. His second season with the Oilers was his breakout year, as he obtained 62 points in the 80 games he played, and he closed out his time in Edmonton with over a point per game – in the 80 game season, it was the best year of his career for goals, 35, and points, 82.

Murphy was a big game player and never shied away from producing in the playoffs. His third and final year with the Oilers was not only his most successful regular season, but it was also his most successful post-season. He had 8 goals and 24 points in just 16 games. Ultimately, the Oilers fell short in the 1992 Campbell Conference final, losing the series in dramatic fashion as they were swept by the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Story

Murphy did not have a seamless transition into NHL hockey after being selected first overall in the 1986 NHL Draft, by the Detroit Red Wings. He spent his first three seasons bouncing back and forth between the NHL club and their AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Red Wings. In 1988 he played a major part in leading Adirondack to their Calder Cup championship, collecting 17 points across the 16 playoff games.

The 1989 deal that brought Petr Klima, who is placed one spot above Murphy on our Top 100 Oilers list, to Edmonton was the same deal that saw Murphy don the orange, white and blue. Murphy’s linemate on the infamous “kid line,” Adam Graves, was also brought in on this trade, as the Oilers sent away their 5th round draft pick in 1991, Jimmy Carson and Kevin McClelland.

His time in Edmonton lasted three seasons and involved 61 goals and 142 points in his 222 games. On Feb. 24, 1993, he was traded to the Blackhawks for Igor Kravchuk and Dean McAmmond. The consistent offensive success that he had over his three seasons in Chicago was a perfect indication of why he was drafted first overall 10 years prior to his departure from the Blackhawks in ’96. With the ‘Hawks, he scored 197 points in 210 games and played 36 playoff games with the club.

Once he arrived in St. Louis as a free agent he had already developed a successful NHL career and was expected to continue that success for the Blues. He recorded 62 points in his 102 games with the Blues, then went to San Jose in 1998 for Todd Gill where he played one season and put up 66 points.

Then, his career began taking a turn after concussions riddled him and allegedly caused a great impact on his mental health. He signed with Boston in Nov, 1999 where he only played 26 games before being put on waivers after apparent insubordination and a conflict with Hall of Fame coach, Pat Burns.

Washington then selected him off waivers and he played in 43 games over two seasons and scored 20 points, a dramatic drop off in production from the prime of his career. After getting into an altercation with a woman during a road game in New York he was sent down to the AHL. Murphy didn’t report to the minors and ended his pro hockey career, but his story doesn’t end there.

Now, Murphy can be found living on the streets, woodlands and in shelters of Kenora, Ontario. According to a story written by Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet, he has no plans of attempting to resurrect his life, and has grown accustomed to the likes of panhandling and tent-living. He is a prime example of the importance of concussion protocols within the league and why head injuries should never be taken lightly.

A Feb. 25, 1993, edition of the Edmonton Journal details the Oilers’ trade of Joe Murphy to the Chicago Blackhawks.

What Brownlee said

All told, Murphy amassed 45 points in 53 playoff games with the Oilers, including the 1991 playoffs when he had just seven points in 15 games. The bottom line is that while Murphy never did live up to the billing that came as a first overall draft pick as an NHLer after being taken by Detroit, he was mostly money when it really mattered during his tenure in Edmonton.
“They put our line together about the third game of the playoffs and all I recall is us just saying ‘Let’s go out there and work hard,’” Gelinas said of the 1990 Cup team. “Murph had a lot of skill and Gravy was the big, heavy guy. All three of us combined created a pretty good energy and a big buzz. We got some timely goals, but more importantly when we were on the ice we were just making things happen.”

The Last 10

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