May 17, 2011SHARKS PAGE SHARKS VIDEONHL PAGE VANCOUVER PAGESERIES SCHEDULE
Tim Panaccio
CSNCalifornia.com

VANCOUVER, British Columbia There are so many things about Douglas Murray the man that you dont really consider, because its his impact on the ice for the Sharks that matters most.

Like the fact he took his degree in hotel administration from Cornell, got together with his buddies, and started up his own business -- Uber Dispensing Company -- with a novel multi-head keg tap.

UberTap, he calls it.

Given Murrays size (6-foot-3, 240 pounds), and that he looks like a cross between Meatloaf and Jeremiah Johnson, you can connect the dots and figure hes sipped a few beers over the years from that UberTap.

PHT: Sharks' Murray bruising defender, beer genius

You wouldnt know he was a Swede simply by his name. Or that his ancestral lineage includes the legendary player Lasse Bjorn. Or that his family was originally from Scotland, but his mother preferred English names for her children.

Thats why hes a Douglas, his brothers are Charles and Ted, and his sister is Roseanna.

But heres something not many people know about Douglas Murray.

He played with Vancouver's Sedin Twins -- Daniel and Henrik -- growing up in Bromma, Sweden.

Big, Daniel Sedin said, when asked how he remembered Murray as a youngster. He was a man when he was 12. He's such a big, strong player, but he makes plays, too. I think he's pretty underrated as a passer and moving the puck. We played together in matchup teams for a few tournaments. Hes always been good.

Swedens version of "The Three Amigos" were teammates during the Vancouver Olympic Games. Murray had six points in the tournament for his homeland.

Hes done a great job getting to where he is now, Daniel Sedin said.

Murray threw his weight around in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, with Ryan Kesler the primary target.

Daniel Sedin had to chuckle on the bench watching, admitting Murray did that as a kid, too.

I don't know how much he weighs, Daniel Sedin said. Three-hundred pounds? Looks like it. He's a big guy and uses that to his advantage.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan said Murray needs to do a tad more of that in this series if the Sharks, down 0-1, are going to finally reach the Stanley Cup Final.

The Doug Murrays, the thicker, stronger, the bull in the china shop, they have to have an impact on the series, McLellan said, responding to a question about the kind of athletes a hockey team needs to be successful.

Ask Murray about what it was like playing against the Sedins instead of with them as a kid, and he smiles.

I think we had this Swedish tournament with Peter, ah, what do you call that? Murray asked.

Peter Puck?

Yeah, Murray said, nodding. They have been amazing since the first day I played against them. You've always got to know where the other is. Its usually not the one with the puck that is doing the most damage. Everyone around the puck. You defend with all five guys. Be really creative.

Murray likened the Sedins to Joe Thornton in terms of finding scoring opportunities on the ice.

If you miss an assignment on them, they find it, Murray said.

Daniel Sedin said the one thing that always stood out about his friend was you knew where Murray was coming from.

Off the ice, that is.

Hes got his opinions, Daniel Sedin said. And he doesnt mind talking about them. Hes pretty un-Swedish that way.

McLellan can vouch for that. Maybe thats why they call Murray Cranky.

He has this energy about him that's not as Swedish as a lot of guys, McLellan said. You see Sammy Mikael Samuelsson and the guys around here. I'm not sure about the Sedins, but a lot of the Swedes are a little quieter. Not this one.

What McLellan likes best about Murray is that when he drops his shoulder on the ice and braces for crushing hits, like the ones Kesler absorbed on Sunday night, the other guy basically gets splattered.

He surprises a lot of people, McLellan said.

The Sharks hope Murrays surprises keep coming when the series resumes with Game 2 on Wednesday.
Tim Panaccio is the NHL Insider for CSNPhilly.com E-mail him at tpanotch@comcast.net