Luke Murray went to and played for the Archbishop Wood Vikings of the SHSHL, “Suburban High School Hockey League.” Luke played between the pipes for the Vikings during his high school career. The Hatboro, Pennsylvania, native graduated from Temple University in 2005, and has also been a member of the Camden County (New Jersey) Police Department and Horsham (Pennsylvania) Township Police Department. Prior to becoming a professional referee, Luke worked roller hockey games in Kensington before ice hockey and debuted officiating youth games in 1998. He worked National Championship youth games, Pennsylvania high school title games, and Flyers Cup finals. After graduating high school, he worked varsity games and, at age 19, began working college club hockey. Luke attended USA Hockey Officiating Development camps in Vermont and New York and became active in USA Hockey’s junior development program, traveling throughout the Midwest and even to Texas. “Long car rides, long flights, long weekends,” he says.
After working his first pro game in 2002, Luke, in 2004 went full-time with the United Hockey League while busy studying journalism at Temple and running the student newspaper. In 2006, he went on the ECHL officiating crew.
Murray, #92, took to the ice for his final American Hockey League game alongside fellow linesman Tommy George (#61) and referees Beau Halkidis (#48) and Jake Rekucki (#84). The quartet handled his final game between the Springfield Thunderbirds and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Allentown’s PPL Center. While most of the fans were cheering for the players on the ice, Murray had a contingent on hand that night, with many fellow officials, friends, and family members in attendance, including his mother, Rita, and sister, Corrine.
This photo is obviously not the Thunderbirds but is identified as Luke’s Final game on the internet.
Murray was a linesman in the AHL since 2011, having worked over 150 games in his 9-season AHL career. He began his officiating career over 23 years ago, working games across the AHL, NCAA Hockey East, ECHL, United Hockey League, USA Hockey, and the USA Hockey Officials Development Program. Luke has officiated Flyers and Rangers intrasquad scrimmages for several years and recently worked the Flyers vs. Washington rookie and prospects scrimmage at Voorhees. “First time I’ve had two NHL organizations on the ice at the same time. An incredible experience.”
This is one of the craziest games Luke has ever worked. The most batshit crazy player in the UHL, Brad Wingfield goes after the guy who ended his season the year before.
Predominately a linesman, he’s skated with mega-stars like Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan and with current Flyers Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Scott Hartnell. “Every game,” he says, “presented a different challenge.” Recalling a game in Elmira, Luke worked a minor league game there one night when ex-Flyer Dave “The Hammer” Schultz was coaching the New York team. Luke’s parents, Mark and Rita, were in attendance when Schultz berated Murray for an offsides call another linesman made. “I’m standing in front of his bench and he hollers, ‘You’re bullshit.’ The whole building heard it, including my parents … and I didn’t even do it.”
Still, he’s learned how to deal with people in situations like these. “You’ve gotta stay calm when the sky’s falling.”
Though his time in the AHL has came to an end, Murray continues to patrol the bluelines in Hockey East (NCAA).
